Unbridled Grace: Catholic Book Review

Recently I had the pleasure to read, Unbridled Grace: A True Story about the Power of Choice by Dr. Michael Norman. The book recounts the choices made by Dr. Norman as he begins his chiropractic medical career and the many twists and turns that unfortunately threaten to derail his career, his marriage and family and ultimately his moral convictions.

Dr. Norman recounts the events of his first part -time chiropractic position with an organization that seemingly is too good to be true and after happily working for the medical group it is revealed they are a clandestine front for Russian organized crime. The Russian crime façade is in reality an elaborate operation to launder money, encourage insurance fraud and engage in many other acts of criminal deception and covert acts of conspiracy on an international scale.

The book then recounts the author’s many unfortunate encounters with the criminal justice system as he endures Federal indictment, raids on his home and office by Federal agents and the ever developing risk of incarceration and deprivation of contact with his wife, daughter and closest friends and colleagues. Forced with the difficult choice to either lie to put others in prison or stand up for truth by risking prison time for criminal felonies he did not commit, the author recounts the long journey both he and his wife encounter in order to vindicate his personal and professional integrity and restore his shattered life and career.

Despite the threat of Dr. Norman’s judicial demise, the author keenly recounts his conscious choice to invoke God’s power as assistance in the struggle against the forces maligned against him and his family. At this point the book really becomes a didactic primer that shows the great power of grace and conversion one experiences when entrusting the destination of personal struggles and difficulties to the miraculous power of God’s power and love.

Without any manifestation of God’s presence through any extraordinary means the author recounts the way God’s presence evolves in his life through prayer, reflection and meditation that brings consolation and finally delivery from Dr. Norman’s multilevel battle between good and evil, right and wrong, moral and immoral actions.

The book shows the reader clearly that all of us can benefit from the power of God’s presence in our lives, and how much we truly need God’s assistance and grace in both difficult times and good ones. While reading Dr. Norman’s book, I was frequently reminded of the biblical stories of Job in the Old Testament; despite every sort of persecution and trial, Job remained faithful to God’s restorative grace and power. Dr. Norman’s experiences recount trials and great tribulations in a manner similar to the great woes of the Prophet Job, and again reveal the ongoing process of conversion to which God calls all of us.

Dr. Norman’s book is well written and very personal. His redaction of the unfortunate events that afflicted his life is intimately connected with examples of prayer and meditation that counter balance the narrative exposition of the unfortunate felonious events that are the center focus of this book. What is most refreshing however from a Christian perspective is the manner in which Dr. Norman develops and shows us his alternative method of dealing with his struggle…through the power of prayer and hope for God’s assistance that is unlimited and unbridled.

Dr. Norman’s book is published by Dog Ear Publishing and is available at his website: www.unbridledgrace.com . Additionally, the book is available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and booksellers throughout the United States.

Dr. Norman’s book is a great personal recounting of how all Christians struggle with the power of evil on a daily basis, and how sometimes things are not as they first appear to be in our first observations. However, just as Dr. Norman experienced unfortunate series of choices, there is always the hope of conversion towards the power of God’s love and grace, despite whatever offenses we have committed either intentionally or through duped choices.

When reading this book, one realizes the great power of God’s grace and the only thing we need to do as human beings is simply ask for His grace and assistance. Dr. Norman’s book keenly shows all of us that struggle that divine assistance is simply a prayer away….

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