A cast of quirky characters who have a lot to learn about forgiveness make this a heartwarming and intriguing story. Two intertwining stories are told, one of a former paster named Drew who once headed up a mega-church. A crisis of faith has him taking a sabbatical from his former glitzy life and seeking to confess his sins to a Catholic priests. Meanwhile, a performer in a sideshow dubbed the "lizard girl' because of her disfigured skin is just trying to find some measure of happiness with her best friend--another "freak" who has no arms or legs. How their stories come together is suprising at times, as past secrets are revealed bit by bit. I questioned some of the choices that the characters made at times, but I also heartily enjoyed their foibles. A strong theme of social justice, typical of Samson's books, prevails as well, as the characters illustrate what it means to serve the poor and downtrodden among us. This aspect I found particularly inspiring. I highly recommend this to fans of Christian fiction. ( )