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Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite
Melvin Valkner shares his life with readers in his book The Common Man: God – Home – Country. Melvin grew up in the 1950s on a farm in Doster, Michigan. His parents owned a shoe repair shop where he helped out on the weekends. He also introduces readers to some of his friends. While his parents no longer attended church, Melvin and his siblings continued to attend occasionally and played on the church softball team. They quit going altogether when a church elder told them they would have to attend regularly if they wanted to play on the team or receive a Christmas present. In the late 1960s, he enlisted in the army. He was sent to Vietnam and Germany where he became involved in drugs. When he met Luanne, he fell in love and married her. They became active in Bible study and church. Melvin and Luanne gave their life to Christ and lived a life of integrity.
The Common Man is an interesting look at the life of Melvin Valkner. The first half of the book shares humorous tales of his youth and the last half of this book reads more like a Bible study. The author compares the Koran and the Holy Bible. The author covers a broad range of topics in this book, from memoirs, to Bible study, to taxes, to the US economy, and numerous other topics. While I agree with most of Melvin Valkner’s points, the number of topics is a bit overwhelming. I would suggest he expand each topic, making each into an individual book.
