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.

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.