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About the Book

In the tradition of An Invisible Thread and Same Kind of Different as Me, Angel in Aisle 3 is the heartwarming true story of an unlikely friendship that began with a chance meeting in a grocery store between a bank executive bound for prison and an elderly stranger.

When Kevin West resigned from his job as vice president of a bank in 1998 after making fraudulent loans, he spent the time before his trial managing a family-owned, small grocery store in Ironton, Ohio. Dealing with serious marriage problems and with a prison sentence almost certainly in his future, Kevin was overcome with remorse and without a scrap of hope. It was at his lowest moment that Kevin called out to a power beyond himself for help, and God answered his prayer in the form of an elderly vagrant in a soiled shirt and tattered pants named Don.

When Don saw Kevin’s open Bible on the counter next to the register, the untidy, long-haired indigent took the opportunity to share Bible wisdom and life-giving truths that changed Kevin’s life. Finding a sense of peace in their conversation, Kevin offered Don a few basic groceries and an invitation to continue their conversation the next day. What began as a chance meeting between two individuals whose lives seemed headed for certain ruin, turns into an unlikely bond of friendship that saved them both.

It was this friendship that helped Kevin thrive in prison, restore his failed marriage, and gave Don a chance at a new life that went beyond anyone’s imagination. Moving and awe-inspiring, this story of a pure friendship sheds light on the redemption and hope that can grow out of relationships based in faith.

Review

How many times have you faced a situation or moment in your life where you just are at the depth of despair and then something or someone comes into your life at the right time as if they were meant to be there? If anything could be truer in this amazing, inspirational story is the power of divine intervention. Words can’t express the beauty of this book and how thought provoking the journey the reader will experience witnessing the bond between two unlikely individuals. This truly will be a testament to the power of faith.

Angel in Aisle 3 is one of those books that will touch your heart and illuminate your mind. Based on a true story, we are introduced to a man named Kevin, who has comes to terms with some decision that he made in life that leaves him facing time in prison. After resigning from his job, he decided to open a local store as a way to make a living for his family. Lost, uncertain about life and not knowing what the future was going to be, he was literally at a point where the uncertainty of life really was getting to him. Then one day, a homeless man entered his store and on outside looked as if he had nothing but as they always say, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” It is in our darkest hour, we find light. This chance encounter sparked a friendship that not only was unexpected but really gave two people the chance to start over.

This is one of the books that I thought was really special. Even though much of the book’s characters are influenced by their faith, you don’t have to be grounded in faith only to appreciate it. The central plot of the book is one that I believe will be appreciated by everyone. The genuine sincerity of the story being told of these two broken men defeated by life, break down the barriers to rebuild was such an honest testimony of the elasticity of human resilience.

The two characters whose voices so desperately needed to be heard were Kevin and Don. Kevin, who had everything but made some bad decisions that nearly cost him everything. He was someone that was on the top who got knocked down to the bottom of life. It was such a sobering experience to watch his journey transform his life from accepting the weight of his actions on his life, family and marriage. You can’t help but be inspired by him conquering his internal struggles with some spiritual guidance and to see him mend his broken spirit was rewarding.

What really just had my heart was Don. I applaud the authors for showing a character that represent a segment of the popular that get lumped into a stereotype. Not every homeless person wants to be, is an addict or has a substance problem. There are many people who especially in times like now get displaced and being homeless become their reality. How many people walk past a homeless as if there aren’t there? There is a moment in the book where he was sitting in the store and tried to help someone and that person treated him as if he wasn’t there. He said something that just awakened my spiritual conscious. Defeated, he said, “He must not have seen me.” The weight of that statement was so profound because as you get to know him, he has a story and what he brings to Kevin’s life is more than all the money in the world. The journey these two take together and how they complement each other’s transformation is teaches us some valuable lessons about life.

Just to let you know the book does contain elements of scripture commentary that is a part of the lives of the character. If you are not someone who embraces a faith, I think you will still enjoy reading the book in spite of. It offers so much in terms of teaches us humility, forgiveness, and how to look past the outside because you don’t know who will come into your lives and be the answer to making things better. Once you start reading, you will not want to stop because there is magnetic that pulls towards your empathy that will make you keep turning the pages. This inspiring story that promotes hope, forgiveness, redemption and friendship will be one make you appreciate life at its simplest.

Reviewed by Michelle Bowles