cover image God on a Harley: A Spiritual Fable: God on a Harley: A Spiritual Fable

God on a Harley: A Spiritual Fable: God on a Harley: A Spiritual Fable

Joan Laidig Brady. Atria Books, $18 (160pp) ISBN 978-0-671-53621-3

In the tradition of inspirational fiction such as The Celestine Prophecy, Joseph F. Girzone's Joshua novels and the fables of Og Mandino, Brady (Band-Aides, Bullets & Booze) offers a whimsical tale of a journey toward spiritual fulfillment. Trauma nurse Christine Moore hates men, work and life. At 30, she had run as far and as fast as she could from boring New Valley Community Hospital and her lover, a doctor who refused to marry her. Seven years later, she is back where she started, only now the doctor is married to her worst enemy. Depressed, Christine hits the local bar, where she meets the very last person she expects: God Himself (aka Joe), and on a Harley, no less. God gives her six individualized commandments. Change comes hard for Christine, but change she does-new image, new apartment, new hours, new attitude-as she grows and opens her eyes and heart to life and new opportunities. The Lord's new commandments are so sweeping (``Drop the ego. Be real. And watch what happens''; ``All things are possible all of the time'') as to be practically useless to anyone looking for serious guidance, and Christine's transformation based on them is about as believable as her running into God in the first place. Moses, Brady isn't-but despite its simplemindedness, her tale is funny and enjoyable in a fairy-tale kind of way. Major ad/promo; simultaneous Simon & Schuster audio; rights: Stinson Literary Agency. (Sept.)