Forgiving Troy

As a writer, I am amazed at how many people come to me and say their story is interesting enough for a memoir. I usually find that, while their life may indeed include some significant struggle, it's honestly not much different from the lives of most people who walk on this planet.

On the other hand, Thom Bierdz's book had to be written. His gripping story of family, murder, insanity, and forgiveness leaps off the pages, horrifying and inspiring the reader at the same time. In his riveting memoir, Forgiving Troy (PUB AND $$ TK), Bierdz takes us down a road of darkness before leading us back to redemption.

Bierdz takes us with him on his journey from his home in Wisconsin to success in Hollywood as a soap opera star. Then he forces us to return back home with him after his schizophrenic brother kills his mother. Struggling to come to terms with this horror, his other brother kills himself, leaving Bierdz reeling in a sea of emotions and spiritual struggle. The author insists that we follow him until he finds peace and forgives his brother Troy--who is now hospitalized and receiving the medical care he needs.

Two plotlines interweave in Forgiving Troy. The first is a gripping character story of a family unraveling because of a brother's mental disability; the second is a spiritual and deeply personal search to learn the art of forgiveness. An added bonus is Bierdz's art. Like the book that contains it, Bierdz's brilliant paintings are paradoxical--frightening but inspiring, peculiar but conventional.

If you are looking for a typical memoir, Bierdz may not be your cup of tea. If you're open to a dramatic tale filled with twists and turns, and a life lived on the edge, then put Forgiving Troy in your summer reading bag now.