Faith

At first I thought this was a trite story about a pedophile priest, but I stuck with it and found the book to be much more profound. I am a 57 year old lapsed Catholic, who went to Catholic school for 12 years, so I could definitely relate to a lot. The family stuff relationships added richness to this book, and I found it engrossing.

The pedophilia scandal in the Catholic diocese of Boston in the early part of this century is certainly one that is well known by everybody who can read or who has a TV set. Jennifer Haigh uses this setting to present us with a story of a family, the McGanns, steeped in the traditions and superstitions and faith of the Boston Irish Catholics of that period.  Haigh has the daughter Sheila tell the story.  Fr. Art Breen,  the oldest son, is accused of pedophilia by a single mom whom he has befriended.  Mike, the younger brother who had been a cop for awhile, assumes his half brother is guilty.  Their mother refuses to believe the accusations, and although the newspapers jump right in, the church refuses to discuss it, Art refuses to hire a lawyer, and it is Sheila who decides she must determine the truth of what really happened.  It is her quest for the truth that allows us to see how different versions of "Faith" can exist on so many different levels.
This is a book that has many stories:

There's the Irish Catholic Boston pedophilia story.
There's the story of priestly vocations - what is it that draws men to this way of life?  How do they live their lives of quiet loneliness?  What kind of training do they get to handle those difficulties?
There's the family story:  how does the mother relate to her adult children? How does the sister reconcile her feelings for the brothers? What impact does this scandal have on the other brother's marriage?
There's  passion play of characters in addition to the immediate family.  The accuser, the supposed victim, the various clerics and officials all contribute to the dynamics of belief, guilt, secret-keeping, forgiveness, and redemption that are the story's hallmark. 


I found the device of using the sister to narrate and drive the story a bit confusing at first, but can't imagine a better way to bring all the divergent views and motivations together.  Therese Plummer does a spot-on job as a narrator in  giving us the Boston Catholic viewpoint and accent. This is a story written compassionately, and with great insight into the many aspects of events that happen when such an accusation is flung into the air.  Jennifer Haigh gives us a caring and sensitive look at the Catholic Church and its struggles over the past decades - going back to Vatican II and working forward.  She gives excellent explanations of rituals, traditions, and a way of life that will be familiar to those who have lived it, and understandable to those looking in from the outside.

What she discovers, and what she does with the information is best omitted here to avoid spoilers. It's a remarkable book that treats a very distasteful subject with objectivity, understanding, and empathy, while allowing the reader to process it from his or her own perspective.  Well worth the read.

This is an incredible story about a topic that affects everyone whether they are catholic or not. Similar to Doubt, this book makes us look inside at our preconceptions, prejudices and judgments and generalize to how they influence how we approach other people. We are humbled and amazed at the unfolding story.

The protagonist was exquisitely human, self effacing and heroic. He was a very sympathetic man.

The reader's voices and intonations, her reactions and pace make this like a well done play where one can actually visualize the characters.

Again the priest was the most memorable because he was the common demoninator and his plight of solitude and the yearning for connection is one with which we all struggle.

Well worth it!

Pedofilia in catholic churches, is something we are always reading disgusted in papers. Here is a terrible and wonderfull story that makes you see so many angles.

This audiobook was very good! Coming from catholic roots, it was very interesting to me. It gave a lot of background of the priesthood and their emotions. The storyline was very interesting and the narrator was great too!

This book had such potential. I thought the premise was unique, since I generally jump to the conclusion of gulity when I hear about a priest accused of molestation or abuse. But I am distracted by two things the author has done: She has, several times, and I'm less than half way through the book, said things to the effect of 'details of which I will get to later.' I find that kind of carrot shows a lack of writing ability. In addition, when considering if his brother, the priest, is guilty of abusing an eight year old boy, he is searching his memory for signs that his priest brother is gay. BEING GAY DOES NOT EQUAL CHILD MOLESTER! They are two very, very different things, completely unrelated. This shallow, ignorant view feeds the ignorance of anyone who doesn't personally know someone who is gay. I am finding this so offensive, I don't think I'll be able to finish the book. Lastly, the book is read by Therese Plummer, whose voice I can't help but associate with my daughter's audiobook from the American Girl series. This is no fault of the reader, the author, nor the publisher. This is just my audio association that reflects negatively on the story.

This is a very horrible subject. I never would have read this book if it weren't for book club. However I did find it an engrossing story. The reader is fabulous! The book puts a new perspective on a despicable subject. It teaches me once again there are always more than one way to look at anything.

an actual story within the first half hour, or a narrator whose voice did not put me to sleep.

i did not last long enough to be actually disappointed.

the narrator used the same verbal cadences over, and over, and over, and over, and...

annoyance.

i forgot how to get my money back. how do i get my money back?

Priests, catholic families, victims, and even those trying to exploit the molestation crisis in the Catholic church are all treated with empathy and insight.

A less melodramatic ending

while it was OK, especially the Boston accents, overall the narration was only fair

Father Art because is is a mixture of genuine generosity and stunted humanity

Topical and a good antidote to knee jerk conclusions.

I rarely rarely rarely quit listening (or reading) a book, even if it doesn't live up to my expectations. I could not continue listening to this book. The story line was so boring and the narrator didn't make it any better.

Poor story about a sensitive topic. She couldn't weave the story together.

Don't know.

Disappointment