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Olson, born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan, describes his strict upbringing in the 1960s. Though he tried hard, he could not keep up with the other children in his class. He did fare better when placed into special education. Unfortunately, this led to being bullied and not having many friends. However, there was one thing the young author absolutely excelled at: running track. He practiced every chance he could, running all over town, purposefully seeking out steep hills to challenge himself. He won many a school race and set new records. Eventually, he landed a job at a pie-baking facility. Along the way—in struggling with girls, his learning disability, and more—his life came to a head after being wrongfully accused by the pie company. Around the same time, both his grandmothers died, and his father required major bypass surgery. He broke down in tears and spirit, desperate, seeking salvation in Jesus Christ.
Olson's story of faith in placing his all in Jesus as his personal savior is shared with the reader in a very honest, moving account. The reader of this spiritual memoir truly gets to know and care for the protagonist as the author's life story is shared. Olson's absolute down-to-earth honesty, humility, and likeability stand out especially in the narrative. As such, readers will be pleased to learn that, in the end, all is well, not only for the main character spiritually, but also in that he has stayed with his job for more than three-and-a-half decades, finally bought his own home, and married the love of his life in 2000. This read is a terrific reassurance that good things really do happen to good, decent people.