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byp's review against another edition
4.0
I almost like this book against my will. It started off slowly for me, and for about two-thirds of it, I was FURIOUS.
utahmomreads's review against another edition
5.0
Art, a Catholic priest in South Boston is just one of the many accused of molesting a young boy. This priest, like the others, has a family--mother, step-father, brother, sister, nephews and cousins. His sister Sheila tells the story of how the accusation effects the entire family and her own search to understand and forgive her older brother. She wants desperately to believe in his innocence and is frustrated by his unwillingness to defend himself.
I read Jennifer Haigh's book with my heart in my throat. With each page, I read with the constant fear that Sheila would uncover the evidence to convict her brother of these horrible crimes against an innocent boy. Haigh writes with an honesty and skill that creates a story that is overhwelmingly real, frightening and yet ultimately redemptive. There are no missteps in this novel. Haigh has mastered her craft.
Haigh creates memorable and believable characters--from the priest to his victim and all their relatives--that are well-developed and complex while being completely realistic. Haigh treats them each with dignity as she uncovers their pasts, fears, sins and desires.
Faith is ultimately an emotional and beautiful, though harrowing, journey about the human desire to find love and companionship.
While I loved this novel, I didn't enjoy the crude language throughout. However, I am willing to concede that some of the characters would very likely/almost definitely speak that way (I did live in the Northeast for three years).
I received a complimentary copy of Faith through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest opinion and I received no additional compensation.
I read Jennifer Haigh's book with my heart in my throat. With each page, I read with the constant fear that Sheila would uncover the evidence to convict her brother of these horrible crimes against an innocent boy. Haigh writes with an honesty and skill that creates a story that is overhwelmingly real, frightening and yet ultimately redemptive. There are no missteps in this novel. Haigh has mastered her craft.
Haigh creates memorable and believable characters--from the priest to his victim and all their relatives--that are well-developed and complex while being completely realistic. Haigh treats them each with dignity as she uncovers their pasts, fears, sins and desires.
Faith is ultimately an emotional and beautiful, though harrowing, journey about the human desire to find love and companionship.
While I loved this novel, I didn't enjoy the crude language throughout. However, I am willing to concede that some of the characters would very likely/almost definitely speak that way (I did live in the Northeast for three years).
I received a complimentary copy of Faith through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest opinion and I received no additional compensation.
book_concierge's review against another edition
5.0
Narrator Sheila McGann tells the story of her Irish-Catholic family against the backdrop of the priest-sex-abuse scandal that rocked the Boston Archdiocese. Sheila’s older half-brother, Art, is a priest accused of molesting a child. Her younger brother, like much of the community, is horrified and repulsed by the allegations and immediately assumes Father Art’s guilt. Their mother is paralyzed by fear and dread – loving her son, not believing the accusations, unable to face her faith community and left adrift with her anxiety. Sheila is unbelieving but puzzled and, as she tries to determine where the truth lies finds herself conflicted.
I love the way that Haigh develops these characters and the central issues of the book. It is a book that is about family more than it is about any particular religion. Sheila is a wonderful narrator – trying to be accurate but not able to completely divorce her feelings and biases. She explores her family history – the many issues never discussed, the silences that say more about the family than any words spoken. She gives the reader much to think about:
On her family: “Every one of us limps from old wounds. … We poke each other’s tender places with a stick.”
On love: “We love those who fit the peculiar voids within us, our hollow wounds. We love to fill the spaces of old loves left behind.”
Sheila’s narrative carefully reveals the plot, including some twists that caught this reader off guard; the story is revealed much as it would be in real life … a little here, a little there, until we are able to weave all the threads into a final story that may still leave some questions left unanswered, but generally satisfies our need to know what happened.
This is the kind of literary fiction I love; it made me think of the many issues raised, propelled me forward to reach the end, and made me want to start over as soon as I had finished.
I love the way that Haigh develops these characters and the central issues of the book. It is a book that is about family more than it is about any particular religion. Sheila is a wonderful narrator – trying to be accurate but not able to completely divorce her feelings and biases. She explores her family history – the many issues never discussed, the silences that say more about the family than any words spoken. She gives the reader much to think about:
On her family: “Every one of us limps from old wounds. … We poke each other’s tender places with a stick.”
On love: “We love those who fit the peculiar voids within us, our hollow wounds. We love to fill the spaces of old loves left behind.”
Sheila’s narrative carefully reveals the plot, including some twists that caught this reader off guard; the story is revealed much as it would be in real life … a little here, a little there, until we are able to weave all the threads into a final story that may still leave some questions left unanswered, but generally satisfies our need to know what happened.
This is the kind of literary fiction I love; it made me think of the many issues raised, propelled me forward to reach the end, and made me want to start over as soon as I had finished.
teresaalice's review against another edition
4.0
Although this book as about two of my least favourite subjects a) organized religion and b)child molestation, the writing is so fantastic and the characters so understandable,that I loved this book. In fact, I'm going to look for Haigh's other books.
apol27's review against another edition
4.0
Took at little while to get into the book, but in the end I loved it- a lot of food for thought- I think it is going to make for a good book club discussion
sorinahiggins's review against another edition
4.0
This is a skilful, thoughtful, and even sometimes beautiful novel about one of the ugliest subjects ever: the Catholic church's child sexual abuse scandal. It's literary enough to earn a place in conversation with the novelists of the 20th-century Catholic rennaissance (Greene, Waugh, Maugham), but left me a bit unsatisfied. For a book entitled "Faith," there was almost nothing in it about faith. Love, choice, commitment, sin, family, community, yes: actual faith, no.
debandleo's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good story and well written. I got to know the characters intimately.
jfoutty's review against another edition
3.0
Very well written, but so dark and depressing. Fascinating look at catholic church and families.
amchica's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't dislike this book, but I thought the characters were all stereotypes and the plot lacked imagination. Father Breen's story was interesting enough to keep me reading and I enjoyed the end of the book more than the rest of it, but all in all, I found this book to be pretty lacking in originality.