Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Faith

Faith: A NovelAuthor: Jennifer Haigh
ISBN: 978-0-06-075580-5
Publisher: HarperCollins
Purchase link: Faith: A Novel
Source: TLC Book Tours
Tour Schedule

Synopsis

It is the spring of 2002 and a perfect storm has hit Boston. Across the city's archdiocese, trusted priests have been accused of the worst possible betrayal of the souls in their care. In Faith, Jennifer Haigh explores the fallout for one devout family, the McGanns.

Estranged for years from her difficult and demanding relatives, Sheila McGann has remained close to her older brother Art, the popular, dynamic pastor of a large suburban parish. When Art finds himself at the center of the maelstrom, Sheila returns to Boston, ready to fight for him and his reputation. What she discovers is more complicated than she imagined. Her strict, lace-curtain-Irish mother is living in a state of angry denial. Sheila's younger brother Mike, to her horror, has already convicted his brother in his heart. But most disturbing of all is Art himself, who persistently dodges Sheila's questions and refuses to defend himself.

As the scandal forces long-buried secrets to surface, Faith explores the corrosive consequences of one family's history of silence—and the resilience its members ultimately find in forgiveness. Throughout, Haigh demonstrates how the truth can shatter our deepest beliefs—and restore them. A gripping, suspenseful tale of one woman's quest for the truth, Faith is a haunting meditation on loyalty and family, doubt and belief. Elegantly crafted, sharply observed, this is Jennifer Haigh's most ambitious novel to date.

Review

Jennifer proves again her talent as an author with her most recent novel, Faith. Faith explores the circumstances surrounding a priest who is blamed for a crime he did not commit. The novel is written from his sisters’ point of view as she looks back on that time in their lives and explains the effects it had on her brother, family and friends.

Faith is a compelling novel. Though the subject matter is difficult to read, Jennifer does a wonderful job bringing the characters emotions and thoughts to the surface making the harsh reality of the situation evident to the reader. While this family appalled me at times, they also intrigued me. The book reflects a life lived, that is so unlike my own, but one that many might relate too. Jennifer pens the novel with ease, keeping you intrigued and curious. I wanted to understand all the details surrounding this story. I wanted to find out what would ultimately happen with the characters in the end even though it was hard to read at times.

The novel surrounds the Catholic faith and traditions, though it is not a religious novel. It is much deeper than that, focusing instead on the basic thoughts, survival tactics and faith that we as human beings have in delicate and difficult situations it raises questions like what if? What would you do? How would you react?

I can’t say I loved the characters of this book. It’s not really the type of book to which you attach yourself to the story. It was better to read as an outsider with less involvement and attachment to the story. I did however; find them a well developed group of individuals. They fit their roles and personalities very well. I thought they depicted a truthful and honest look at the situation, as twisted as it can be. I basically couldn’t see the characters in any other light. It’s as if they lived and breathed. As if the story was not a work of fiction, but the sad tale of life.

I enjoyed the setting of this novel immensely! I grew up in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The places mentioned felt like home to me. It is always nice to read a novel where you recognize the towns. Overall, the book was well written and has a steady pace. I was intrigued by the storyline. It was a story that was hard to turn away from, the characters drew me in and I wanted to understand them.

About the Author
Jennifer Haigh is the author of three novels: THE CONDITION, BAKER TOWERS and MRS. KIMBLE. She has won the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction and the PEN/L.L. Winship Award for outstanding book by a New England author. Her books have been published in fifteen languages. Haigh's short stories have appeared in Granta, One Story, The Saturday Evening Post and many other places. Her short story "Beast and Bird" is published in a special Atlantic Monthly Kindle edition.


Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Jennifer now lives in the Boston area.
You can connect with her via her website: http://www.jenniferhaigh.com/

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3 comments:

  1. I've got the audio of this one and I can't wait to start it - it sounds like a deep and powerful read.

    Thanks for being on the tour!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would like to read this! Please enter me. Thank you!
    mittens0831 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is not a givaway for this book. I do have a giveaway today for Best Kept Secrets which is the post below. Did your post end up on the wrong book?

    ReplyDelete

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