John Prescott Chaplin proposed the title Man of the Oval early in the writing process-and it quickly proved to be the perfect fit. When asked why, he pointed to the oval track itself: the 440-yard, now 400-meter lap that defines one of the most demanding races in athletics. That single lap, he explained, mirrors the essence of his life in the sport.For Chaplin, the oval is more than a shape-it is a philosophy. His journey has never followed a straight path...

Nobody runs farther and faster than Mike Beck. After all, he's had a lot of practice running from his own past of absentee parents and loneliness. In order to survive, Mike had to develop a fierce independence that left him with little more than disdain for adults who are supposed to guide and protect him. But though Mike's life is a hurricane of chaos, his best friend Jill is determined to be a calm eye at the center of his storm. With love and Christian compassion, Jill works to calm the...

Some families choose a different path-and sometimes that choice comes at a great cost.Twelve-year-old June has never attended a traditional classroom, but her education has been anything but ordinary. Raised in the rugged Blue Mountains of Washington State, she has learned to read with curiosity, think with wisdom beyond her years, and live confidently from the land. Under the loving guidance of her devoted parents, June has mastered skills few children her age pos...

Rodeo either makes you rugged and hard as the Washington mountains-or it leaves you broken and beaten.Grady is fueled by rage. Haunted by pain and driven by revenge, he throws himself into the brutal world of rodeo, believing endurance and punishment are the only ways to prove his worth.Jill is consumed by guilt. Carrying the weight of her past, she hopes the rodeo circuit will erase her identity and bury the shame she cannot escape.Two wounded souls. Two very diffe...

"John Prescott Chaplin suggested the title for this book-Man of the Oval-very early in the writing process. When I asked why that title in particular, he explained that the oval shape of the track, combined with the 440-yard or 400-meter distance of a single lap, plus the demands of racing that one lap, seemed to characterize his career as an athlete, a coach, the chair of the International Competition Committee and chairman of the Men's Track & Field Committee for USA Track & Field (USATF...

Though only twelve years old and without a day A NOVELspent in a classroom, June is just as comfortablereading and thinking deeply as she is huntinggame and chopping wood. Thanks to her rusticbut joyful life in the Blue Mountains of WashingtonState, June is growing into a young woman whocombines the best traits of her scholarly motherand her practical father.But when welfare workers and governmentofficials threaten to ...

Nobody runs farther and faster than Mike Beck. After all, he's had a lot of practice running from his own past of absentee parents and loneliness. In order to survive, Mike had to develop a fierce independence that's left him with little more than disdain for adults who are supposed to guide and protect him. But though Mike's life is a hurricane of chaos, his best friend Jill is determined to be a calm eye at the center of his storm. With love and Christian compassion, Jill works to calm t...

Rodeo either makes you rugged and hard as the Washington mountains or it leaves you broken and beaten. Grady, full of rage, hopes to use rodeo to make a name for himself with his ability to take punishment. Jill, full of guilt, hopes rodeo will make everyone forget her name because it's the punishment she deserves. But these two loners will be brought together by an enigmatic older couple who refuse to live in the present despite their own tragic pasts. Their practical faith will bring Gra...

Nobody runs farther and faster than Mike Beck. After all, he's had a lot of practice running from his own past of absentee parents and loneliness. In order to survive, Mike had to develop a fierce independence that's left him with little more than disdain for adults who are supposed to guide and protect him. But though Mike's life is a hurricane of chaos, his best friend Jill is determined to be a calm eye at the center of his storm. With love and Christian compassion, Jill works to calm t...

Though only twelve years old and without a day spent in a classroom, June is just as comfortable reading and thinking deeply as she is hunting and chopping wood. Thanks to her rustic but joyful life in the Blue Mountains of Washington State, June is growing into a young woman who combines the best traits of her scholarly mother and her practical father. But when welfare workers and government officials threaten to take June away from her parents, her idyllic childhood is thrown into danger...

Rodeo either makes you rugged and hard as the Washington mountains or it leaves you broken and beaten. Grady, full of rage, hopes to use rodeo to make a name for himself with his ability to take punishment. Jill, full of guilt, hopes rodeo will make everyone forget her name because it's the punishment she deserves. But these two loners will be brought together by an enigmatic older couple who refuse to live in the present despite their own tragic pasts. Their practical faith will bring Gra...

"John Prescott Chaplin suggested the title for this book—Man of the Oval—very early in the writing process. When I asked why that title in particular, he explained that the oval shape of the track, combined with the 440-yard or 400-meter distance of a single lap, plus the demands of racing that one lap, seemed to characterize his career as an athlete, a coach, the chair of the International Competition Committee and chairman of the Men's Track & Field Committee for USA Track & Field (USATF...