It’s truly astounding that Donald Calloway lived through the drugs, sex, rock’n’roll, runaway, wanted by the military in two different countries years of his life. Most of his book recounts his wild and crazy escapades.
His conversion experience is miraculous and actually does happen overnight. The account of his initial and ongoing conversion I find to be very compelling and hope-filled. Because it is such a testimony to the power of God to change hearts, I felt myself wishing more of the book had been devoted to the conversion part of his life and witness. I didn’t feel that quite so many gory details about his past were necessary to get across how far gone he had been.
At times, I felt as if there was already more than enough evidence that he didn’t care about anyone but himself, had no respect for his body, authority, and outright rejected anything to do with love of God or neighbor. I wondered if some young people who begin reading the book and haven’t yet had their conversion experience might stop and try to get away with some of the same things he did.
That having been said, I believe this book would be a wonderful source of hope for parents, teachers, ministers, siblings, family members, and friends of people who are praying for the conversion of someone who is looking for love and acceptance in all the wrong places, thereby hurting themselves and those around them. If God has brought someone as lost as Donald Calloway once was to where he is now, then the Lord can also lead the people in our lives currently on a destructive path to a profound conversion from the inside and out.
I hope to get the opportunity to hear Fr. Calloway speak some day. I can imagine much of what it would be like, simply because the book’s style and tone are very conversational, but I would love to witness in person the energy and passion the Divine Mercy of God and the love of the Blessed Mother have brought into His life.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on No Turning Back (book).
