‘All I know for sure, after passing through that trying time in my life, is that evil is real – as real and as tangible as anything there is. And that goodness and love are real – as real and as tangible as anything there is.’ One More Chance: A True Story of Survival and Faith, by Robert Meek and Allan Webb, is a captivating account of a business trip gone wrong. This quick, easy read pulls you into the emotional rollercoaster that the victim, his family, and his friends went through during his kidnap for ransom by the Mexican drug cartel. If I am not reading, I am watching true crime documentaries, especially the ones where you get to hear directly from the parties involved, which is exactly how this book is formatted. I love that we are given the full picture of what all parties were doing, feeling, saying, and thinking. This is not a book where events are just laid out for you, Robert completely takes you into his world during this time. It is fascinating to feel what he was feeling and see how fear and intense anxiety can cause someone to do things that they otherwise would think through differently. Robert says himself that ‘if I could have removed all the anxiety, all the insecurity, all the stress, and been able to make a completely dispassionate, reasoned judgment, I might well have done many things differently.’ He does not gloss over or try to hide decisions he made during this ordeal, he lays them out for us with raw, unfiltered emotion and honesty.
Robert’s faith is a big part of this story, because it is a big part of his life. God’s hand during this time is seen in many different ways. From discussions with his captor, Sergio, to the battle of keeping his emotions under control, and even in what leads to his rescue. With a steadfast faith, Robert is able to find strength, acceptance of his fate, and even forgiveness for his captors. This book is a testament to one of the first statements made by Robert in this book; ‘I truly hope to reach people on a much deeper, more fundamental level. If you come to the end of this book and look deep into your own soul, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.’