The Book of Bebb

The Book of Bebb

Company type	Literary work series
Industry	Literature
Founded	1971
Founder	Frederick Buechner
Area served	United States
Products	Novels: Lion Country, Open Heart, Love Feast, Treasure Hunt

The Book of Bebb is a tetralogy authored by American writer and theologian Frederick Buechner. Released by Atheneum in New York, the collection begins with Lion Country (1971), followed by Open Heart (1972), then Love Feast (1974), and concludes with Treasure Hunt (1977). The initial novel, Lion Country, was a finalist for the 1972 National Book Award for Fiction. In 1979, all four novels were compiled into a single-volume edition.

The narrative revolves around Leo Bebb, a clergyman with a questionable background, as recounted by his son-in-law Antonio Parr. Literary analysts Leland Ryken, Philip Ryken, and Todd Wilson observe that the storyline delves into themes like using ministry as a means to escape past misdeeds, rationalizing behavior through selective biblical citations, placing ministry above familial duties, and conveying the gospel through unconventional or deceptive approaches.

Lion Country (1971)

Antonio ‘Tono’ Parr finds himself stuck in life, burdened by sorrow over his sister’s terminal illness and personal setbacks in love, art, education, and writing. His attention is captured by an advertisement for a mail-order theology diploma—“Put yourself on God’s payroll – go to work for Jesus now”—offered by the Church of Holy Love based in Armadillo, Florida. This prompts him to investigate for an exposé in New York.

Upon meeting Leo Bebb, the church’s mysterious founder, Tono becomes intrigued despite initial doubts. He follows Bebb to Armadillo without informing him, feeling unsettled when Bebb is absent on “the Lord’s business.” However, Bebb’s assistant pastor Laverne Brown greets Tono warmly, having been notified of his arrival. Although Tono declines Brown’s offer of accommodation, he accepts an evening spent with Brown and Bebb’s alcoholic wife.

When Tono questions Bebb about his church and history, Bebb deflects by directing attention to his adopted daughter Sharon. After several meetings at Tono’s motel, a romantic relationship develops between them. Their deepening connection and a shared visit to a safari park with Bebb—who boldly photographs mating lions—help Tono confront his emotional paralysis and past disappointments.

Called back to New York due to his sister Miriam’s impending death, Tono arranges travel and supports her family during the crisis. Meanwhile, Bebb secures financial backing from Herman Redpath, a wealthy Texas businessman who attributes his success to Bebb’s prayers. The novel concludes ambiguously regarding Bebb’s legitimacy; Tono marries Sharon at Redpath’s ranch where Bebb expands his ministry nationally by establishing a new Church of Holy Love location.

Open Heart (1972)

The passing of Native American entrepreneur Herman Redpath alters circumstances for Leo Bebb, his wife Lucille, and their associate Brownie—assistant pastor at the Church of Holy Love and Dean of Bebb’s mail-order seminary known as The Gospel Faith College. After serving five years as private pastor at the Redpath ranch, Bebb is gratified to be generously remembered in Redpath’s will. He entrusts Brownie with sole leadership of the Church of Holy Love, prompting Brownie to relocate northward to Connecticut where Antonio (Tono) Parr now resides with his wife Sharon, their infant child, and teenage nephews Chris and Tony.

Bebb leases a nearby farmhouse and transforms its barn into a chapel adorned with a neon sign shaped like a cross formed by the words ‘OPEN’ and ‘HEART’. Antonio—an unfulfilled father, English teacher, and hobbyist sculptor—observes Bebb’s endeavors with detachment. Frustrated by unsuccessful attempts to engage students with King Lear, Antonio senses unrest within his household. Sharon—characterized as ‘a woman of the 1970s’—immerses herself in yoga, speed-reading courses, guitar lessons, and motherhood while their son Tony excels as a high school track athlete.

When Bebb inaugurates the church to a modest congregation—far from the exclusive New England audience he anticipated—he delivers sermons based on Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. During one service, Lucille abruptly departs and vanishes. Antonio discovers that Sharon and Tony are involved in an affair, complicating his role in locating Lucille. A cryptic message from Brownie reveals Lucille fled southward to Florida; subsequently, Bebb and Antonio find she has taken her own life in Armadillo.

Devastated by grief, Bebb moves into Sharon and Antonio’s home along with their family. Clarence ‘Fats’ Golden—a shadowy figure previously lingering on the story’s periphery—reveals himself as Bebb’s former prison cellmate. Details regarding Bebb’s incarceration for indecent exposure had been unknown to Sharon and Antonio until now. Their doubts deepen when Bebb advises them not to rely on his accounts and suggests they travel to Europe. The trio embarks on a voyage to England as Bebb processes mourning while Sharon and Antonio consider salvaging their marriage.

