A Stranger's Gift True Stories of Faith in Unexpected Places

From a Pulitzer Prize-winning author: thirteen beautiful stories that gently guide readers into the hallways of faithopenly asking questions, exploring scenarios, and finally coming to the beginnings of faith. Tom Hallman's unexpected journey toward faith began with a routine assignment to write a feature piece for The Oregoniannewspaper. He begrudgingly found himself in an African American church on a Sunday morningout of place, uncomfortable, and ready to leave from the moment he got there. But he accidentally found something he wasn't looking for: he saw faith and prayer in action. And that seeing stirred a curious hunger in him that he'd never known before. Compelled by this initial experience, Hallman began to seek out men and women across the country who believed.And these peoplewhom he calls his "faith teachers"became characters in thirteen stories of exploration. In A Stranger's Gift, readers meet ordinary people and will be drawn into conversations that ask probing, almost intrusive questionsfrom the ache of a mother who watched her baby die to the peaceful strength of a man working with those whose present situations mirror his past. Ultimately, A Stranger's Giftbrings you along on Hallman's journey to faith and grace and may even help carry you through your own doubts and discoveries.

Tom Hallman, Jr. is a Pulitzer Prize winner for his series of articles about a boy named Sam whose face was severely disfigured. Other stories by Hallman have appeared in Esquire, Men’s Health, Readers Digest, Writers Digest, and other magazines. He has won every major feature-writing award in the nation. Born and raised in Portland, Hallman graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1977. He now writes for The Oregorian in Portland.