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The Book of Joe B: A Love Story

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This humorous, inspiring book is meant to uplift anybody who may be facing life's struggles. Be blessed and be encouraged!!

Like to read? Like free stuff? CONTACT MICHAEL WINN AND LET HIM KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND BE CONSIDERED FOR A FREE GIFT!!

About The Book of Joe B:

Why do bad things happen to good people? Middle School gym teacher Joseph Bustamante more than reflects upon this ageless question, he demands an answer! And for good cause. There’s nobody nicer, more polite, and kind in all of Uz, yet in an unrelenting span of three weeks he loses his girlfriend, family, home, job, friends - everything - as he helplessly watches his life spiral out-of-control. Within this whimsical, darkly comic, and ultimately uplifting, modern-day retelling of The Book of Job, this gentle, big-hearted lug is forced by circumstance to stand-up and confront the universal truths that affect us all. Joe B: A Love Story starkly presents one innocent man’s rise, fall, and fall some more, as his remarkable spiritual journey leads him to not only question but challenge the core injustices of this world. Yes, Joe B is brought to the brink and he won’t take it anymore! He demands an explanation for his suffering. And, like it or not, he’s gonna get it.


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313 pages, Paperback

Published January 10, 1019

145 people are currently reading
1048 people want to read

About the author

Michael Winn

31 books8 followers

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5 stars
68 (42%)
4 stars
37 (23%)
3 stars
32 (20%)
2 stars
14 (8%)
1 star
8 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Julia.
3,124 reviews100 followers
September 11, 2019
The Book Of Joe B by Michael Winn is a contemporary retelling of the Old Testament story of Job.
Michael Winn has bought the story bang up to date whilst retaining the familiar structure of the Biblical tale. It is set in America around school teacher Joe B.
As with the original story, Joe B finds himself in the middle of a wager between God and the devil.
Michael Winn writes in such a way that he engages the modern audience. You do not need to be a Christian in order to enjoy and relate to this book. Michael Winn injects a large dose of humour into his novel, as well as imparting godly wisdom. “When the world is dark, you are called to be the light.” He also debunks the myth “If you follow the rules, good things will happen.” We are all aware that bad things happen to good people and that Christians are not immune to bad stuff happening.
I found The Book Of Joe B to be a refreshing take on an old familiar tale. I hope that non-Christians will read this book and start thinking about what is really important in life.
I will leave you with my favourite and very powerful quote about God:
“Waiting for someone to say hello – thirsting for someone, anyone, each and everyone, to come to Him.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
A word of caution: This book is designed to appeal to the masses and in bringing the tale of Job to modern audiences, there are scenes and language some readers may not like.
72 reviews4 followers
April 15, 2020
Great read! Great message!

I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Job; though by the near end of the book I was beginning to think Job (in the bible) may have been slightly better off ! The end and epilogue are worth the wait.
Thanks!
Profile Image for Kym T.
6 reviews6 followers
February 9, 2019
This was Inspiring...touching..humorous... Loved how author Michael Winn took an Old Testament story and made it into a current day one. This was an absolute joy to read..I loved it !
Profile Image for Helen.
200 reviews4 followers
July 20, 2019
An interesting twist to a modern day version of the story of Job!

I really enjoyed reading this book and how the character, Joe, tried to cope before finally realizing just why everything was not the way he thought it should be. It is definitely a love story, the truest love of all!
88 reviews
July 5, 2019
To Believe or Not To Believe

It's not enough to be a good person. Having an attitude of gratitude and knowing that God is the Giver of all things is the way to life everlasting.
116 reviews1 follower
April 29, 2020
Great story!!!

This was a very sweet, edifying read. Joe B was such a kind, thoughtful man and the story though strange at times was interesting. Thanks
Author 1 book69 followers
May 3, 2020
A modern-day retelling of The Book of Job. Joseph Bustmante, Middle School gym teacher, in a span of three weeks, loses his girlfriend, family, home, job, and friends. Basically, everything. He watches his life spiral-out-of-control.

The Biblical story of Job is one of my favorite books in the Bible. When I saw the description of The Book of Joe B, I knew I had to read this story. I wasn't disappointed. The plot is interesting, the characters are memorable.
20 reviews2 followers
January 14, 2021
A Very Pleasant Surprise

I bought this book a few months ago, but once I started it, I couldn't put it down.
The story is great on its own, but to totally understand it, familiarize yourself with the story of Job from The Bible.
The characters are well written and likeable, people you might meet on the street or know in your own life.
The reader may not fully understand the story until the very end, but savor each page and take the lessons to heart.
138 reviews6 followers
April 18, 2020
A Modern story of Job

A compelling story of a modern day Job with all the troubles, losses, and heartbreak of Old Testament Job. There were some issues with the editing, but the story was interesting and the well telling added to the ability of the reader to enjoy.
3 reviews
January 14, 2020
All the while reading this book, I felt that it sounds like a typical fairytale. Having this one guy at the bar foreshadowing that things will get bad two times and with the one nice guy that he always ignored being basically god. It was a very linear pattern with an expected happy ending.
It was a lot of fun reading the book; however, I did have some things that bothered me. For one did I it hard to connect to Joe at some point in the book, even though one could argue that since I have not been through a situation such as his, I cannot relate. And my second point is that I felt that his relationship with Rebecca fell too short. I did not like Rebecca at all, and in the end, they are happily married, which I thought, was probably the best choice, but Michael Winn could have tried to make Rebecca more sympathetic.

So, in the end, I enjoyed this modern fairytale and can recommend it to anyone who just wants to sit down and relax for a couple of hours.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Regina Felty.
Author 6 books68 followers
June 7, 2020
Joe B was charming and loveable but, well, totally unrealistic. I'm pretty sure no one could go through what Joe B experiences and still keep the outlook on life that he does - well, most of the time. He does have his moments and I almost felt like he could identify with the rest of humanity. But then he'd shake it off and take all the devastation in stride, a little to the extreme. It was the Biblical parallel to Job in the Old Testament that lost me. Too hokey and slightly sacrilegious. I mean, the character closely resembling a deity being a bartender?
Profile Image for Mike MacDonald.
129 reviews2 followers
May 14, 2020
Cute book, can't find much good to say

I was hoping this was going to stick a little closer to the Old Testament Book of Job. At times it did, but it strayed away too much to rate it higher. It's a 2-day read, so the time investment evens out. If you get your hands on a copy, you should enjoy reading it as a change of pace.
Profile Image for Dictionary101.
122 reviews
May 22, 2020
Love, loss, and redemption

I'm not sure what I expected and was confused in a few places, but the book is an enjoyable read despite some typos.
Profile Image for Shaifali Vohra.
130 reviews1 follower
May 28, 2020
I will give it 3/5 stars because even though I had some issues with this book but still it shows that good and bad are part of our life and they can fall at any time.
Profile Image for Maureen Belanger.
44 reviews
August 13, 2020
Amazing story

What is really important in life can be taken for granted without the focus of knowing God. Don’t be Joe B.
Profile Image for Marcia Richardson.
251 reviews1 follower
Read
August 15, 2022
Good book

This book was a good retelling of the story of Job from the Bible. I really enjoyed reading about all of the hardships he had to endure.
219 reviews3 followers
September 14, 2022
Job

Thank you for your amazing story of hardship and loneliness. Posing fiction and reality can be confusing. But you made it easily understood. Thank you Michael Winn.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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