Pieces

Mark is born in the mid-1950s to a single mother in central Mississippi against formidable odds. His grandmother, Mary, loves him and raises him in the Church of God in Christ, profoundly changing his otherwise less-than-ordinary trajectory. He struggles with the teachings of the church while navigating the social constructs of coming of age in the deep South during the 1970s.We see the intimate details of church life positively impact Mark's decisions during each step of his walk with God. He shares with us the wonders of young love juxtaposed to the horrors of cancer as it rips a loved one from his arms. Mark allows us to follow his matriculation through higher education from a college freshman to the vice presidency as love finds him once again. He permits us to peer into the inner workings of academia and lets us see many times over God's awesome power. We watch the pieces of his life come together as even his worst circumstances are transformed into ultimate victory.

-- Mark G. Hardy