There are great stories and epic novels, but this seminal work of Gregory Proctor (affectionately called Greg) stands in a category of its own. Combining the grit of life’s conflicts and the grace of growth, healing, and freedom, Greg introduces the literary world to a new concept of strength—one of being vulnerable, demanding, empathetic, and powerful—all in a single interaction. I have known Greg my entire life. Or at least I thought I did. Born in the once-sleepy, now sprawling town of Brandon, Mississippi, Greg could easily pass for the typical “boy next door.” We were cousins. Dirt-kicking, ball throwing, snack-eating first cousins. So close that the academic rules of parenting, including discipline, flowed freely from one set of parents to the next without an explanation of detail or a question regarding any action. Our family ties, the blood that binds us, run deep. Yet, with every passing year, it was clear that Greg operates on a higher plain.