About the Book

Book:  The Least of These

Author: Kathleen Neely

Genre: Christian Urban fiction

Release date: 2019

Journalist Scott Harrington sets out to write a documentary on the lives of three homeless men. He hopes to win a prestigious award and his father’s respect. In the process, he uncovers stories of heartbreak, trauma, and rejection, causing him to revisit his own tragic past and the guilty secret that he holds.

Claire Bassett has been searching for her husband who went missing a year ago. The attentions of another man cause her to question if she should continue to search or move on with her life. As Scott and Claire’s stories overlap, will there be restoration or rejection?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Kathleen Neely is the author of The Street Singer, Beauty for Ashes, and The Least of These.  Her fourth novel, True North, will be released in July, 2021. She is a former elementary teacher. Following her years in the classroom, she moved into administration, serving as an elementary principal at Eden Christian Academy in Pittsburgh, PA and at Shannon Forest Christian School in Greenville, SC. Kathleen is an alumnus of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and Regent University in Virginia.

Among her writing accomplishments, Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions. She continues to speak to students about writing. Kathleen is a member of Association of Christian Fiction Writers.

She resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, two cats, and one dog. She enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

 

More from Kathleen

I’ve always been an avid reader, but began writing at a period in my life when I didn’t have time to commit. While raising three sons, I also worked full time as a teacher, then later as an elementary principal. That left little time for writing. I’d plug away at my manuscript then neglect it for months. Those months became years. Every now and then, I would pull it out, re-read it, then add a little to it.

When nearing retirement, a local ministry hosted Michael Yankoski as a keynote speaker. It prompted me to read his true story titled Under the Overpass, an account of his intentional decision to live among the homeless to share their story. This so closely mirrored my fictional account of journalist Scott Harrington. I found myself inspired to pull out the abandoned manuscript and get serious. I joined a writing group, attended conferences, and met with two other writers weekly to critique and be critiqued. That manuscript, The Least of These, went on to win first place in the fiction category of a contest titled Fresh Voices.

Scott, the protagonist in The Least of These, has a complex personality. He has defied the path that his father planned for him, yet remains burdened by his father’s disappointment. He lives in the shadow of his deceased brother and carries a secret that weighs heavily on his conscience. If he could win a Pulitzer or another top journalism award, perhaps he’d earn his father’s respect. But his altruistic nature sidelines his goal. The homeless men he intends to write about become real people with real needs. Little did he know that their circumstances would brush up against his own guilt.

Here’s a brief excerpt of a scene between Scott and Stella:

“Scott. Look at me.” She touched my hands to move them from my face. “Look at me. You were fifteen years old. You were a child—a child placed in a terrible situation. You’d lost the intimacy with your brother, the only person you’d ever had a relationship with. You had a domineering father and an absent mother. Don’t carry this burden of guilt. It’s not yours. Put it where it belongs. Your brother made bad choices. Your parents didn’t parent well. A fifteen-year-old kid can’t be expected to handle the gravity of that situation.”

That’s a smidgeon of what’s ahead in the pages of The Least of These. I invite you to join me in the journey. Meet Claire, a wife whose husband has gone missing. Tyler, whose mother abandoned him; and Stella, a successful bistro owner whose unrequited love begins losing hope.

Happy reading!

My REVIEW 

This book has given me much to think about. It is not an easy book to read as the author lays out the truth about homeless people. Not everyone out there has chosen to be homeless. They each have a story and that is where Scott comes in. He wants to write a story about three different homeless people. His dream is to get recognized and maybe become famous. I did like that he lived among those he was going to write about. This makes the story more realistic. 

As Scott meets people he soon becomes more interested in their story than making a name for himself. I was surprised that the three people he wanted to write about were so understanding when they found out who he was. I think he had  proven himself to them and they began  to trust him. Each person Scott befriended had a heart wrenching story. I cried as their stories started to come to the surface. A man who is running from guilt, a young boy running because he never felt wanted and a man who believes he has lost his daughter forever. 

The story takes a more emotional turn as Scott searches his heart and wants to help these people. Yes he knew he had a great story, but at what cost? Would he feel good about exposing their pasts in order to succeed?  Scott has never lived up to his father’s expectations so maybe if his story is published he would finally get his approval. I bet lots of us can relate to Scott. I know I have lived in a vicious circle where I so desperately wanted my parents love and approval. 

The author opened my eyes as Scott becomes humble and opens his heart to these people. Have we been guilty of judging those who are less fortunate that us? Do we lump the homeless all together and assume they are either an alcoholic or drug addict? What if we took the time to reach out and did what Jesus wanted us to do? Scott is a great example of how his heart changed and became someone  who wanted to make a difference. I loved how forgiveness was illustrated and there were times I wanted to cry. I will never look at the homeless the sane again. They are loved by God and some are hoping for a miracle. Will you be the hands and feet for Jesus?

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 2

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 3

Artistic Nobody, February 4 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Texas Book-aholic, February 5

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 6

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 8

Inklings and notions, February 9

SusanK. Beatty, Author, February 10 (Author Interview)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 10

For Him and My Family, February 11

deb’s Book Review, February 12

Rebecca Tews, February 13

Sara Jane Jacobs, February 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 14

CarpeDiem, February 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize of a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10690/the-least-of-these-celebration-tour-giveaway