Book review: 'Miracle' has a whole lot of heart

"THE SEVENTEEN SECOND MIRACLE," by Jason F. Wright, Berkley Trade Paperback Original, 304 pages, http://deseretbook.com

In a second, a life can change forever.

A car crash, a tumble or — as in the case of Jason F. Wright's new book, "The Seventeen Second Miracle" — a drowning can cause a ripple effect reaching far into the future.

Rex Connor's life is perfect until one fateful afternoon in 1970 when, as a lifeguard, he diverts his gaze for 17 seconds and a life is lost.

Forty years later, the events of that day live on in his son, Cole, who has chosen to share the experience in a unique way. This fall, Cole has invited three struggling teens to learn about Rex and the Seventeen Second Miracle.

Slowly, the group learns how Rex turned those 17 seconds into little miracles. By choosing to live his life believing small instances could change the world, Rex did make it a better place.

The lessons are hard, and each of the students face their own secrets and trials, but over time, they begin to see how perspective and a few seconds can put a smile on even the grumpiest of faces.

Jason Wright's writing keeps getting better. In "The Seventeen Second Miracle" he has created an unassuming little book with a whole lot of heart. Wright takes one 17-second tragedy and morphs it into hundreds of miracles, creating hope a light where a chasm of darkness otherwise exists.

Wright's prose is like a hand-made quilt, intricate in design but featuring a homespun simplicity. And it's obvious Wright believes the words he painstakingly put on the page. There's a joyful tone to his writing that's passionate, yet never schmaltzy.

"The Seventeen Second Miracle" is universal, appealing to fans of all genres and readers of any age.

e-mail: jharrison@desnews.com