Barely twenty-two years of age, the angelic young bride showed early symptoms of schizophrenia on the eve of their wedding. Yet Mack never allowed his wife's condition to deter him from becoming the most effective preacher that he could. God had long ago forgiven Mack with the first prayer of repentance, but the difficulty lay in not forgiving himself when temptation blindsided him in the most unforeseen circumstances. His deep love for and commitment to his God kept him faithfully pressing on to rise above the obstacles he faced in becoming the preacher that God had called him to be and that his supportive congregation believed he could be. The Lingering Cloud was written during the author's eighty-fifth year. With twelve years of healing since his wife's death, he felt he had reached a level of maturity to write this narrative as it should be written.