Madman by Tracy Groot - Book Review

Author Tracy Groot based her book, Madman, on the following Bible verses:

Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"

"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many. " And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

—Mark 5:1-20, NIV

If There is a Way into Madness, Logic Says There is a Way Out

Based upon this passage of scripture, in Madman, Tracy Groot weaves the compelling tale of Tallis, a Greek philosopher's servant, who is sent to visit an academy in Palestine only to find that the school has disappeared under disturbing circumstances. As he searches to find out what happened, he uncovers one mystery after another including what has become of four of the teachers:one was murdered; one committed suicide; one now is a leader in the temple of Dionysus; and the most promising scholar has become a madman.

Through the pages of Madman, Tallis faces his own worst fears as the gory nightmare of his childhood comes back to haunt him as he seeks to help the madman who sits among the tombs with his back to the sea. Forces of evil call out to him as the fortunes of everyone involved seem to slide hopelessly towards a horrible conclusion.

Groot, the author of The Brother's Keeper, takes the story of the Gerasene demoniac and brings it to life in Madman, fleshing out the story of a man who inadvertently opened himself up to evil. Madman is also the story of the madman's family and friends, who have been ruined by this tragedy, and the story of Tallis, who faced the same evil in his childhood only to find it here 100-fold in Palestine. And although the Man from Across the Sea only appears briefly near the end of the book Madman, his appearance changes everything... as it always does.

While Madman is a work of fiction, Groot holds true to the passages which inspire the book. Madman is well worth a read and will make the story of the Gerasene demoniac much more meaningful for the reader.

Madman by Tracy Groot was released by yMoody Publishers on April 1, 2006

Winner of the 2007 Christy Award for Best Historical Novel of 2006

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