Prodigal in the City [Paperback]

Louis N. Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2008

James Whitaker was only seven years old when a preacher told him what he saw through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. "God is preparing your heart for the downcast. He is placing in you concern for the oppressed. He will make you into a living testimony that will capture the hearts of many, and He is giving you a voice and an anointing that will captivate even the hardest of souls. You will be a warrior in the body of Christ that will cause the enemy to shudder and falter."

As a child, James never gave the words much thought. But his mother, Bernice, wrote the words and kept them in her Bible. His father also kept the words burnished on his heart. Even the mother and father of his best friend Kendall acknowledged the quiet power of the preacher's words, wrote them down, and vowed never to forget them. They believed that James was destined for greatness.

It was for that reason that another power--the evil, malevolent, and unseen prince of the power of the air--also made a concerted and determined effort to change that destiny.

And James, now an adult and having squandered away his Christian upbringing during his teen years, is targeted by a distraught father bent on revenge for the disappearance of his young daughter. As a result, he faces a series of destructive events that change his life and the lives of all those he cares about, including a young social worker who tries to help him.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Louis N Jones is a seasoned author, playwright and journalist who has been cultivating his writing talents since he was 5 years old. In grade school, he wrote a short story called, "The Silly Crayon," which was selected to be read on a radio program in the D.C. area. While in high school, a Christian monthly magazine published his article entitled, "A Night with the Homeless," chronicling a cold night he spent in an abandoned S.E. Washington apartment building with several homeless men.He is the assistant pastor of Christian Conquest Word of God Church, a interdenominational church located in Washington, DC.

Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Conquest Publishers (June 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965662543
• ISBN-13: 978-0965662543
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,334,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Louis N Jones, a seasoned author, playwright and journalist, has been cultivating his writing talents since he was 5 years old. He is the assistant pastor of Christian Conquest Word of God Church in Washington, DC. At his church, he directs several ministries, including the children and youth ministry and the drama ministry. He established Conquest Reintegration Ministries in 1995 to assist men and women returning home from prison with resources needed to successfully reintegration into society.

Rev. Jones's background includes working as a network engineer at the United States Postal Service; in the membership department of a major builder's association in Rosslyn, Virginia; as a controller at a successful magazine publishing company in Silver Spring, Maryland; and as a student services assistant at a technology school in Springfield, Virginia. In grade school, he wrote a short story called, "The Silly Crayon," which was selected to be read on a radio program in the D.C. area. While in high school, a Christian monthly magazine published his article entitled, "A Night with the Homeless," chronicling a cold night he spent in an abandoned S.E. Washington apartment building with several homeless men.

Rev. Jones was ordained into the ministry on October 5, 2003. He is the author of three manuals for persons interested in prison ministry, and he is sought out for his expertise on criminal justice issues. His twenty years of experience working with prisoners and ex-prisoners in the District of Columbia provided a large share of the material for his novel, Prodigal in the City. He is working on a second novel, to be released in early 2011, about a Haitian immigrant who befriends a U.S. senator while fleeing from men who want to murder her. He is committed to writing more novels that explore various aspects of life from a Christian perspective. He currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A story of faith and how it can rescue even the most hopeless of cases, April 4, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prodigal in the City (Paperback)

Faith often leaves people, but that doesn't prevent it from coming back. "Prodigal in the City" follows James Whitaker as he comes home to Washington D.C. after a long absence. But he soon finds himself the target of ghosts from his past, and it seems his only hope for salvation is a megachurch that has formed in his home city. A story of faith and how it can rescue even the most hopeless of cases, "Prodigal in the City" is quite the choice for those in search of Christian novels.

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down., August 18, 2008

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prodigal in the City (Paperback)

James Whitaker has been best friends with Kendall Morrison since the age of seven. They are both products of strong Christian families and find they have much in common. Not only are they outcast because of their Christian faith, they both have to endure being labeled church boys. As a teen, James loses, first, his father and then his faith. As a result, James turns to the streets to find solace and his best friend tries to follow his lead. His decision to forsake his faith has life-altering consequences that will forever affect everyone in his life.

PRODIGAL IN THE CITY is one those stories that once started, it can't be put down. Pastor Louis Jones has created a very real portrayal of what can happen, when the streets become more real than the word of God. It is a very compelling story that will grab your heart as you root for James' redemption. The parallels between James and the Prodigal Son in the bible are very much on point.

Excellent read.

Reviewed by Jacqueline D. Moore
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers