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In a town where everyone knows everyone else, everyone knows Norman is odd. But Mike and Carmel Adkins buy their first home and find Norman living in the “haunted house” across the street. It’s okay God having them live next door to a Catholic and a Methodist, but across the street from someone who’s almost certainly mad? Did God not hear their prayers?

And then Mike hears God—not a heavenly choir, and not a voice from the stars, but perhaps one of those gentle nudges we all feel from time to time (or perhaps just his own desire to be different?). He feels a sudden concern that maybe Norman needs a friend, or even, that he might like to watch TV... eventually even that he might to live in a clean house. But what should Mike do when someone else tells him Norman’s possessed? Where is the line between faithful bravery and human folly?

Kindness, risk, judgment and mercy interweave through this short book. There’s a pleasing self-deprecating humor (and some truly humorous scenes). There’s also a nice sense of balance between true kindness and misplaced self-aggrandizement. And there’s faith, as Mike witnesses to others and learns how far he still has to go, and as God witnesses through Norman. What a witness that is!

If you think doing good things will make you good, or if you’re wondering why doing good things doesn’t seem to make you feel good, this is the book for you. If you just want to see inside the life of your local Norman and realize he’s a normal human being; if you just want a pleasant Christian read; or you're willing to risk that quiet nudge that reminds you who you are... and why. Never preachy; this is just a simple, simply-told good book.

Disclosure: A friend at church loaned this book to me, and it fitted our Bible study perfectly. ( )

A quick read and a true story of a man whose buys his dream house, then finds that his neighbor is the town eccentric. Dirty, smelly, unkempt, in a house and a life that's much the same, Norman is a nightmare neighbor. Mike struggles, but finds a new depth to his own Christian walk as he takes Norman into his life. ( )

Several years ago, my wife was at the video store looking for a family video that we could watch on Saturday evening and brought home a VHS tape of a true story entitled A Man Called Norman. We really enjoyed seeing it. A few years later I saw a book in the CBD catalogue by the same title and bought it, though it took some time before I actually read it. Author Mike Adkins grew up in West Frankfort, IL, not far from where we now live in Salem, IL. His mother was a God-fearing woman who took her nine children to church, and his father, though a good, moral man, was not particularly religious. After graduating from high school, Mike pursued a career in popular music and drifted away from the Lord for a time but eventually returned.
After marrying Carmel, having two daughters, Tracy and Tricia, and getting a job as inspector at the local coal mines, Mike bought a house in 1973 which, to his great chagrin, he found was across the street from a man named Norman Corbin, whom he described as “the odd, creepy guy every town seems to have.” Even when Mike was growing up, all the kids in town liked to tease and torment Norman. However, over the next few years, he developed a relationship with Norman that taught him not only what it means to love your neighbor as yourself but also a lot about himself as well. Mike writes about things fixing Norman’s home, taking him to a St. Louis Cardinal’s ball game, tending to his health needs, and eventually leading him to the Lord. Also, what Mike learned from Norman helped him to lead his dad to the Lord too.
Eventually, Mike left the mines and began a career in “Christian music.” He started telling the story of Norman at his engagements. This led to his being invited on the Focus on the Family radio program and a recording of Mike’s story about Norman. Next came the movie version which we saw. And finally, there is the book which tells the rest of the story. There are some things in the book with which those associated with churches of Christ will not agree, such as calling the preacher pastor, believing that we inherit the sin of Adam and Eve, simply praying for salvation, special singing in church services, using instrumental music in praising God, and the implication that God speaks directly to people today. Of course, these are certainly common concepts in the religious world today. But putting them aside, since they are not really emphasized, A Man Called Norman is a heartwarming tale about the willingness to reach out and touch the life of a neglected, elderly neighbor, and always striving to follow God’s plan in one’s life. ( )