Join us at Page & Palette for Signing Saturday! On Saturday, May 17th at 1PM, Jerry Lathan will be here to showcase his book, You Will Be Peter. Enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine as you visit Jerry's table and connect with the author of this Christian biography. We hope to see you there!

YOU WILL BE PETER

The extraordinary story of a young fisherman who became the Founding Father of Christianity, the most influential and enduring institution in history. He’s one of the most well-known figures in cultures around the world, etched into stained glass, painted in frescoes, even caricatured as standing at the gates of heaven with a long white beard and keys in hand. But long before he was portrayed as a venerated and untouchable figure, Peter was simply known as Simon, a twenty-something fisherman in a far-flung Jewish province controlled by the Roman Empire. Loyal and faithful, impetuous and passionate, Simon’s quiet life is upended by the arrival of a man called Jesus of Nazareth, rumored to be the long-awaited Messiah who would rescue the Jewish people from oppression. When Simon meets Jesus, the mysterious man tells him, “You will be Peter,” a prophetic statement that would slowly transform Simon’s life. Eager to be free of the Romans, Simon joins Jesus in hopes that he can guard this leader who will, undoubtedly, build an army to challenge Rome. But as Simon waits for the army to form, he watches Jesus show a compassion for others Simon has never seen before. The miracles Jesus performs—healing the sick, feeding crowds of thousands—show not a display of military might, but of service and love. Real, relatable and impeccably researched, You Will Be Peter draws on the four Gospel accounts to weave Simon Peter’s story into one seamless tapestry. Readers get a front-row seat to Simon’s three-year walk with Jesus, as Simon watches the Son of Man feed the hungry, raise the dead, upend the status quo and challenge the elite during one of world history’s most pivotal seasons. In perhaps one of the greatest miracles, we can see ourselves in Simon, this ordinary man Jesus chose to accompany Him. Simon wasn’t well-educated, but he was faithful and headstrong. Though he could rush to judgment and use a foul word from time to time, he was the kind of friend who loved fiercely and was doggedly loyal—until he wasn’t. Although he failed, Simon wasn’t cast away from Jesus’ mission. In fact, his failures and subsequent redemption made him a more empathetic and capable rock upon whom the Church was built. With storytelling artistry that transports readers to the first-century world, with the sights, sounds, and smells of that time, You Will Be Peter shares an age-old story told from a new set of eyes: it’s possible for one ordinary person, however unlikely, to change the world forever.

JERRY LATHAN

Jerry Lathan lives in Mobile. He is the founder and owner of The Lathan Company-a historic restoration company which restores landmark buildings, monuments, churches and civil rights institutions-many of which you would recognize from a history book. Some of his projects include the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industry Building and the Nethrlands Carillon Monument at Arlington Cemetery in DC, Selma’s Brown Chapel Church (home of the Civil Rights march), several HBCU colleges and most of the buildings in Jackson Square in New Orleans. In 2010, Jerry led the UNESCO Haiti Earthquake Architectural Team to evaluate the damage to the Presidential Palace. Jerry has received the Louisiana Society Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation and has received a number of awards from the American Institute of Architects. With his expertise in building and reconstruction, Jerry became co-owner of Big Easy Studios in New Orleans in 2011 where he turned empty NASA Michould buildings in to a major motion picture sound stage that filmed ‘Jurassic World’,’Terminator 5’, ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’, and the Wolverine movie ‘Logan’ to name a few. Jerry is the owner of six ‘Carillon Oaks’ senior care facilities for all female dementia assisted living facilities where women live in an open community with first class all inclusive amenities to make each day special for them. Jerry is a graduate of The University of South Alabama where he was named a USA Mitchell Business College Fellow Top 50 Alumni and is a member of the President’s Cabinet. Jerry is now the author “You Will Be Peter” Amazon’s #1 Best Selling Biblical category. The product of ten years of research, the book was the 2023 Best Overall winner of the Paris Book Festival and the New England Book Festival- before the book was released. Jerry has been married for 45 years to his wife Terry. They have two grown children and the Lathans recently became first time grandparents which he loves to share. The Lathans are long time members of Christ Methodist Church in Mobile.