⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Beautifully Written Masterpiece

The Life and Death of Giants absolutely blew me away. This was a solid 5-star read for me! The writing is stunning—lyrical, rich, and full of emotional depth. The story is told through multiple perspectives, which can sometimes feel disjointed in other books, but not here. Each character felt so distinct and fully formed, I was continually amazed by Ron Rindo’s ability to breathe life into every one of them. I truly fell in love with them all.

One of the most moving aspects of the book was watching Gabriel’s community continuously rally around him, offering unwavering love and support. I also appreciated the glimpse into the Amish faith and traditions—told with respect and nuance—which added even more layers to this already compelling story.

I didn’t want this book to end. It’s one that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

What a yarn this is! If I told you this is about being and not being Amish, being an actual giant, playing football and is the biography from traumatic birth to peaceful death . . . I was easily caught up in the yarn and couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

9/10

If you want a wonderful story that is wonderfully written, you’ve found your book.

And I’ve found a new author I can obsess over.

The book starts with Rachel. She’s pregnant, she’s Amish and it’s clearly either quadruplets or a really big baby. Her older son takes her to the only person he can trust to help with the birth: the local veterinarian.

She gives birth to an enormous boy who is named Gabriel.

Gabriel grows into a giant. Eventually towering over everybody at 8’ 7” tall. And he’s truly a gentle giant.

I won’t tell you where his life leads, you’ll find out in the book. But I will tell you that the story is an interwoven web of stories from different people in the story: the vet, Rachel’s mother, the football coach, the barkeep and others.

The writing is inspiringly great, but I already told you that.

The story will make you laugh, make you smile, make you think and make you cry. Gabriel’s journey is tragically poetic. His legacy, though, is much larger than his already monstrous body.

I couldn’t wait to finish this book and I’m heartbroken it’s done.

I’m now going to buy it for a bunch of people.
It’s that good.

#netgalley #life&death&giants

A beautifully written story focusing on an Amish community in Wisconsin and the lives of the people surrounding it. Told from alternating characters and their perspectives, each voice is lyrical and draws the reader in to the lives of these ordinary yet wonderful people. I loved everything about this book and didn't want the story to end. Well done!

Life,and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo is Amish fiction taken in a new direction.

This is the story of Gabriel Fisher. He was a boy born out of wedlock to an Amish mother. His mother had been shunned by her Amish community. She died immediately after giving birth to Gabriel without ever revealing the name of his father.

Gabriel was raised by his brother Jasper until Jasper's untimely death. He was then raised by his Amish grandparents. From his earliest years, Gabriel has a way with animals, and later proves to be a profoundly gifted athlete.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to other lovers of Amish fiction. This title does contain some very dark adult themes; therefore, I would recommend it for adults only.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title from Net Galley.

#Life,andDeath,andGiants#RonRindo#NetGalley

“This boy!” she said to no one in particular. Her eyes welled with tears. “This boy is going to change the world.” from Life, and Death, and Giants

You could call this novel magical, or a fable, or a tall tale, or a story of family secrets, and it is all that and more. I did not expect to be drawn into these characters, to be so swept up.

A young woman who has left her Amish community gives birth to two sons out of wedlock, the second boy so large she dies in his birthing. The boy grows into a literal giant, reaching size 35 shoes. He is a gentle giant, with a special rapport with animals, and affecting every one who knows him.

The boy’s older brother diligently cared for him but inexplicably committed suicide. The local vet takes the boy in. His Amish grandmother stays in touch with him, eventually forging a deep friendship with the vet.

The boy becomes a part of the English world and schools. His size and strength garners interest in the football coach, and the boy becomes a star player–until an accident leaves him permanently altered.

But, he forges a new career, traveling the world, until another tragedy strikes and he returns home, surrounded by the people who love him.

Dark family secrets, and tragedy, and the unfairness of life fill the tale, and yet the story is one of great warmth, and the miraculous, and the everyday miracle of love.

The book is generous in its sentimental portrayal of small town life and the constraints and strength of the Amish community. And the poetry of Emily Dickinson speaks to us readers as it does to the Amish women who secretly find solace in her words.

“It is the good we leave behind us…that makes a life worth living” sums up the novel’s theme.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

This is a moving and unusual story about Gabriel Fisher, a boy born into an Amish family who grows to be over eight feet tall. His mother dies during childbirth, and Gabriel is raised by his grandparents in a quiet Amish community in Wisconsin. Even though he is physically a giant, Gabriel has a gentle heart and kind soul.

