You turn on the TV and you see news stories about soldiers that have disappeared, soldiers who are believed to have been taken hostage. These stories move you and leave you with anger, or sadness for the soldier – but how often do you think what this news does to the soldier’s family. Prodigal does just that – the author transports you into the lives of a family who has just heard their son has been taken hostage in Afghanistan and allows you to feel their anxiety and desperate need for news, leaving you waiting anxiously for the phone to ring with news as if you are a member of the family. This book tells a moving tale, that will keep you turning the pages as you wait for news about Stephen.

Prodigal, while featuring a hostage situation in Afghanistan, looks at a troubled youth, and parents who see the truth a little too late. A young man’s struggle with alcohol abuse and the effects this has on a family. The book left me wondering why we only truly examine our actions and relationships in a time of crisis.

The author tells this story jumping around between the past and present as well as moving between various characters. He unravels the story piece by piece allowing you to experience events from everyone perspective. Allowing the reader to experience the story as an observer touched by all the characters. You understand how everyone feels turning this book into an almost personal experience.

After a troubled childhood, Stephen Padgett finds the army to be home, somewhere he belongs. When taken hostage in Afghanistan, Stephen needs to find a way to save himself. With a lot of time in a dark cell, with only Rashid, his translator, as company, Stephane looks back on his life and the choices he has made.

At the same time, Stephen’s parents in London are waiting for news. Facing the possibility that Stephen may never come home they look back on his troubled youth and the action they took. Could they have done things differently, were they responsible for his problems? Will they have the chance to hug their son again?

Prodigal explores every parent’s nightmare, the idea of losing a child and being left without any answers, unable to do anything other than wait. This book leaves you wondering about your parental skills, asking if you are doing the best you can.

The author gives the reader a look into the lives of two people who are professional classical singers. This was a completely foreign world to me, and I enjoyed how he included their daily routines, allowing you to peek into a world you would not otherwise get to experience. I loved Edward, Stephen’s father. He was the character I found myself most drawn to.

Prodigal was a different read, drawing you into the lives of family amid a crisis while looking at everyday issues faced by most families. The author draws you into his tale and keeps you hooked with the way he moves between the present and the past, revealing a private family crisis and the pain and uncertainty suffered. I could not put it down, eager to find out if Stephen will make it home alive.

Prodigal is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning the pages to find out what will happen to Stephen.