A review by shirleytupperfreeman
House of Prayer No. 2: A Writer's Journey Home by Mark Richard

4.0

I didn't want to give this 4 stars because I was kind of mad at the author during his talk at the Festival of Faith and Writing. He used up way too much of his hour talk reading a section of the book aloud. He kept saying - 'just a little bit more' or 'one more paragraph' and then he'd read for 5 more minutes. I liked the book in spite of the author. In some ways it is a typical memoir of growing up poor and southern in a dysfunctional family. It is unique in that it is written in the third person, the author has a deformity in his hips which required many surgeries, and as an adult he develops an unexpected faith in God. House of Prayer No. 2 is the name of the tiny black church which his white mother regularly attends. Mark Richard's relationship with that church and its pastor provide the catalyst for his growing faith.