Proof of Heaven by Mary Curran Hackett

Summary from GoodReads:

A mother’s faith, a child’s courage, a doctor’s dedication—a moving and thought-provoking tale of hope, love, and family

He might be young, but Colm already recognizes the truth: that he’s sick and not getting better. His mother, Cathleen, fiercely believes her faith will protect her ailing son, but Colm is not so sure. With a wisdom far beyond his years, Colm has come to terms with his probable fate, but he does have one special wish. He wants to meet his father who abandoned his beloved mother before Colm was born.

But the quest to find the dying boy’s missing parent soon becomes a powerful journey of emotional discovery—a test of belief and an anxious search for proof of heaven.

My Review:

I’m not even joking – I devoured this book in three hours.  I could not put it down.  Out of tea?  Oh well.  Cold and need to move to the bed to get under electric blanket? Nope.  Don’t wanna stop reading.

Yet this book was so filled with such emotionally corny scenes I’m a bit ashamed of myself.

This goes back to that idea of entertainment.  Was Proof of Heaven a challenging, literary read that had me pausing to collect my thoughts and ponder over the wonders contained in those pages? No. It wasn’t. But it was entertainment, and it made me “aw” a little, and it made me think about faith, and love, and hope, and joy, and sadness and all sorts of other human ideas and feelings.

While parts of the story did feel contrived (I’m sorry, I understand why the author was wanting her 5 – 7 year old boy to be that insightful, it was just a bit too jarring), there were parts that were beautiful as well – specifically the exploration of the relationships.  Each character’s connection with Cathleen was unique and beautiful, in their own ways.  I felt the frustration and the anger of Sean, the faithful steadfastness of the Cathleen’s priest, and sympathized with the Doctor as he grew closer to the small family he was helping.

While this isn’t one of those summery beach reads, it is a perfect read for a chilly winter day – provided your mug of hot tea doesn’t rudely empty itself before you can finish the book.

About the Author

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