Grace Like A River: An Autobiography

Grace like a River: An Autobiography

This book details Christopher Parkening's rise to fame as one of the world's preeminent virtuosos of the classical guitar-and everything it cost him to get there. In spite of his enormous success, he discovered that without true meaning and purpose, all his worldly accomplishments were empty and unsatisfying. Grace Like a River is the story of a young man, filled with determination and drive, who was willing to sacrifice everything in order to achieve the highest level of excellence. It is also the story of how God pursued Christopher Parkening in order to give him eternal hope.Special limited-time value: CD of guitar selections by Mr. Parkening included in book.From BooklistParkening isn't just the foremost American classical guitarist of his generation; he's a champion fly-fisher. He might have been a very versatile athlete if he hadn't quit sports at 11 for the guitar. Given his bent toward physical prowess, it isn't surprising that the best passages in his autobiography are about preparing to play, playing, and fishing. Driven by his lovingly disciplinarian father as well as love for the guitar, he became a professional soloist by his late teens. When his father comfortably retired at 47, Parkening decided to do the same at 30. Goal-driven to a fault, he succeeded. After a few years, however, he sold the dream ranch he'd bought, returned to Southern California, and resumed playing. Chastened by the emptiness of realizing his dream, he embraced Christianity with new understanding and purpose. He decided henceforth to play for God and share the gospel, and stories of how he has linked career and faith burgeon in the latter chapters of a book rewarding to music lovers, sport fishers, and believers alike. Ray OlsonCopyright ? American Library Association. All rights reserved