Love Feast (1974)

The foundation for a fresh and vibrant ministry partnership is established through Leo Bebb’s connection with Gertrude Conover, a wealthy septuagenarian he befriends during their voyage to England at the conclusion of Open Heart. Gertrude, a theosophist known for her distinctive blue hair and residence in Princeton, New Jersey, shares with Bebb their past-life relationship—him as Ptah-Sitti, a priest, and her as Uttu, a ward of a Pharaoh—which deeply intrigues him.

Their collaboration faces postponements due to personal upheavals, including Lucille’s suicide and the collapse of Bebb’s ministry in Connecticut. Seeking renewal, Bebb returns to the Redpath ranch in Texas to reconnect with Brownie. Concurrently, Antonio struggles with his failing marriage; Sharon has launched a health food store alongside Anita Steen, prompting Antonio’s suspicions of infidelity. Apart from visits from Gertrude and the now lavishly traveling Bebb, Antonio remains isolated until Sharon demands he leave. Upon returning from another trip, Bebb is disturbed by their marital strife and Sharon’s rejection of his prayers and disbelief in God, which ignites his own spiritual turmoil.

At Gertrude’s retreat in Princeton, Bebb recuperates and consents to organize a Thanksgiving dinner for local students. When attendance is sparse, he delivers a sermon on the parable of the great feast from Luke 14 and encourages guests to seek out the hungry and lonely. Reflecting the spirit of the contemporary ‘Jesus Movement,’ the hall soon fills with attendees, initiating a revival led by Bebb alongside Nancy Oglethorpe.

While Bebb rejoices over this spiritual breakthrough, Antonio descends further into despair. His fleeting hope inspired by the revival dissipates upon learning that Tony and Sharon have resumed their affair. His retreat to Gertrude’s center offers little solace as Bebb engages in confrontations with atheist professor Virgil Roebuck, disrupting gatherings.

In search of counsel for his troubled father-in-law, Antonio spends Christmas with Brownie in Texas. There, he experiences a drug-induced mystical vision with Native Americans led by John Turtle, communicating with deceased relatives. Uncertain and unaware that Sharon has fled to Florida, Antonio returns to Connecticut for an encounter with Laura Fleishman, an ex-student and former lover.

Back in the Northeast, Antonio finds Bebb embroiled in disputes with the IRS and university officials, leading to protests and riots. These controversies force Bebb into hiding but also draw Sharon back from Florida, resulting in a tense reunion among her, Antonio, and Bebb—who offers guidance on their marriage. Their shared sense of impending farewell culminates when Bebb and Fats Golden charter a plane emblazoned with "Here’s to Jesus" over Princeton before it crashes spectacularly nearby.

Treasure Hunt (1977)

The uncertainty surrounding Bebb’s fate following the plane crash at the close of Love Feast continues to impact those left behind, particularly since neither his nor Fats Golden’s remains were ever found. This unresolved tragedy further strains Antonio and Sharon’s fragile marriage, already complicated by Sharon’s recent childbirth with ambiguous paternity—either Antonio or his nephew Tony, now married to Laura Fleishman, an ex-student and former lover of Antonio.

While listening to a recording of one of Bebb’s sermons alongside Gertrude Conover, Antonio and Sharon discover that Bebb bequeathed them an old house in Poinsett, South Carolina. This revelation prompts them to plan a pilgrimage to Bebb’s hometown with Gertrude accompanying them while leaving their children in Tony and Laura’s care. The belief that Bebb may be communicating from beyond intensifies Antonio’s spiritual search, underscored by dreams involving his deceased father-in-law and his turn towards Brownie—Bebb’s former assistant pastor who has since lost faith and fallen into bankruptcy—for guidance. In a reversal of roles, Antonio becomes a source of hope for Brownie.

Their journey south unfolds leisurely with stops such as the Library of Congress where Antonio suspects glimpsing Bebb. However, Poinsett itself is bleak; the gifted house has transformed into a ‘UFORIUM’ managed by Babe and Bertha Bebb—Babe being Leo Bebb’s twin brother who embraces beliefs in extraterrestrial visitations rather than traditional religion. Brownie joins them but dies suddenly following a heated argument with Babe.

Babe’s dismissal of his brother’s faith challenges both Antonio and Sharon while Gertrude embraces Babe’s cosmic perspective and asserts that Bebb has been reincarnated as local infant Jimmy Bob Luby—a claim met with skepticism. Mounting tensions alongside Bertha’s erratic behavior culminate when Sharon discovers that Bertha is her biological mother and Leo Bebb her father—a revelation that unravels her origins and explains Bertha’s lifelong peculiarities. These discoveries shed light on Bebb’s complex persona and his purpose in bringing them to Poinsett. Armed with deeper understanding of Bebb’s influence and their own identities, Antonio and Sharon depart.