The book is told by different people in Gabriel’s life—a vet, a football coach, his grandmother, and others. Through their stories, we learn how Gabriel affects everyone around him. He connects the Amish and the outside world in ways no one else can.

This novel is about love, loss, faith, and finding your place in the world. Ron Rindo writes with warmth and care, and Gabriel is a character you won’t forget. I will be recommending this book to friends and family!

#NetGalley #LifeandDeathandGiants #RonRindo

Life, and Death and Giants takes place in a closely knit town in Wisconsin. It is part Amish and part “English” and I love how Rinado weaves these two communities together in his rich and reflective book.

Gabriel Fisher, born from an outcast mother who dies at his birth, is raised by his Amish grandparents. He grows into an athletic but gentle giant. The novel explores how his life shapes those around him. It gives new direction to the life of his grandmother Hannah, the town veterinarian Dr. Kennedy, his high school football conch Trey Beathard, and others in both the English and Amish communities.

I believe one of the strengths of Life, and Death and Giants is its multiple POVs as it allows the novel to gain depth and variety. Each perspective adds unique and thoughtful layers, especially the Amish voices. Rindo captures both the warmth and the quiet restrictions of their life. He did an excellent job balancing their religious traditions with the outside worlds pull. Jodi Picoult’s Plain Truth, that took place in Lancaster county, was similar is how it shared with the world the private Amish traditions and beliefs.

Life, and Death and Giants is a story that stayed me, quietly powerful, without needing big moments to make a big impact. I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“Life and Death and Giants” is by Ron Rindo. This book tells the story of a boy, Gabriel Fisher, who was born weighing 18 pounds. Before he’s an adult, Gabriel is almost 8’ tall. Gabriel was brought up in both the Amish and “Outsiders” (non-Amish) cultures. Multiple narrators tell Gabriel’s story, each capturing their perspective about him and his life. I enjoyed learning more about the Amish culture/world and found this book enjoyable, though it ran through a gamut of emotions at times. While the story was enjoyable, I found the writing to be a bit clunky - between really long paragraphs and odd phrasing, it took away from my enjoyment.

Life, Death and Giants is a captivating story about Gabriel Fisher who was born an orphan weighing eighteen pounds and measuring twenty-seven inches long. Gabriel is exceptional in height and weight but also has extraordinary athletic ability and a remarkable affinity for animals. Multiple narrators tell Gabriel’s story including his Amish grandmother, and an English (non-Amish) veterinarian who befriends the family. The various viewpoints not only fill in the details of Gabriel’s life and but also illuminate the lives of the speakers. All of them struggle and work to move past mistakes and make peace with their current circumstances. This is especially poignant in the case of Gabriel’s grandmother who must reconcile her Amish worldview with the more secular environment in which Gabriel makes his life. While there is a strong narrative, this beautifully written book really excels in character development and internal dialogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my review

Life, and Death, and Giants starts with a compelling premise and an almost mythical central figure: Gabriel Fisher, a giant of a boy with a mysterious past and uncanny abilities. The early chapters pulled me in with their lyrical tone and hints of magical realism—Gabriel’s size, his connection to animals, his origin story all suggested a powerful narrative to come.

However, as the novel progressed, I found that initial momentum slipping. The story becomes increasingly bogged down in lengthy sports descriptions—particularly football—which, unless you're a devoted fan, can start to feel repetitive and hard to stay engaged with. I often found myself skimming these sections in search of forward movement in the plot or deeper emotional insights.

Another challenge for me was the narrative structure. The book shifts between many different characters’ points of view, and while this can sometimes enrich a story, I found it frustrating- especially because we never get to hear directly from Gabriel himself. For a story so centered on this singular character, the lack of his own voice made it hard to truly connect with him on an emotional level. He remains at a distance, observed rather than understood.

That said, readers who appreciate slow-burning, character-driven dramas with a strong sense of place and themes of faith, family, and rural life may find more to enjoy here. There are touching moments and well-drawn side characters, and the writing is quite beautiful.

I was hesitant about this book at first, thinking it might be too much of a fantasy story for me. I am SO glad I decided to forge ahead. I have so many feeling about the is book, and it’s definitely one I’ll be thinking about for a very long time. There were a couple of sections that seemed to drag on in my opinion, mainly the sports parts, but overall I really enjoyed this book!

