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The Fourth Fisherman by Joe Kissack

by Aaron Stutzman

September 26, 2012

Trying to cover-up and bury deep-seeded pain from his childhood, Joe Kissack tried to fill the void in his heart by gaining fortune and power in the high-pressure world of syndicated television. Deep down, he knew that the crazy travel schedule and the overwhelming hours at work were breaking him down. He subconciously tried to stay one step in front of the inevitable collapse of his life.

Thousands of miles away, in a small Mexican village, 5 Mexican fisherman set out on a fishing trip, not for fun, but to put food on the table. In what began as a routine fishing trip, it took a turn for the worst as the fisherman encountered a deadly storm and found themselves drifting along in the unending ocean with only a beat-up, old, dusty Bible and the clothes on their backs.

This book is the true story of how a high-powered television executive from the United States and three Mexican fisherman found the ends of themselves and the beginning of God's magnficent grace. Interwoven from Chapter to Chapter, the two stories run side by side until the television executive, with a quiet request from God, flies to Mexico to find the surviving fisherman and tell their story. What results is four changed lives and another example of the universal human need for God's grace and redemption.

I have to admit up-front that true life stories of overcoming life's obstacles are what I most enjoy reading. This book did not disappoint. From the moment I first picked it up, I found it difficult to put down and found myself playing the stories through my head in the days between starting and finishing the book. It really is a book where we, as the readers, are invited into the story and become part of it, as it unfolds. I highly recommend this book to anyone who doubts if God is still at work in the lives of people today.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, Waterbrook Multnomah, to write a review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review, however.