Immediately, the reader is put on notice there is something special about Bubba’s life. “Bubba, You Should Write a Book…” is the title of the introduction. In a few paragraphs, you learn that Bubba always struggled with his weight; he lost son James Ulysses in infancy; he lost son Robert from kidney disease at age 18; and he came close to his own death on November 15, 2009. Jim “Bubba” Bay, with Mic Ruzich, summarizes his miraculous journey in the nonfictional work, Miracle on Hammertown Road: One Man’s Fall and Salvation. Jim experienced a terrifying fall off the side of this road, into a deep, rock-lined gulley. Although he suffered fractures of the skull, ribs, vertebrae and other bones, he survived the traumatic event. He also had a near-death experience, with a comforting vision of God. Jim was told he needed to stay on earth, as he had a purpose not yet fulfilled. His journey of spiritual awakening, and following the “nudges” that occurred from time to time, propelled him to share his story.

The tone of this well-written story is honest and realistic; the reader is engaged from the first page to the last. Although the story is mostly told in chronological order, Jim revisits his high school days, the deaths of his children, and the financial and emotional strains on his marriage. Jim presents his story with much humility and benevolence, as he shares his struggles, and his joys, to help others. Jim “Bubba” Bay, along with Mic Ruzich, was guided to write this enlightening book, Miracle on Hammertown Road: One Man’s Fall and Salvation. This book is a gift of faith and hope.

Miracle On Hammertown Road: One Man's Fall & Salvation by Jim "Bubba" Bay and Mic Ruzich relates the true story of Jim ‘Bubba’ Bay of New York. He was in the habit of regular late night walks around the area in which he lived, giving him time to reflect on the tragedies that had occurred in his life. But on one particular night he fell down a ravine and was severely injured, receiving life-threatening injuries. It was during this time that he felt the presence of God encouraging him to find help, when really he had resigned himself to die. This is the amazing story of Jim’s encounter with God and the way it affected the rest of his life.

The book gets straight into the crux of the story from page one, so no preamble and that is quite refreshing. The events are harrowing and related extremely well. An unusual approach is to intersperse reflections and recollections from the past, and it is clear fairly quickly that the author has experienced exceptional tragedies in his life. His story is all the more remarkable by his relating his encounter and discussions with God and the way it impacted his life, an encounter that he recalls after a period of induced coma to allow his body to heal from the trauma of the injuries he received after the fall. The writing expresses well the effort and emotion, and determination he found to be able to reach help, coupled with the intermittent despair and surrender that he also felt. As a reader, I was a bit reticent about the reflections from the past at first, but soon they were anticipated and helped to shed light on the background to the author’s life and therefore added depth to the whole book. An encouragement to all journeying through dark valleys in life.