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Book: A Twisted Rainbow by Roger E. Bruner

categories: Book, Preacher's Kid, Lottery Winner, Guilt Pangs, United Family, Reversal of Fortune, Nicaraguan Immigrant, Love Story, Dread of Ministry, Overbearing Mother, Protective Father, Clothesline Poles, Special Child, Christian, Coming-of-Age

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Roger E. Bruner

about this book: Each of my fifteen novels has something from my background in it, but in many ways this is the most autobiographical of them all. I really did grow up as a preachers kid and I really did resent the things my parents couldn't afford to buy for me--things all of my friends had.

I also had to participate in some church activities I didn't want to simply because I was the preacher's son. And I put off being baptized for a number of years because something that apparently happened during a swimming lesson left me so aquaphobic I didn't take any more lessons.

But I never had a best friend like Roberto and I never rejected God the way Joel and Roberto both did. And I certainly never ended up playing the lottery or coming into a fortune from doing it just once.

Nope, A TWISTED RAINBOW isn't really my story after all. But because I was writing from a partially familiar set of circumstances, I believe I succeeded at making my two protagonists seem real and fascinating, no matter how "way out" some of the story is. This has long been one of my favorite novels.

Although the story begins in the middle and then returns to the beginning, it involves a number of things regarding Joel's teen years. Even though I wasn't trying to write for teens specifically, I believe teens can recognize a lot of things about themselves in the story.

I consider this to be a Christian coming-of-age story that moves from Joel's rejection of God for not giving him the things he wants to accepting God's Greatest Gift of all.

By the way, I'm especially proud of the climax chapters. They never fail to leave me weeping with joy.

I had fun designing this cover. I thought creating crosses from pieces of twisted rainbow candy was relevant in a number of ways. I hope my readers will agree.