So many books are labeled “instant classics” that it’s a challenge to come up with the right words when a true classic comes along. The Voice is the real thing, a book that will instantly connect with readers of every age. Like The Giving Tree and Hope for the Flowers, this cartoon-illustrated story is an adult fable. Also like those two timeless works, The Voice has so many layers of meaning in its brief text, it will prompt hours of discussion. The story is simple: A man is fishing in a rowboat when a Voice says, “Follow me.” The man responds, as most of us would, by telling the Voice to go away and thumbing his nose at it. The boat springs first one then two leaks, which the man blames on the Voice. Then the man discovers that he is stuck. He can’t reach his oars to move but he’s afraid of stepping out of the boat to follow. Either way, he’s sure he will drown. Finally he takes a risk, steps out of the boat, and discovers he can walk on water. Paulist Press.