*Prologue*
— [a little history before diving into this wonderful novel] —
“Founded in 1851, the town of Lakota, Wisconsin, is today little more than a rural crossroads where Country Roads JJ and Y meet like modestly crossed legs, with the Mecan River passing beneath the knees. The river flows across the whole of Waushara County, winding its way through woodlots, farm fields, and tangled swampland of Willow, dogwood, and boggy prairie”.

Waushara means ‘good land’, but some believe the Winnebago were trolling the white settlers who took it from them, since the soils of the country are among the least fertile in the state.

“Dr. Thomas Kennedy, an
introvert preferred the company of animals to human beings. He had moved his veterinary practice from Milwaukee to Lakota at the age of forty-seven following the horrifying death of his wife, Angela. Though the accident had ultimately been ruled a suicide, Thomas had been investigated, urged to hire a lawyer, his picture plastered across newspapers and the local television news”.

The area supported the community of Amish and their Anabaptist counterparts, the Mennonites,
who lived austere lives and took the biblical admonition to hold dominion over their animal seriously.

At once a sleepy little town, Lakota eventually became one of the most famous places in the world.

On the the juicy aspects of the page- turning storytelling… (but no spoilers):
A BIG BABY IS BORN . . .
“Jasper, wait! Thomas stuffed his phone into his pocket. Your mother‘s in serious trouble, you understand? Toxins are pouring through her body.
She’s probably had a stroke, maybe more than one. She needs to go to the emergency room. We can drive her there ourselves”.
“Jasper shaked his head. Never.”
“Thomas shouted, I can’t save her!”
“Save the babies then, Jasper said. God‘s waiting for her. She told me that. No man will have her honest, but God will take her hand. The babies, you can save them if you want to. I know you can. I seen you do it.”
“Those were animals! Thomas said. I am not a medical doctor. How many times do I have to say it?”
“You can do whatever you want to do, Jasper said”.
“Thomas exhaled. He yanked open the tailgate, crawled up into the bloodied hay. Gently, he placed his palms on Rachel‘s stomach.
A baby’s knee or elbow swiped across his hand. . . . “
“My God, this poor woman has suffered. Why didn’t you call a doctor?”
“She forbid me. I told you, Jasper said. His lips quivered”.
“As he considered what might be necessary to deliver multiple infants, Thomas fell back on his veterinary training. Dystocia in lambs and goats was not uncommon.
“Thomas recalled the masterful work of an elderly veterinarian. he’d met during his residency who could palpate the abdomen of a full-term sheep or goat, and within a minute announce how many lambs she carried.
Though he could not be certain, Thomas felt energized by his discovery: This was not a case of multiple births at all. Rachele Fisher carried just one fetus, one improbably possibility large baby.”

Gabriel Fisher was born weighing eighteen pounds and twenty-seven inches long, to an Amish mother, who passed away giving birth.
Jasper had a new baby brother.
Before reaching adulthood, Gabriel was almost eight feet tall.
As Gabriel grew and flourished, the story of his birth would be told again and again, until telling the truth had mostly disappeared.
The boys father remained unknown.

The mesmerizing story continues.
Years pass. Jasper grew into a young man (a very caring older brother), and Hannah, Rachel‘s mother, into middle age.
But Jasper dies —
A passionate devoted community raises Gabriel: Hannah Fisher, Dr. Thomas Kennedy, Bill Walton, and Trey Beathard.

Gabriel grows up in both the modern and Amish world. After his brother Jasper dies who had attended to Gabriel with complete selfishness —
Gabriel learns about his Amish roots from Hannah and others in the community.
And besides being ‘so tall’ Gabriel has a very kind disposition with a lot of compassion and empathy for animals and other people. He also becomes a sport legend and a worldwide wrestling sensation.

A moving, tragic, and uplifting story is told— one man’s extraordinary life, the Amish culture in Lakota, Wisconsin, death, grief, and love.

A few - out-of-context excerpts:
“Yet when I think of Rachel‘s final hours, when I consider the agony she endured birthing Gabriel, my mind sometimes goes black. Were it not for the spirit of God and the strength of His grace, I might die of heartbreak. I am Rachel’s mother. I should have been at
her side”.
“To compound my loss, Rachel was denied an Amish burial”.

We learn from the authors notes that ….
The tallest person who ever lived was Robert Pershing Wadlow (February 22, 1918 - July 15, 1940).
Wadlow was known as the “Gentle Giant”.

