Grayson Donald, seventeen years old, has just hanged himself from a basketball hoop next to a playground in Centreville, North Virginia (NoVA). The question is, Why? In this incisive dissection of the author's hometown, James Boice scratches its shiny suburban surface to reveal a place formed from "a cloud that slid west and met with the humidity and spent buckshot cartridges and Civil War bones clad in blue and gray to create concrete and vinyl siding and front yards laid in chunks, child care centers and video rental places."

An exciting new voice in fiction, James Boice blends sharp social observations with dark humor and remarkable prose. In both passing glimpses and intimate interior monologues, we come to know Grayson's family, his fellow students, his neighbors, and many who knew him only slightly, if at all. A portrait of a town emerges that renders Grayson's suicide both devastating and inevitable. NoVA is a unique and fascinating depiction of the American suburb....

The birth of a king is normally marked by lavish national celebrations, a gathering of dignitaries and great joy. But what if he is born in a cave, is surrounded by animals and his first visitors are unknown shepherds? And what if his birth day presents are obscure and seemingly useless? You may think that perhaps you have the wrong baby! The king of the universe did have an unusual arrival; the precise time, place and circumstances were pinpointed over 300 years before it happened so you can be sure that you are in the right place, after all. In this heart-warming study of the events which culminated in the birth of Jesus, Jim Boice shows us the extraordinary God who loves you and me. You will marvel again as familiar stories are explored in a way that brings fresh insight and relevance to your life today....

The Boice Commentary series combines careful scholarship and clear communication in a verse-by-verse and section by section reading of various biblical texts. Combining thoughtful interpretation with contemporary insight for daily living, James Montgomery Boice explains the meaning of the text and relates the text's concerns to the church, Christianity, and the world in which we live. Whether used for devotions, preaching, or teaching, this authoritative and thought-provoking series will appeal to a wide range of readers, from serious Bible students to interested laypersons. "The psalms themselves," says Boice, "speak so powerfully to the hurts, fears, disappointments, faith, hope, and spiritual aspirations of God's people." This first volume in the Psalms collection looks at varied songs-teaching wisdom for living, crying out for justice, and raising morning refrains of confidence and repentance....