A Thousand Miles in a Million Years by Donald Miller

[KimiMarie]

A Thousand Miles in a Million years is the true story of Donald Miller's journey as he adapts his previous memoir Blue Like Jazz into a movie.

Two men who have read Blue Like Jazz, a director (Steve) and a cinematographer (Ben), approach Don with an offer to turn his book into a movie. As the three men write Don's life over again for the adapted screenplay Don learns how to "live a better story".

Rewriting his story for screenplay isn't enough for our Author/narrator/protagonist he chooses to live the life he wishes he could have. Don uses the knowledge he has about writing books and the things he learns from Steve about movies to steer his life story and to create better "character development". Throughout the story he creates "inciting incidents" that prompt his real life character development and allows his true author, God, reign to write his story.

From the beginning the memoir is a perfect blend of funny anecdotes and thought provoking lessons about life. The first time Don meets Ben and Steve they end up pulling each other through the snowy streets of Portland in a kayak tied to the back of Don's truck. Later he tells honest stories of the families who have been influenced by the idea of "living a better story". The narration of this memoir is very down to earth and emotional and it makes the reader root for Don even after the story's end.

[Zannie]

Coo sounds like a good read. What would you rate it?

[Megan Young]

Sounds great!