A story that revolves around Gabriel, a young man as this begins, who was unusually large. At birth he was astoundingly large for a baby, weighing 18 pounds, and was 27 inches long. He never knew his mother, as she died while giving birth to him. He spent his early childhood raised by an older brother, but when his brother died, he went to live with his grandparents, who were Amish, which the grandparents were, as well.

I went into this story without reading more than the brief description of this story, and by the time I got time to read it, I was hooked. This will be among my favourite reads this year, such a profoundly moving story, one I won't forget.

All the stars for this lovely and moving story.


Pub Date: 09 Sep 2025


Many thanks for the opportunity to read 'Life, and Death, and Giants' by Ron Rindo

Book Review: Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

Every once in a while, a book comes along that doesn’t just tell a story—it reshapes how you see the world, even if just for a while. Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo did that for me. It’s hard to explain what exactly makes this novel so special without underselling it. At a glance, it’s a story about a boy named Gabriel Fisher—born freakishly large, nearly eight feet tall by adolescence, and gifted with superhuman athletic ability—but what it’s really about is how one extraordinary life ripples outward, reshaping every person it touches. It’s a quiet miracle of a book.

Gabriel is born into tragedy, his mother dying in childbirth after being shunned by her Amish community for refusing to name his father. His entrance into the world is violent and surreal—eighteen pounds, twenty-seven inches long, delivered by a veterinarian in the back of a pickup truck. It’s a birth that feels biblical, mythic. But Rindo grounds it with empathy. Gabriel is not a freak show or a sideshow character. He is tender, wise beyond his years, and entirely human. He’s raised first by his much older brother, then by Amish grandparents who take him in reluctantly, cloaking him in silence and secrecy out of shame and fear.

The most powerful thing about this novel is that Gabriel never narrates. We don’t get his voice. Instead, the story is told through five central characters—his grandmother, a local veterinarian, a bar owner, and two coaches—each one bringing their own biases, heartbreaks, and failures. Through them, we piece together who Gabriel is, and more importantly, what he means. He is not just big in body; he’s big in spirit, big in heart, and big in the emotional footprints he leaves on others. His gentleness with animals, his quiet integrity, his hunger for love and understanding—these are the traits that make him unforgettable. One narrator says, “He was both too much for this world and exactly what it needed,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Rindo’s prose is quietly masterful. The writing doesn’t draw attention to itself, but you feel its power in every line. He knows when to pause, when to push forward, and when to let silence do the heavy lifting. I found myself slowing down, rereading passages—not because I was confused, but because I didn’t want to rush through something so thoughtful. The emotional resonance is built slowly, and by the time the story reaches its final pages, it’s devastating in the best way. And yes, I cried.

What I appreciated most was how Rindo handles the balance between realism and awe. Gabriel’s size, his abilities, and his connection to nature all feel heightened, almost magical. But they’re never presented as fantasy. It’s clear that Rindo based elements of Gabriel’s physicality on the real-life story of Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in recorded history, which gives the novel an added layer of authenticity. The result is a kind of grounded myth—legendary, but lived-in.

The novel also explores the tension between the Amish and English (non-Amish) worlds. Gabriel straddles both, never fully belonging to either. His grandmother’s internal struggle to accept her grandson’s difference—while still holding fast to her faith—is one of the book’s most moving arcs. Through her, we see the cost of rigidity, but also the possibility of grace. The Amish aren’t portrayed as villains, nor are the English as saviors. Everyone here is flawed, yearning, trying. That nuance is rare and welcome.

One of my favorite threads throughout the novel is the way Emily Dickinson’s poetry is woven into the story—not just as decoration, but as spiritual scaffolding. Her words appear when characters can’t find their own. “If love was all the same water, perhaps it lapped a bit differently on each shore that it touched?” is a line that perfectly captures the soul of this novel. Love is everywhere in this book, but it looks different from every angle—stern, forgiving, broken, and whole.

There’s a lot of sports in the book—baseball, football, even pro wrestling—and I’ll admit, I expected to skim those parts. But I didn’t. Because Rindo doesn’t write about sports for the sake of the game. He writes about the way people try to mold Gabriel into what they want him to be—an athlete, a celebrity, a savior—without understanding who he really is. Every sport becomes a stage where society tries to define him, and every chapter becomes a quiet resistance to that.

