The Front Porch Prophet
Raymond Atkins
ISBN: 9781933836386
Medallion Press
Reviewed By Brooke Carleton

Official Apex Reviews Rating: 


The Front Porch Prophet opens on Eugene Perdue contacting his best friend, A.J. Longstreet, after several years of non-communication. He needs A.J. to be with him in the final phases of his life after he is diagnosed with cancer, and A.J. readily obliges. The reunion leads to entertaining stories about the men's past, beginning with their childhood and moving through the years until they became young men. Through the tales shared from A.J.'s perspective, the reader is introduced to both men's families and individual pasts, and the large cast of unique and charming characters makes the overall story truly special.

The Front Porch Prophet is a humorous and emotional look into life in Sequoyah, Georgia. While embracing southern culture and showing the quirkiness that small mountain town residents possess, Raymond L. Atkins does a brilliant job of taking what could have been a depressing story about cancer and turning it into a colorful, compelling story that will draw readers in and makes them fall in love with the characters. Highly recommended to all readers, because no one should miss out on this touching tale of friendship, family, and southern culture.