On Sunday, April 30, 2006, at 2:40 PM, I finished reading Rupert Pratt’s "Touching the Ancient One," a story that had its genesis more than fifty-two years ago. I was only ten at the time, but Rupert’s description of six men surviving a plane crash that happened more than half a century ago, conjures memories of my own parents relating the incident at our kitchen table, just days after that tragic moment in February 1954.

I was saddened when Rupert told about leaving his home in Salt Rock, West Virginia, to join the Air Force, since I, too, left the security of my own rural upbringing early one morning for similar reasons. A few chapters later, I grew tense when the plane he boarded in Alaska first began to shake. And then, when it broke apart over Kesugi Ridge and Rupert began freefalling, my muscles further tightened at the thought of his not regaining consciousness in time to pull the all-important D-ring to deploy the parachute. But my sense of reasoning told me he had to. After all, he wrote the book. However, his ability to create such anxiety drew me far enough into the scene that I lost track of who had actually authored the book. From that point on, I was hooked on Rupert’s descriptive passages about the coldness and beauty of Alaska‘s wilderness. In fact, his graphics often became quite similar to a story I used to read to my junior high students entitled, “To Build a Fire,” by Jack London. And, too, his knowledge of the flora of the region and facts about the landscape reminded me of Jean M. Auel’s "The Clan of the Cave Bear."

During church earlier that morning, my pastor spoke, in essence, about, “What do we say to people who meet with adversity in their lives?” The subtopic of his message, “Does their incident of misfortune cause them to become bitter or better?” relates to "Touching the Ancient One," for Rupert Pratt has become a stronger individual, since that occurrence in Alaska so long ago. And, I think God specifically chose him as a catalyst to reunite the six survivors and their families with the loved ones of those who were killed. I further feel that God has used him to help all who were involved to find closure, thereby, becoming improved, more productive citizens in this seemingly uncaring world we live in today. Rupert had a profound affect indeed on all whose lives he touched during the course of reunification, and he will continue to influence others who read this story of tragedy and reunion in the years ahead.

"Touching the Ancient One" flows with the skill that comes only from a seasoned writer, and I shall not hesitate to read any book a second time that tugs at the tender spots of my heart as this one has managed to do. I am truly amazed at what Rupert has done with only twenty-six letters of the alphabet.