Thomas is an artist, he knows it, and he makes sure that everyone around him knows it as well. He's been hired to do a painting in the Pacific Science Museum, which he's working happily on, until interrupted by the new head of the museum, who basically demands he start all over with a new premise about Darwin. Thomas isn't sure just what to believe, but the new museum head convinces him to do Darwin's Evolution of Man, instead of the painting he had been commissioned originally to do. Susan Cassidy, known affectionately as Cass knows that there will be no better artist to paint a mural in the new children's wing of St. Mark's hospital than Thomas Hall, but first she has to convince the board of that. And finally there's Christina, she and her mother are in a horrific accident that leaves her mother dead, and Christina very nearly dead herself. Thomas doesn't want to paint the Healing Place mural for the hospital, but when both of his other jobs leave him high and dry at the same time, he feels he has no choice but to do it. But in order to catch the vision of the project he must decide how he feels about the Savior and his influence on his life. I have to say that I probably never would have read this book, but since I'm working on reading the Whitney Award nominees, I ended up reading it. I didn't think I would like it at all. The first few chapters are pretty gory, and I really hated Thomas Hall's character at the beginning. But as he is humbled through the circumstances of his life, he becomes a much more likable fellow, and I have to admit that I loved the ending. This book is worth the 450 pages and the gory beginning!