By the end of the novel, Gabriel is not just a character. He’s a presence. A reminder of what it means to move through the world with integrity, humility, and kindness, even when you’ve been othered and misunderstood. His final moments, surrounded by those who love him, are some of the most moving I’ve read in years. They made me think deeply about how we care for one another in life and in death. The community that forms around him isn’t perfect, but it is real. And in the end, that’s what stays with you.

Life, and Death, and Giants is a book that will live inside me for a long time. It’s not flashy. It’s not fast. But it’s honest, deeply felt, and full of quiet revelations. If you’re looking for something that reminds you of the best parts of humanity, read this. Gabriel Fisher may have been too large for this world, but his story fits perfectly inside the human heart.

The focus of Ron Rindo's impressive Life, Death, and Giants is Gabriel, whose birth as an 18-pounder takes the life of his Amish mother, shunned because she refuses to name the baby's father. Gabriel grows much faster than a normal boy, to his ultimate size at well over 8 feet tall and 500+ pounds, and his life is anything but normal. Living first with his much older brother, whose lifestyle is English (non-Amish), then his Amish grandparents, then out on his own, he struggles to combine both English and Amish lifestyles, opting during his rumspringa--the period when Amish teens experience a looser life before deciding whether to be baptized as Amish--to play football in high school and college.

And, of course, he is a sensation. In alternating chapters, the story is told by the people who love Gabriel. Dr. Kennedy, the large-animal veterinarian who delivered him, finds that Gabriel has an almost otherworldly relationship with animals and is a sweet-tempered boy and young man despite all the acclaim he receives. A local bar owner and a high school football coach are deeply affected by their relationships with Gabriel. And Hannah, his Amish grandmother, wants the best for him but is conflicted regarding her beloved but often difficult Amish upbringing. All of these characters, including Gabriel himself, evolve significantly throughout the book, which is a wonder to experience.

The portrayal of Amish culture and religion taught me things I never knew about the Amish. And one of the later scenes, which you have to read to appreciate, is so unbelievably beautiful and magical that I know I will return to read it again in the future. There are also dark moments in the book that may challenge the reader to continue reading. It's difficult to fully do justice to this book because it is an extraordinary story, exquisitely written. Overall, it is about the many different kinds of love, expressed so effectively by this author. I received a invitation to read this book from the publisher, and I'm so glad I did. I don't know whether I would have heard of or sought out this book otherwise, and I would have missed an unforgettable experience.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This book broke me. This was a beautiful look at the complexity of human relationships, life, and the amazing things we take for granted. While Gabriel is the main character, I truly appreciated that the book was told in perspective of those who loved him, rather than hearing his direct thoughts. This was a different approach to story telling that mirrors many traditional styles. The characters were flawed, but very humanly so. ANd every moment I thought the story would be taking a more hopeful tragjectory I got hit with more emotion. But the beauty and positivity in the tragedy was very well crafted.

Set in modern day small town Wisconsin, "Life, and Death, and Giants" is a moving novel about community, faith, and family (both biological and chosen).

While Gabriel is the "Giant" and arguably the main character, the book is told from the perspectives of several people in his life, including his Amish grandmother, the local veterinarian who mentors and cares for Gabriel, Gabriel's high school football coach, and the owner of the town's bar.
So while the book centers around Gabriel, the reader sees more of how his existence changes those around him.

This was a beautiful book and I can't wait to share it with friends.

ETA: my one issue with this book is the possible misrepresentation of Amish culture when it comes to animals. The Amish run some of America's biggest puppy mills. They believe God gave them dominion over the animals and often do not treat them with much compassion.

Wow, I don't know that I've ever read a book like this. Both tragic and beautiful, the story of Gabriel is one that is ultimately very human. This book is separated into 4 different POVs that come together to tell their sides of Gabriel's upbringing. Oh boy did I cry and I recommend this to anyone who also needs a good cry. I do wish we would have gotten Gabriel's perspective.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this book. I ended up really enjoying this story, but I very nearly quit reading early on because of the heavy does of religion in the early chapters. Of course, it makes sense because many of the characters are Amish with deeply held beliefs. So expect lots of quotations from the Bible. Beyond that, loved the story and characters. Rindo is especially good at creating interesting and believable characters, although you may have to stretch your limits of to accept Gabriel as real. But he becomes more and more real as you read. II enjoyed Rindo's prose as well. So many just gorgeous passages, particularly when characters were in nature. This book and particularly, these characters will stay with me a long time.

I will look for more by this author!