AUTHOR REVIEW OF JEFFERSON'S TEARS

Jefferson’s Tears: Author Review

Author/Artist Review (at christianbook.com) 

Author: Neil McKinlay

Located in: Brisbane, Australia

Submitted: December 25, 2018

    Tell us a little about yourself.  

I’m a Christian, married with three daughters, four grandchildren and a West Highland Terrier. I love reading, writing and playing soccer.

    What was your motivation behind this project?  

Jefferson’s Tears was a story that had to be told. I met and interviewed Jefferson only to discover that he was named after Thomas Jefferson. Thus I began to research the story of Liberia and, like Jefferson’s name, it has multiple connections with America, its founding and founders. Liberia (i.e., the Land of the Free) is essentially a black version of USA. Like the US, after its founding Liberia descended into civil war. Jefferson was born into this and miraculously survived its terrors. God is given the glory for safely guiding Jefferson through this and subsequently delivering him. Both my and Jefferson’s motivation behind this project is the glory of God.

    What do you hope folks will gain from this project?  

I hope folks will gain a deeper appreciation of the God-given freedoms we in the West enjoy and seek to retain them. The USA is the great Christian experiment on the North American continent. Liberia, based on the American one, is the great Christian experiment on the African continent. Both hit roadblocks, i.e., civil war, relating to race. This issue will never be fully resolved unless and until we get back to the Declaration of Independence generally, and particularly those words of Thomas Jefferson, “All men are created equal”. Whether white or black, Americo-Liberian or white resident of Liberia etc. the full ramifications of those Biblically endorsed words need to be studied, fully understood and applied. It is the very essence of human freedom on earth. Folks will gain a deeper insight and hopefully a deeper appreciation of The Declaration, Constitution and Bill of Rights of these two related countries.

    How were you personally impacted by working on this project?  

Jefferson’s resilient character and nature impacted me. How can someone who has gone through what he has gone through still have it all together? How does he manage to keep it together? He loves his job in the Australian Army. He smiles and sings as he does his work. But what about all your painful baggage Jefferson? The Lord is his Shepherd. As we read your harrowing story may it help encourage us to trust in the Lord daily too! Jefferson's childlike faith impacted me as I worked on this project. It still does.

    Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists?  

Though not necessarily my favourite authors, both the styles of writing of Bill O’Reilly and Dan Brown influenced me in the writing of Jefferson’s Tears. O’Reilly for his time and date at the head of each chapter in his “Killing…” series, and Brown for his cliff-hanger approach at the end of each of his chapters in The Da Vinci Code et al. The “time and date” at the beginning of each chapter serves to get and hold the reader in the “present tense” of the action, also it supplies the reader with the important historical context. The cliff-hanger at the end of each, or at least some of the chapters urges the reader to want to return to that part of the story while reading new action and information. I like the poetic prose of Scottish writer James Barke, but I tried to keep Jefferson's Tears cinematic rather than verbose. 

See: Jefferson's Tears on Christianbook at: 
https://www.christianbook.com/jeffersons-tears-neil-mckinlay/9781946497345/pd/497345?event=ERRPDPRV