Reviewing Emily Colson's Dancing with Max

During my two weeks in Indiana in January and February, I was pleasantly surprised to receive some Christmas presents. As is often the case when I am given gifts, I saw a few gifts in the shape of a book and was very pleased. One of those gifts happened to be Emily Colson's 200-page book, Dancing with Max. Dancing with Max is divided into 26 short chapters with a Prologue and Epilogue. Although this was not a typical read for me, I placed it on my Amazon Wish List several months ago for a few reasons...

1. Emily Colson is the daughter of Chuck Colson, a Christian leader and worldviews expert who has written over 15 books. I have greatly enjoyed a couple of Chuck's books and knew he wrote the Prologue and Epilogue to this book. Chuck calls Dancing with Max the most personal book he has participated in since his first book, Born Again.
2. I was also attracted to reading a true story about a Christian lady who has persevered through some difficult circumstances. In Dancing with Max you read the story of a mother whose husband walked out on her and their autistic child Max. I know a little about desertion and have a fun-loving autistic nephew so I can identify a little with this story.

Ms. Colson's writing style could be described as a little over the top, however, I enjoyed her way with words and feel Ms. Colson is a gifted writer. Perhaps I could argue some theological points, but we can do that with every book. If you are not a Christian, I would still highly recommend this book. It is evident what Ms. Colson believes, but she comes across in a very non-threatening manner. If you are looking for a real message of hope and endurance, I highly recommend taking an evening or two to read this wonderful testimony of God's grace.