I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Author Nathan Ingram takes readers on a journey into faith through a series of short stories that speak to the everyday, ordinary moments that bring his faith to the forefront in the book “Christ in the Coffee Shop”. 

The Synopsis

Christ at the Coffee Shop’s message speaks to the hearts of common people because it magnifies a God of the common places, the omnipotent Deity who happens to choose to make Himself known in the course of everyday events. Many of us would like to see God but can’t find Him, believing that He only expresses Himself through blinding insights of peak experiences of some sort. If we must travel to the mountaintops to see God most of us will miss Him. This book brings Him near.

Growing up on a small farm in Tennessee before earning degrees from Harding University and Tennessee Technological University, Nathan has spent a lot of time with simple living, hard work, and everyday people. In Houston, Texas, where he does most of his work nowadays, Nathan sees a different side of the world where life is a little more complicated and the labor is not with his hands, but the people themselves are not much different. Nathan lives his life among the commonplace and sees a tremendous need for a God who is comfortable there.

The Review

This was a unique and powerful read. The author did an amazing job of taking the ordinary and seemingly mundane actions of everyday life and giving voice to some powerful perceptions from the author’s point of view. The hope and kindness that pours out of the author’s stories were great to read, as it helped give voice to those who experience hardship through their everyday lives and not necessarily through more public events, and allowed readers to feel connected as well, as these situations were all things we either have or can experience at one point or another in our own lives.

It was the way in which the author wrote that really stood out to me. Whether you are a believer or not, you will enjoy the almost fable or parable (depending on one’s POV) that the author took with this direction of storytelling. The story of the man whose wife left him and the simple turn of phrase that the author utilized to help him was a short read, and yet made a powerful impact both emotionally and within the context of the narrative, making this book something many readers will want to be a part of. 

The Verdict

Heartfelt, honest, and engaging, author Nathan Ingram’s “Christ at the Coffee Shop” is a must-read short story collection. The simplicity is layered with complexity and emotional development that very few books manage to capture in such a short amount of time, and yet the hopeful tone the author strikes and the ability for this book’s stories to transcend any one particular faith is a great thing to read. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10