'A rare novel . . . Unbearably moving yet hopeful and transcendent in all the best ways. Just
read it. Lose yourself in it. Be changed by it' JENNIE GODFREY bestselling author of The List
of Suspicious Things A remarkable child transforms a small rural community - and soon the
world. A young unmarried Amish woman attended by the country veterinarian delivers an
enormous baby and no one in Lakota Wisconsin knows what to make of the boy. Raised by his
brother on a struggling farm Gabriel Fisher walks at eight months communicates with animals
and possesses extraordinary athletic abilities. When his brother dies Gabriel is taken in by
his devout Amish grandparents and for a time he disappears into the anonymity of Amish life.
But then aged seventeen and nearly eight feet tall Gabriel is spotted working in a hayfield
by the local football coach and his life changes for ever. In Life and Death and Giants
Gabriel's remarkable story is told by those whose lives are transformed by him: Thomas Kennedy
the veterinarian who delivers him and becomes his mentor Hannah Fisher Gabriel's Amish
grandmother who is troubled by deep gaps in her faith Billy Walton the salty bar owner and
bridge between the Amish and English communities in Lakota and Trey Beathard the football
coach who tries to counsel Gabriel as his fame explodes - with consequences that no one could
have predicted . . . An unforgettable story of faith family buried secrets and everyday
miracles for fans of Elizabeth Strout and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button . ' Life and
Death and Giants is an intriguing and alluring novel from beginning to end. The events are
startling sad amusing invigorating and informative. Reading it is like meeting a family that
you never knew existed and becoming close friends in a few weeks. Highly recommended ' - JANE
SMILEY author of A Thousand Acres
