Review: If I Came Back from Hell by Bernie Donnelly

The books of Bernie Donnelly are always thoughtful, and often include spiritual elements that leave readers with hard questions at the end of the story. In If I Came Back from Hell, the author takes another leap forward into the realm of philosophical narrative with a powerful tale that will give you shivers. Looking back on your life is something we often associated with the moments before death, when it flashes by in a mere second, but this story leans to the opposite extreme, making for an unforgettable novel.

Frank McGovern has not lived a traditionally “good” life, being disloyal to his wife and a distant father to his son. However, when an accident befalls him and his existence is transformed overnight, something rather miraculous happens. In the struggle to find his way back into the light of the living, he must also traverse the long road that brought him to this point. These realizations come back in fits and starts, worked in expertly by the author, so readers are essentially rebuilding the puzzle of McGovern’s life right along with him.

The peripheral characters, including his wife, Jane, and their son, Jeff, are well-developed foils that play an important part in both the flashbacks and the present events, in which Jeff is dangerously close to falling into a life of crime and complete separation from his family. Interestingly, this novel has a number of focal points, or equally strong story lines, offering readers a broad range of perspectives and ensuing moral questions. This comprehensive level of storytelling keeps the energy up and maintains a good pace, while also providing emotional outlets for readers dealing with all different sorts of trauma and difficulty.

As with Donnelly’s other books, the story has a universal quality that will speak to everyone, even if readers don’t consider themselves to be overly religious. There is a spiritual and philosophical aspect to the points he is making, and the beliefs that the characters hold, rather than overtly religious – the potential to change your behavior and improve the path you make through the world is something to which everyone can aspire. Donnelly is both inspiring and gut-wrenching at the same time, capable of making readers laugh through tears and take a hard look at their own life story.

While the content is uplifting and well-crafted, there are some editorial stumbles that could be improved, including numerous awkward sentences, extended or tangential sections that could be shortened by eliminating repetition, as well as stilted dialogue in various scenes. The overall effect of the book is not diminished by these errors or sporadic lurches in flow, but they would also be relatively easy to clean up, leaving this book a more finely polished read.

As a whole, If I Came Back from Hell is a creative, thought-provoking, and passionate book by an author who is constantly finding new ways to probe the marrow of the human spirit.