Description
John Little was the last person you would suspect of harboring a mystical ability. Or, any ability at all, for hat matter. At age 16, he was a tall, lanky unathletic 147 pounds. He was clumsy, and not well-coordinated, often tripping over his own two feet. His features were, well, homely. Pale complexion, very light eyebrows and almost invisible eyelashes. His lank sandy-blond hair flew seven ways from breakfast at the slightest breeze. As if that wasn’t enough baggage, John Little stuttered. Badly. That started when his father suddenly died from a massive heart attack, when John was nine years old. He blamed himself, believing if he had known what to do when he found his father slumped over in their tiny bookstore, he might have been able to save him. Despite doctors telling him that death was instantaneous, John still harbored the guilt. Hence the stuttering.
His mother, Maggie, was a fireplug of energy, and she dedicated her life to caring for her John.
High school was difficult, although made a little easier when Maggie discovered a new device that translated words to sound.
John was brilliant with an almost photographic memory and loved to read. And he could read fast. Wicked fast.
His ability to read and understand led to a chance meeting with Julie Davenport, head cheerleader and prettiest girl in high school. His offering of help with an essay led to a close friendship. It was on a ride home from school in Julies “Blue Bug,” when they were humming and singing along with James Taylor, that she discovered John had a beautiful voice. No. Not just beautiful. Angelic. He refused to believe that he could sing. But, an encounter in a church service at the AME Baptist church, in which he astounded everyone when he sang along with a hymn that caused the congregation to listen in awe as he sang the hymn like no one else before him. The music director took him under his wing and guided him to record hymns that were eventually shared by millions across the world.
The story includes a multi-millionaire oil man, a Brooklyn Street kid, a couple od love stories, and, ultimately, a transformation from the spindly John Little to an imposing specimen. His ultimate victory had world-wide repercussions, since his recordings were sold for a paltry $10, so that hundreds of thousands of people could listen and gain solace from their worries and care. Spoiler alert: The book has a happy ending, albeit, a surprising one.
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