An interesting novel with a number of themes running through the story: Amish life, love, football, wrestling, poetry, dementia, incest, and more. The story is told from constantly-revolving viewpoints, which were often indistinguishable, yet distracting. The protagonist, Gabriel, was often relegated to an afterthought as the narrators had their own stories to tell.

This was a well written book that felt a bit like a magical fairytale. Three people tell the story of Gabriel, a giant who's mother died at birth. We learn all the wonders of Gabriel as he grows through the eyes of his grandmother, coach and the veterinarian father figure who helped deliver and raise him. All three characters are very different people and the author does a great job of writing in a way that used language and style that suited their distinct qualities. The book is full of tragedy and sorrow and the joy that is found between, and because of, such life events. The characters all deal with the impact of Gabriel and his actions/decisions. Hannah's struggle with her faith, that had provided her such safety and structure and now has betrayed her, is beautifully resolved.

Gabriel 's character is based on the real life of the world's tallest man: Robert Pershing Wadlow who died in 1940.

'If love was all the same water, perhaps it lapped a bit differently on each shore that it touched?'

'That is as peaceful as it sounds, but such peace allowed no distraction from my shame.'

'The loss also opened a cleft in the rock of their marriage that years of patient waiting would not heal.'


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

thanks to netgalley and st martins press for the advanced readers copy of this book. opinions below are my own. i would have given this book 5 stars, well deserved, but.....i really hate football and professional wrestling. and there was a lot of it in this book. the rest of the book was so so good.
the story of gabriel the giant is a bit outlandish but it works. nestled in the world of his amish family and his "english" friends, we get a really beautiful view of what it might be like to be of both worlds. hannah and thomas are amazing strong characters whose lives and love intertwine with gabriel's and each others. gabriel's relationship with wildlife is precious and breath taking. poetry by emily dickinson threads the book as well and it's a magnificent piece of the fabric. SPOILER ALERT: i am caretaking my 100 year old mum and when i read how community and loved ones cared for gabriel on his death bed, i was so deeply moved. we all deserve that kind of care. this book is real and raw with real and raw people in it. read it!

The kind of book that stays with you long after you turn the final page. I'll thinking about this one for a long time..

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

An unexceptional big baby is born as his Amish mother dies at childbirth. Hr ends up being raised by her much olde brother becoming a giant growing up physically. But when his brother passes by, he ends up living wth hs strick Amish background. They had shunned his mother who had him out of wedlock and refuse to name the father as well as his brother. The secrets of the past that tainted his upbringing despite that he turned out to be gifted as he ended up plying football. An interesting read.

Gabriel is brought into this world as his mother is leaving it. Gabriel arrives at eighteen pounds and twenty-seven inches long. No one has seen a human this big. As time passes and he grows, Gabriel's size continues to shock everyone. He dominates the little league team as a young boy and is unstoppable as a high school football player. Born to an exiled Amish mother, Gabriel only beings to know his Amish roots after his brother passes away. He goes to live with grandparents he barely knows. They try to accept some of his English ways, but try to instil Amish values as he continues to grow up. Gabriel becomes a world-wide sensation as a young adult. This hasn't come without tragedy and set-backs. Gabriel always keeps his Amish roots in his mind but also takes his English ways into consideration. Gabriel touches so many lives.
Without giving anything away in this beautiful story, I will stop there with my description. Life, Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo is a first for me by this author. It will not be the last. This story will haunt you. I couldn't stop thinking about Gabriel and the other characters. The writing is beautiful, the storyline is captivating. You won't be able to put this book down. You will feel all the emotions with this one. You will laugh, be angry, and cry. Its everything all rolled into one book. I will be telling all of my book friends about this book and will be looking for Rindo's other work. Special thanks to NetGalley, Ron Rindo, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 BIG stars for me. This could be my favorite book of the year.

The main character of this book is Gabriel, a young man who grew to be a giant, both spiritually and physically. Gabriel was born to a young Amish woman, and at birth, weighed 18 pounds and was 27 inches long. He was raised by his much older brother as his mother died in childbirth.

When his brother died, Gabriel went to live with his grandparents. They were devout Amish, and kept him hidden for a while, as they were not supposed to bring him into their household. Gabriel's mother and her brother had both been shunned by their Amish community because Gabriel was born out of wedlock and his mother would not name the father.

Gabriel was precocious in many ways. He walked when he was 8 months old, and was athletically gifted from a very young age. He could converse with animals, and they seemed to have a mutual understanding. His athletic ability was spotted by a high school coach, who saw to it that he went on to high school, something that few Amish youngsters did. Gabriel at the time was nearly 8 feet tall. He played college football and eventually played pro-football. This book is both sad and uplifting.

I received an e-arc from the publisher St. Martin's Press via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.