Main characters

• Leo Bebb (Lion Country, Open Heart, Love Feast): In his memoir Now and Then (1983), Buechner portrays Leo Bebb as a rotund, bald man from the South who spent five years incarcerated for indecent exposure to minors. He currently heads a religious diploma mill and the Church of Holy Love, Incorporated, based in Florida. Notably, he wears a small cap and has a distinctive twitching eyelid.

• Antonio Parr (Lion Country, Open Heart, Love Feast, Treasure Hunt): Known as ‘Tono,’ Antonio grapples with finding purpose after setbacks in his careers as a teacher, sculptor, writer, and husband. His unsuccessful effort to expose Bebb’s mail-order seminary ultimately leads to profound reflections on existence. Dale Brown highlights Antonio’s feelings of yearning and incompleteness as consistent with earlier protagonists in Buechner’s works.

• Laverne Brown (Lion Country, Open Heart, Love Feast, Treasure Hunt): Serving as assistant pastor at the Church of Holy Love, Brownie is also involved in managing the mail-order seminary. His optimistic interpretations of biblical texts reveal a steadfast commitment to embracing reality as it stands.

• Sharon Parr, née Bebb (Lion Country, Open Heart, Love Feast, Treasure Hunt): Adopted by Leo and Lucille Bebb, Sharon exhibits confidence but struggles with doubts about her faith and her adoptive father. Her romantic relationship with Antonio leads to marriage; however, their union faces strain due to marital challenges and uncertainties about her origins. The discovery that Leo Bebb is her biological father brings resolution to her identity crisis.

• Lucille Bebb (Lion Country, Open Heart): Battling alcoholism and harboring skepticism toward her husband’s ministry, Lucille occasionally ridicules him publicly. Antonio becomes aware of the tragic accidental death of their only child, an event rumored to involve Lucille.

• Miriam Blaine, née Parr (Lion Country): Throughout Lion Country, Miriam confronts cancer while encouraging her brother Antonio to improve his circumstances. As a divorced mother of two sons she hopes Antonio will adopt—a hope realized when he marries Lucille and relocates to Connecticut.

• Gertrude Conover (Open Heart, Love Feast, Treasure Hunt): A seventy-something theosophist with an aura of prophecy who supports Bebb following Lucille’s suicide. Her Princeton residence serves as the venue for Bebb’s revival in Love Feast. Gertrude’s conviction in a past-life romance with Bebb influences Sharon and Antonio’s spiritual journey in Treasure Hunt. Critics have drawn parallels between her character and the mystic Agnes Sanford.

• Tony Blaine (Lion Country, Open Heart, Love Feast, Treasure Hunt): The youngest son of Miriam and Charlie; described by Antonio as a ‘muscle-bound jock’ whose volatile temperament contributes to the dissolution of Antonio and Sharon’s marriage. Tony’s subsequent involvement with Laura Fleishman introduces additional conflict.

• Chris Blaine (Lion Country, Open Heart, Love Feast, Treasure Hunt): Eldest son of Miriam and Charlie; initially pursuing acting before becoming a successful Merrill Lynch executive. His demanding career restricts his engagement with family matters.

• Charlie Blaine (Lion Country, Open Heart, Love Feast, Treasure Hunt): Miriam’s former husband; characterized as an ineffective hypochondriac generally indifferent to others’ concerns.

• Clarence “Fats” Golden (Open Heart, Love Feast): Former prison cellmate of Bebb whose ambiguous intentions provoke speculation about whether he is an angelic or malevolent figure—later revealed as an old acquaintance prone to tall tales.

• Babe Bebb (Treasure Hunt): Twin brother of Leo Bebb shares his self-assurance but subscribes to beliefs about extraterrestrial influence on sacred figures. Babe exhibits cruelty by impersonating his disturbed wife Bertha to intimidate locals and assert dominance.

• Bertha Bebb (Treasure Hunt): Babe’s wife displays signs of repressed trauma connected to Sharon—her daughter by Leo Bebb. Initially open to Sharon’s desire for reconciliation in Connecticut, Bertha ultimately opts to remain with Babe despite his abusive conduct.

Themes

In Now and Then, Buechner contemplates the thematic elements present in the Bebb novels, emphasizing his transition to a first-person narrative style and the incorporation of comedic elements. He notes that adopting Antonio Parr as the storyteller granted him increased latitude to infuse humor and frankness, allowing for characters who use more colorful language and indulge in tangential reflections.

While maintaining Buechner’s hallmark focus on character-centered narratives, these novels distinguish themselves by unveiling the inner worlds of individuals through Antonio’s viewpoint. Antonio’s journey of self-awareness unfolds as he deciphers the minds of those around him, positioning their internal experiences as a pivotal enigma.

