Realer Than Real: A True Story of Grace, Hope, and Healing

“Compelling, gritty, heartbreaking, beautiful, humorous, and altogether God-honoring . . . a real work from the heart” are just a few words readers have used to describe Realer Than Real, a true story of a Nebraska family’s journey to find grace, hope, and healing amidst tragedy, regret, and disappointment. The tale is told by Ryan, the Wilkins family’s only son, who chronicles a life-changing loss the family suffered in 2004, the tragedy’s impact on the family, and the unique, winding, complex spiritual paths each family member walked before intersecting in the wake of new misfortune. With candor and perceptiveness, Ryan develops characters the reader feels he or she knows. He displays a remarkable willingness to be transparent and vulnerable in all aspects of the personal struggle, grief, and suffering that his family endured, individually and collectively. He seamlessly weaves humor and insight around heavy subjects—including death, disability, divorce, and abuse, among others—and breathes life into the family’s high and lows, incredible miracles and devastating tragedies, in a way that is both honest and instructive.Cumulatively, the Wilkins family’s struggles and setbacks over the past decade seemingly defy all probability that one group could endure so many traumatic events over a relatively short period of time and come through it stronger, not weaker. But through reliance on their Christian faith and an outpouring of community support, the family withstood and grew through these trials, learning much about God and themselves in the process. With insight and vulnerability, Realer Than Real captures the struggle, pursuit, perseverance, and restoration that accompany faith. The book will captivate readers across walks of life, inspiring them to behold their blessings and to trust God through their trials. “Once you begin reading, it is almost impossible to stop.”

Ryan Wilkins is a devoted husband, a proud uncle, a protective brother, a skilled attorney, a fantasy-sports aficionado, and a good friend. His educational and leadership exploits range from the dignified (graduating from college with a perfect GPA; serving as Student Body President) to the slightly-less-so (ring-leading fraternity antics gone hilariously wrong; using the phrase “nuttier than squirrel poop” in a published article). On a more personal level, I have had the privilege of knowing Ryan since our freshman year of college. Over the years, I’ve witnessed his character in moments both big and small, in success and failure, in joy and in despair. Through it all, I’ve seen a man with a unique talent for pondering life’s big questions in unexpected ways. Perhaps this ability is a reflection of Ryan’s multifaceted personality, comprised of traits that might at first glance seem contradictory. For instance, anyone who knows Ryan knows that he is intensely competitive. (I once witnessed him wrestle a rival baseball team’s homerun ball from the clutches of another bleacher-seat fan and chuck it back onto the field, only to embarrassingly realize his foe was just a dad trying to keep the ball for his son.) But alongside his competitive nature, Ryan is also known for his kind and compassionate spirit. I think of the time when, during a tough winter and amidst his own trials, Ryan opened his door to a homeless man in need of a warm bed. Likewise, Ryan is undoubtedly one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. This is a man who, on demand, can take any word given to him and immediately repeat it, backwards. For example, grapefruit becomes tiurfeparg, instantly. Yet despite possessing the talent, confidence, and wit to easily brand himself the center of attention, Ryan has a wonderful way of making you feel like the most interesting person in the room. Above all, though, I’ve come to deeply respect Ryan’s humility and vulnerability. Ryan’s journey is not remarkable because of who he is. Instead, his journey (and in turn, this book) is remarkable because of who God is. My biggest credit to Ryan is how clearly he sees this truth, and how openly he shares his intensely personal and at times heartbreaking story – all in an effort to reveal God’s awesome nature and abundant love. Realer Than Real is a book as multifaceted as its author: funny, insightful, tender, quirky, and—most importantly—God-glorifying. —Scott Dobbe