A Beautiful Day to Die: Memory, Evidence, and the Question of a Miracle

"God has His hand on this child for some special reason." -Robert McBride, MD

An investigation into the truth of a miracle...

A young boy is pronounced dead. The doctor prepares to sign the death certificate and arrange for his body to be taken away.

Then, the unimaginable.

Nearly 45 minutes after he drew his last breath-commotion, tears, shock.

He's alive.

It's the story that defined Jeff Taylor's life. He grew up hearing it repeated: the illness, the loss, the miracle.

But was it all true?

As a scholar and professor, Jeff is wired to question, research, and follow the evidence. So, he does just that-reopening his own medical case, he tracks down witnesses, examines records, and consults experts to determine what really happened that beautiful day in May 1965.

This story bridges faith with facts and takes readers on an emotion-packed journey as historical data is uncovered and one man seeks to prove the validity of a miracle-his own.

Jeff Taylor is a second-term state senator in Iowa, an educator, and a writer. He holds a doctorate degree and teaches political science at Dordt University. He is the author of three academic books on politics. Jeff is married and has two children. His mother-who is prominently featured in this story-still lives in the home where it all began.