Marjorie Casebier McCoy highlights incarnation as a fundamental theme throughout Buechner’s oeuvre, where moments of revelation concerning self, others, and the divine arise unexpectedly. She terms this phenomenon the "incarnational surprise" evident in the characters’ interactions within the four-part series. Literary analyst Dale Brown points out that the tetralogy grapples with persistent motifs found throughout Buechner’s work: the tension between faith and doubt, life’s complexities, sinfulness, human alienation, spiritual longing, quests for identity, self-discovery, purpose, and joy.

Marie-Hélène Davies encapsulates The Book of Bebb as a work that unveils life’s absurdities alongside the sustaining grace present within it.

Composition

Lion Country represents the second novel Buechner composed while residing at his family home in Vermont. In his memoir Now and Then (1983), he recounts how the novel originated:

While waiting my turn at a barbershop and reading a magazine article accompanied by photographs, a character surfaced who would dominate my writing for more than six years.

Critic Dale Brown identifies this source as a Life magazine feature on Reverend Herman Keck Jr., pastor of Calvary Grace Christian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, known for his promotional slogan “Answer God’s call – start preaching today,” and his mail-order theology courses. Concerning Bebb—one of Buechner’s most memorable creations—the author described crafting the Bebb series, particularly Lion Country, less as an act of invention and more as one of discovery. He elaborates:

The character appeared so fully developed that I mainly observed its unfolding. Unlike previous projects where I forced myself to write daily, I returned to this eagerly; what once might have taken two years was completed in under three months.

Buechner found personal resonance in Bebb’s persona: "Bebb embodied strengths where I felt weak and exhibited madness where I was prudent. He embraced perilous risks with his life where I hesitated." This deep engagement inspired Buechner to promptly commence a second novel centered on this preacher figure, which was soon followed by third and fourth installments.

Critical reception

Among the four novels, Lion Country received the most extensive critical attention. Dale Brown attributes this trend to critics increasingly perceiving Buechner as a "preacher who writes novels," which gradually diminished literary enthusiasm: ‘Buechner the novelist was consistently linked to Buechner the minister’. Brown suggests that this association may have alienated some readers initially, though it also drew in others over time. He contends that the emphasis on religious homilies is largely misplaced: ‘It is difficult to imagine any uninformed reader of The Book of Bebb picturing a minister manipulating events behind the scenes’.

David R. Ebitt shares this view, cautioning that labeling Lion Country as overtly religious might discourage potential readers, given that the novel also explores themes of deceit, sexuality, and infanticide. Despite perceptions of a growing Christian influence, Brown observes that critics generally responded very favorably to Lion Country. James Dickey commended it as a work that skillfully merges entertainment with profound themes. William Pritchard described it as a ‘powerful and beautiful creation,’ a sentiment echoed by Rosemary F. Deen, who characterized Bebb as a ‘masterful creation’—a modern-day apostle portrayed through concise, witty prose without losing depth.

Critics noted a stylistic evolution in Lion Country. Guy Davenport praised its ‘beautiful writing and craftsmanship.’ Martin Waldron likened its sharp humor to the works of Nathanael West or James Agee, with dialogue reminiscent of Peter de Vries. Barbara Bannon highlighted its blend of complexity and entertainment as genuinely affecting. Harry T. Moore and Reynolds Price regarded it as a new peak in Buechner’s career and his most substantial novel yet, respectively, cementing his reputation among contemporary novelists.

Comparisons to other literary figures were frequent: Alvin Beam observed tonal parallels with John Donne; P.A. Doyle compared it to Flannery O’Connor’s oeuvre. Reviewers emphasized Buechner’s fusion of sacred and profane elements, with Geoffrey Wolfe describing it as a “wonderfully secular, often profane fantasy,” while Rose Jeanne remarked on the unexpected combination of ribald humor and symbolic mysticism.

The remaining three novels also garnered praise. Michael Putney characterized Open Heart as ‘wise’ and ‘extraordinary,’ blending introspection with humor and spirituality. B.M. Firestone lauded Treasure Hunt for its mix of fantasy, philosophy, and wit, calling it a “serious novel that never feels solemn.” The tetralogy as a whole received positive evaluations; Roger Dione hailed Buechner as “one of the most underrated novelists writing today,” a view shared by Louis Auchincloss who admired his talent for discovering grace within cultural decline. Benjamin Demott compared The Book of Bebb to The Great Gatsby, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between central and peripheral characters.

Marjorie Casebier McCoy concludes that throughout The Book of Bebb, Buechner adeptly portrays human conflict:

Life and death are wrestling throughout the Bebb stories, as indeed they are contending in Buechner’s experience and in ours if we notice or have been jolted into awareness by someone such as Bebb.