- I’ve seen this one on several book blogs and jumped at the opportunity to review it for tour.
I also recommend:
- Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian
- Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
Summary from GoodReads:
When Sheila McGann sets out to redeem her disgraced brother, a once-beloved Catholic priest in suburban Boston, her quest will force her to confront cataclysmic truths about her fractured Irish-American family, her beliefs, and, ultimately, herself. Award-winning author Jennifer Haigh follows her critically acclaimed novels Mrs. Kimble and The Condition with a captivating, vividly rendered portrait of fraying family ties, and the trials of belief and devotion, in Faith.
My Review:
I was surprised by Faith. I’ll admit it. And I’ll refrain from any corny puns about my lack of “faith” in a book titled Faith. Oh well.. well, I tried!
So I figured this to be yet another story about the scandal of priests and young boys. I’ve seen the Lifetime specials, the award-winning movies, and I thought I was been there, done that with this issue.. but I’d heard so much buzz about Jennifer Haigh’s story that, when the opportunity presented itself, I had to sit down and give it a shot.
What really made me appreciate this book was the lack of emphasis on the actual accusation, and the focus, instead, on the impact and reactions of those involved in Father Art’s story. Several points of view were brought to the forefront, fleshed out, and really given a voice. I felt genuine conflict as I read, trying to figure out who to believe, who to trust, and who to, ultimately, have faith in. Every character in this novel packs a punch – filled with flaws, strengths, and quirks, I couldn’t tell you which character had a greater impact on me. I do think the blurb to this book is somewhat misleading, because although the majority of the book is told from Sheila’s point of view, there is no central character, unless you count the character upon whom disaster has fallen.
This is a book of sincere, gut-wrenching family drama. It studies with minute detail the relationships of a blended family, the resilience of faith, the faults in organized religion, and the defects we all face in our own character whenever a difficult decision is placed before us, and we’re unable to avoid the temptation to say “yes”.
About the Author
For more reviews on Faith by Jennifer Haigh, please follow the book tour.
