I enjoyed this book about the journey of a violent klansman whose life was radically changed by encountering God. The details and honesty in this memoir are riveting and this man's journey is unbelievable. It is a powerful story that is very relevant in our racially charged times.

This is an amazing book. I’m so glad that it is back in print. Tarrants’ journey from a hate-filled terrorist to a love-filled servant is inspiring.
It gripped me from the very first page as he plunges us directly into the violent days of the civil rights struggles in Mississippi. The action was intense as we follow him through bombings, gunfights, and prison escapes. The story of transformation that followed all of that was equally as gripping. First, Tarrants carefully reviews the dark path that lead him to accept murder in the name of Christ. Then he lets us see his slow but ever more hopeful journey to repentance and the loving forgiveness of the Savior. It was so beautiful. I loved the careful analysis of the thought processes that lead him to each place.
As a voracious reader, I found his story to be both a warning and an encouragement. He is very clear about how detrimental his early reading habits were. There he shows us the dangers of a lack of critical thinking and Biblical knowledge. Then he shares how through broader and more discerning reading eventually he gained the thirst for truth that leads him to repentance and eternal life.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t as inspired by the conclusion as I was by his personal testimony. I don't agree with the list of the most dangerous trends in America today. Those are Race Relations, Anti-Semitism, Political Polarization, Conspiracy Theories, and Lack of Trust in the Government. The first two are addressed in much more detail earlier in the book where he points to a true Biblical solution. The next one seems inevitable when people have deeply held moral standards, and simply saying that we need to be willing to compromise doesn't seem like a good solution. I can understand, based on his history, why he includes Conspiracy Theories, but again I’m not sure that I would include that in my top five worries about our nation. His last worry seems to me to be actually a good thing. We are all aware that governments composed of sinners may, no will, become corrupt and therefore never completely trustworthy. So a healthy distrust seems warranted.
Don’t let that last paragraph dissuade you from reading it. It was still a wonderful story of redemption, reconciliation, and renewal. From what he says about his ministries, I believe that he understands the true fix for America only lies in personal individual relationships with Christ as Savior. I would recommend it to everyone. It covers several very violent events but is written very delicately.
I received this as a free ARC through NetGalley and Nelson Books, Thomas Nelson. No favorable review was required. It was my pleasure to provide an honest opinion.

So good. Tarrants's story of radicalization and then transformation is a beautiful depiction of how none of us is too far gone for the love of Christ. The bulk of the book chronicles the events leading up to and during his time in prison, and he concludes with some thoughts for our time that I strongly agreed with. At points, I wanted him to go further, but ultimately the book is more about his change than about his prescription for fixing the world today.

I'm noticing a theme lately in books that I have read, and it is the power of an education, even just reading books, to change a person's whole world. The author's conversion from white supremacy and the KKK comes from reading books in prison that expand his worldview. It is so important to read widely and not just from one point of view, a dangerous practice that led the author to neo-Nazism in the first place. Another important aspect is building relationships with people that are different from you. The author first seeks to protect his homogeneous lifestyle, but when he makes friends with people of other races in prison, the lies he was taught about other races begin to unravel. The author also points to God and the Bible as the main impetus for his change of heart.

Since I did not grow up in the 1960's, it was enlightening, and scary, to read about the racial terrorism during that time and notice that it is still happening all these years later. I also learned about the people, books, and movements that taught and encouraged white supremacy during that time and the crazy conspiracy theories that fueled these movements and were repeated by people in positions of authority. The message is clear. Conspiracy theories are literally dangerous.

The second half of the book is mostly an evangelical sermon recounting the author's continued efforts at racial reconciliation and preaching about the true Christian's need to join these efforts.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A surprisingly good autobiography about a prison conversion. The author was affiliated with the KKK and was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison for attempting to bomb the home of a prominent Jewish civil rights activist. His female accomplice was killed in a gun battle with the police who had been tipped off about the bombing plot. The author tried to escape, but was captured after being shot multiple times with a shot gun at close range. He returned fire and shot a policeman in the chest. Fortunately the officer survived so the author got a long prison sentence, but not the death penalty.
While the details of the authors’ criminal life are interesting, the book gains momentum when the author is placed in solitary confinement and begins reading voraciously. He begins with books and articles that support his beliefs of white supremacy and anti-Semitism, but moves to philosophy and finally to Scripture. His reading opened his eyes to the lack of critical thinking that resulted in his bigoted world view. As he read widely and began to meet Jews and African Americans, his world view began to fall apart and he became open to true Christianity. He had considered himself a patriot and a Christian, but realized that it was all based on an uncritical acceptance of what others told him.
This book was written because the author saw the return of such false patriotism and bigotry in American society.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.