Mandolin player Billy Allman lives a simple life, one filled with both humility and tremendous tragedy. Given a vision from God, Billy decides that his purpose is to build a radio station in the hills of West Virginia. Despite all the naysayers and reasons why it shouldn't work, he sets about to do just that. But Billy's purpose is greater even than he realizes, tied to a childhood secret about a time in his life when his guardian angel Malachai was called away on other heavenly business. Although much goes wrong in Billy's life, his life is so small and contained that Malachai is not sure why he was assigned to observe and protect him. Malachai's mission becomes clearer as Billy's life hurtles toward the revelation of his secret.

It took two attempts for me to get into this story, no reflection on the highly skilled writing of Chris Fabry. Fabry's prose has a simple, lyrical feel to it. In telling the story, Fabry alternates between the perspectives of his protagonist Billy and Malachi the angel, who provides commentary on Billy's life, making for an unusual literary adventure and at times a slower pace than I would have liked. Although this book is an inspirational title, it didn't feel as though there was much of a faith journey for Billy because Billy never lacked faith. If anything, Billy's faith boxed him in, not allowing him to believe beyond the boundaries that he set for himself. Since he ultimately had to step outside those boundaries, perhaps therein lay his journey.

I was glad when I finished that I had made that second attempt to read ALMOST HEAVEN. I felt my own faith renewed and heightened by the knowledge of God's grace and imagining a guardian angel watching over me, not preventing all the bad things but a tool for the Almighty to use to fulfill His purpose in my life.

Book Summary

Billy Allman is a hillbilly genius. People in Dogwood, West Virginia, say he was born with a second helping of brains and a gift for playing the mandolin but was cut short on social skills. Though he’d gladly give you the shirt off his back, they were right. Billy longs to use his life as an ode to God, a lyrical, beautiful bluegrass song played with a finely tuned heart. So with spare parts from a lifetime of collecting, he builds a radio station in his own home. People in town laugh. But Billy carries a brutal secret that keeps him from significance and purpose. Things always seem to go wrong for him.

However small his life seems, from a different perspective Billy’s song reaches far beyond the hills and hollers he calls home. Malachi is an angel sent to observe Billy. Though it is not his dream assignment, Malachi follows the man and begins to see the bigger picture of how each painful step Billy takes is a note added to a beautiful symphony that will forever change the lives of those who hear it.