Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

I Know Jesus Christ is Real by Melinda Deir-Boyette is a very personal and raw autobiography of the author’s life and her walk with her God and her savior. Coming from an impoverished background in Jamaica, she knew from an early age that despite her family circumstances - her father in prison and her mother with severe mental illness issues - she had a special relationship with God, seeing visions and receiving instructions from God at a very early age. Despite this contact, her walk with her God was anything but gentle, simple or straightforward. Growing up without attendant parents, the author found solace and comfort from not only her extended family but also from some of the more notorious criminal elements of Jamaica. Through all of the travails that assailed her and her siblings, she still kept her faith and her belief but would find herself not only regularly tested by circumstances but also commanded in certain directions that she neither understood nor had considered. This is the story of a young girl who grew into womanhood in an environment full of dangers and perils but somehow she always felt protected and safe under the direst of conditions.

I initially picked up I Know Jesus Christ is Real because I wanted to read a new perspective on this topic. As a believer in the power of the Universe and of love, rather than an individual savior per se, I was keen to see how Melinda Deir-Boyette’s beliefs and experiences dovetailed into my own. I was not disappointed and what became increasingly clear in reading this powerful and moving story is that Christianity and her belief in a redeeming savior have much in common with all philosophies. What impressed me about this account of the author’s life to date was the utter conviction and unshakeable belief she has in her convictions. The recounting of her many unusual and spiritual visions and experiences was fascinating and difficult for anyone to dispute. What I particularly appreciated was the fact she was not scared to take on the corrupted beliefs of so much of Christianity today and call it out for what I’ve always believed it was – hypocritical. Her chapter on tithing was so on-point I found myself nodding sagely at each sentence. Some might suggest that this is a religious book and would be enjoyed by those who truly believe; however, I would classify it as a philosophical autobiography that has much to commend it. For me, I love to see other people’s perspectives, their beliefs, and their stories and this book was right up my alley, as I’m sure it will be right up any thinking person’s alley. I truly enjoyed this dip into Christianity and can highly recommend it to all.