Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance: Find God on the Open Road

Miller is a young man with only a few years' professional experience in ministry, but his youth is a key feature in this book of travel memoirs. A record of a classic road trip, Miller's tale is full of serendipitous adventures and thoughtful Christian reflection, offering an unusual mix of travel mishaps in a broken-down (and often breaking down) VW van; youthful, somewhat macho bantering between friends; and the sort of deep-thought wanderings into meaning and significance that are the meat of college-age existence. The book's strongest point is the way in which it conveys the character of Miller and his companion--two young ""Republican hippies."" As we travel along with them, they can be fun, profound, annoying, hilarious and, at unguarded moments, surprisingly tender. Their insights are sometimes deep, sometimes naive, sometimes simple and sometimes just goofy. Their religious insights are similarly mixed in depth, but the two are remarkable and winsome in their aim at complete honesty. The narrator often allows himself to be portrayed in an unflattering light to faithfully recapture the experience. This book is an appealing Sunday afternoon read, a reminder that life is meant to be experienced and not just gotten through. (Feb.)