Blessed Are the Bank Robbers: The True Adventures of an Evangelical Outlaw

Journalist Smith (Now Go to Hell) delivers a rollicking portrait of his cousin Daniel David Courson, the scion of a prominent evangelical Christian family who is also a notorious bank robber. According to Smith, the Coursons are “a gilded evangelical Christian Camelot,” with members serving as megachurch pastors and missionaries in California and Oregon and appearing regularly on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. A Bible college graduate and physician’s assistant, Daniel David Courson robbed his first bank in 2006, shortly after his marriage collapsed. After a string of 19 bank robberies across the West Coast, he was arrested and served eight in years in prison. Three months after his release, he nearly got caught during an “art-and-jewel heist” and became a fugitive. Vicariously fascinated by his cousin’s life “on the lam,” Smith started corresponding with Danny, and he incorporates their communications into the narrative, as well as Danny’s PowerPoint presentation on “how to make a living as a serial bank robber.” Elsewhere, Smith comments on surfing culture; the nuances of being a “PK,” or pastor’s kid; the links between evangelical Christianity and Republican politics; and the history of bank robbing in the U.S. Though disjointed at times, it’s an intriguing tale of rock bottoms, daredevil escapes, and life on the wrong side of the law. Readers will enjoy the ride. (Mar.)