We Be Big
The Mostly True Story of How Two Kids from Calhoun County, Alabama, Became Rick and Bubba
By Rick Burgess and Bill Bussey with Don Keith
Pub by Thomas Nelson
I love a good story. Especially one that makes me laugh and above all, honors my Savior!
In We Be Big, Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey tell their stories of growing up in rural Alabama and how their individual paths in life, including the radio industry, crisscrossed eventually leading to the “Rick & Bubba Show”. Each chapter, written from an individual perspective, ties together chronologically with the next. That is, Rick writes Chapter 1 relating how he became interested in radio growing up, Bubba (Bill) writes Chapter 2 relating the same time-frame/interest in his own life.
The reader knows from the beginning their paths must cross. How (and how many times) they cross moves through chapter by chapter anticipating their eventual partnership. Just as in the “Rick & Bubba Show”, the circumstances of their lives are real, everyday events. The reader identifies with their “realness” and is caught up in the daily lives of Rick & Bubba, their families and co-workers. Seeing how God has worked in their lives even from their early years, in spite of their own failures (and stubbornness in Rick’s case) paints a wonderful picture for the reader to enjoy.
Once well immersed in the main character’s lives, the experience of some very painful circumstances occur. How Rick & Bubba, along with their families, deal with their pain, and their faith, is a direct reflection of the Rick & Bubba Show. Through radio, they have chosen to project their lives publicly. God has worked in the lives of these two individuals and ultimately brought them together for His purpose. The purpose is, as Bubba (Bill) states in Chapter 18, to be God’s Megaphone (Quoting C.S. Lewis: “Pain and suffering are merely God’s megaphone for a sleeping world”.)
At first, the switching of perspective with each chapter irritated me. I kept having to refer back to the beginning of each chapter to remind myself which “Rick or Bubba” I was reading about. However, as I continued, I began to appreciate how this format forced me to develop each character independently in my mind. I realized this individuality being meshed together for a greater purpose, BY a Greater Power (the one true God) IS THE STORY. And a good story it is.
To view a preview of We Be Big click here.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”