Life, and Death, and Giants, a review by Shelley

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Life, and Death, and Giants
Ron Rindo

Publication Date: September 9th, 2025
St. Martin’s Press
336 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Genre: General Fiction

I loved this book so much. It’s about an unmarried Amish woman who gives birth to an eighteen-pound baby (and I thought my babies were big at nine and eleven pounds) and dies shortly afterward. The baby, Gabriel, is raised by his older brother and then his grandparents. Gabriel is a gentle giant. He has a wonderful way with animals and is supremely athletic. As a result, he emerges from his shell and ventures into the world beyond his Amish community. He attends high school and even becomes a professional athlete. The book is told from the point of view of the vet who helped deliver him, his grandma, one of the locals, and his football coach.

This is one of the most profoundly moving and beautifully written stories I have ever read. From the very first page, Gabriel captured my heart and held on. Rindo wove a very human story. The idea to tell Gabriel’s story through the people in his community was brilliant. It was a wonderful way to gain a multilayered perspective on how one person can impact the multitudes around them. Gabriel’s story is a moving tale of faith, family, and community, but it is also about one remarkable individual. This is a book that will make you believe in the goodness of others and will stay with me for a very long time. An absolute must-read and an easy choice for All. The. Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.