Struck from Behind, by James C. Howell

Howell grew up in a nominally Chris­tian family that occasionally attended a Southern Baptist church. He claims the Baptists tried to kill him! A rather insecure young person with apparent intellectual gifts, he was advised to become a medical doctor. Instead, he pursued a life in pastoral ministry in the United Meth­odist Church and also earned a doctorate in Old Testament. Howell is at his best when he talks about pastoral ministry, even though he claims that this memoir isn’t about pastoring, and he is quite open about his personal struggles as a pastor. He veers toward sentimentality when writing about his own family, especially his children.