Taking loosely from the Book of Job in the Christian Bible, Andy is tested by gaining what he lacks. It's implied by Satan that this nice boy who's the butt of everyone's jokes will forget his solid upbringing of doing the right thing if he is given wealth, notoriety, respect, etc. Satan tells God Andy will forget him if given more (since he starts out with just God to count on).
Interesting plot.
Authentic characters.
I'd recommend it!

The title, The Book of Andy, is referential to The Book of Job, the Old Testament story of God and the Devil playing fast and loose with an honorable man. In the original story Job was a righteous man and to prove to the Devil that Job’s faith in God was strong and not based on material possessions, God allowed terrible tragedies to befall Job, and lo and behold! Job never lost his trust in God. In this contemporary retelling of the story, Andy is a loser with an 8th grade education working at the lowest of jobs, cleaning septic systems, who is held in contempt by practically everyone. Through it all he maintains his love for God and family and lives an honorable life. In a twist on the Biblical story God allows the Devil to tempt Andy with money, fame and lust to show that a true man of God will not be led astray by any of such trappings.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was an entertaining read, well written with a captivating plot and lots of great details that served the story well. . The characters were well drawn, both earnest Andy and the tempters he meets.
My real issue is with the original premise of God and Satan using Andy as a pawn in their relationship.That story has always seemed more like a cautionary tale to teach the Jewish community to serve the Lord and not true to the concept of a God whose steadfast love endures forever.
I did love the narrative between God and Satan, partly true to the language of The Law and partly an ironic modern retelling. Even better was the final chapter which was so great it almost made up for my initial misgivings.
I invite you to read The Book of Andy for yourself. You are sure to gain something from the story.

Oh my - how I grew to love Andy as a character - and a person. He's the lowest of the low status wise, low paid, horrible job, living on his meagre wages - hand to mouth - and just about keeping his head above water. He tries to be a good person but he keeps getting knocked down. But in the wonderful words of the mighty Cumbawamba - he gets knocked down, he gets up again, never gonna keep him down... and this is basically the running theme of the book.
Until that is, one day, after a disaster which is best left for you to discover yourself, he finds himself blessed with fortune. The underdog is about to turn...
But the narrative is peppered with discussions between good and evil, Satan and God. Discussing what to do with and to Andy, where the line is drawn. How far to push and when to hold back. Setting out the ground rules.
Underdog soon becomes hero and his touch knows no bounds. Or past histories. He finds the things that most people take for granted. But he gives back too.
There's a message contained within the words of this book. Obviously. An important one, one that Andy finds easy. Because, well, he's Andy. A simple soul. With a good heart.
But it's not preachy. You'll take what you want/need from this book. Nothing more, nothing less. If it's just the story you want, that's there too. There's layers depending on what you want to take. How deep you choose to delve.
One thing's for certain (I hope anyway). You will be rooting for Andy, all the way through.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This witty, insightful story reveals the state of humanity through the citizens of Missoula, Montana. The reader meets the haves and have-nots, the cruel and the kind, the trustworthy and the wicked through the eyes of a shy common man, Andy Strobel. His work ethic rises above the lowliness of his job, and he revels in the simple pleasures of fly fishing with his dog Max and wood carving.
Andy’s true character is tested and tempted to the limits when he is thrown into unfamiliar circumstances beyond his education and experience to understand. Will he rise to the challenges or fall? Will he believe people’s words or actions? Will he remain true to himself or change to suit the expectations of others?
Anchored in contemporary Western Montana, the story delves into the history of Indians, explorers, and lumberjacks who forged the wilderness before settlers built the town. The historic development of the place parallels the stages of Andy’s self-awareness, his love of the land, and his attempts to establish his place in it.
Recommended for readers of James Thurber, Richard Paul Evans. Charles Martin, and Norman Maclean.
#TheBookofAndy #NetGalley #

Promise me a fresh twist on a familiar theme, and I'm tempted. "The Book of Andy" is said to be a flip-side of the Book of Job, with the Devil seeking to corrupt one of God's most loyal and devoted followers. Ok, I'll take the bait!

Instead of being blessed like the Biblical Job, Andy is an underdog, working as a septic-tank driver and doing the dirtiest work on earth for ten dollars an hour, which is barely enough for him to pay rent on a single-wide trailer. He is the butt of every joke, the scapegoat whenever things go wrong. He never made it past eighth grade. "You have protected him from the trappings of the world," Satan tells god. "But now stretch out your hand and bless everything that he has, and he will surely forget you."

Andy's fortune does change, to the point that he has Oprah wanting to tell the world his story. This is where all plausibility took a hike. I should have seen the red flags waving: whenever an author promises a story as riveting as some best-seller, e.g. "Fans of Walter Mitty, A River Runs Through It, and Forrest Gump will enjoy this humorous family saga," my expectations plummet.

The story is engaging, despite how annoying the unsavory characters are, and Andy does not disappoint the reader. The plot twist at the end, however, just didn't ring true for me.

It's not hard to identify with Andy, but it's so hard to see him just accept whatever abuse the locals dish out at him. On seeing someone else targeted, Andy develops a spine (and a fist) in a hurry. The underdog is heroic, after all.

He also makes awesome wood carvings, and he's nimble on the slippery rocks of the scenic river that runs through the tale along with the Mandalorian, a character from another best-selling franchise, and for some reason, that pulls me out of this story and reminds me that Andy, like the Mandalorian, is a fictional character.

The river, the geological history, the backstory on gold, and the descriptions of Montana are some of the best aspects of this novel.

The mean people are two-dimensional, awful, unlikable. The school cheerleader and the star football player have no redeeming virtues, quirks or character traits. Andy's boss is even worse. The septic explosion is as predictable as it is un-funny. If not for the river, the fly fishing, Andy's rescue dog, and a mail carrier who has cerebral palsey, I would have quit the book at once.

Carrie and Will, their estate, their wealth, their superficiality, could have been conveyed with a smidgeon of subtlety, but no, they are the Beautiful People who have it all, including the selfish and self-absorbed attitudes.

The priest struck me as another cardboard cutout. No insights, no depth of character, no inspiration here. Even his jokes were trite. (E.g., retelling the old joke about the 80-year-old man at the confessional who isn't even Catholic, but he's "telling everyone" about - well, in case you haven't heard this one before, I'll leave it at that..)

This novel reminds me of another Hallmark-variety, feel-good story of good fortune and paying it forward, "Harry's Trees" by Jon Cohen.

There are good scenes in The Book of Andy, to be sure, especially the river, the mountains, the town's history, and some of the family dynamics. Fans of Hallmark dramas will love this. Fans of Norman Maclean ("A River Runs Through It") may like it. My standards are more exacting than the average reader's, as my degree is in English teaching, and I've read, edited, and reviewed so many books for so many years, I'm harder to impress.

I just frankly didn’t get the whole point of this book. I feel the writing itself is reasonable. But the storyline just isn’t there in any shape or form for me, it was a real task to get anywhere on this.

I apologize for such a grim review, but it is how I felt whilst reading.