The Revival

A holy war in Epic, Kansas? You'd better believe it! It's Revival Week, and every man, woman, child and cocker spaniel—if it looks Methodist—is expected to be there.

There really is an Epic, Kansas, but you won't find it on a map. Perhaps it's the very town where you grew up. Perhaps you, like Edwin J. Stamford, at age eleven, lived there while coming to grips with one of the basic truths of life: "Always blame the boy!"

Growing up is never easy—and Edwin may not have been the first nor the last boy to cut his toe while trying to learn the manly art of shaving.

If you were ever a boy, you probably lived many weeks like Edwin's. If you were a sister, you were probably "Irene the Rat"—and you should be ashamed of yourself.

A fantastic rite of passage, THE REVIVAL reminds us of innocent times, simpler places, and the wonders of growing up.

Born in 1934 in Colony, Kansas, Max grew up in small towns much like his imaginary "Epic." Moving with his family to Atchison at age 10, he soon learned that delights and adventures along the Missouri River awaited just outside the well-oiled hinges of his bedroom window screen.

Max graduated from Topeka High School and attended Washburn University in Topeka, where he was a feature writer for THE WASHBURN REVIEW. After a thirty-eight year career as a machinist, Max retired in 1992 to begin a new career as a writer. With a number of poems and short stories published, THE REVIVAL is his first novel.