Saturday, September 20, 2008

Jodi Picoult - Keeping Faith

Jodi Picoult - Keeping Faith


It feels like I have been recommended books by Jodi Picoult forever… I finally picked up one of her old ones through Annettes bookclub many months ago, and only got around to reading it on holiday…

Synopsis from jodipicoult.com
Somewhere between belief and doubt lies faith. For the second time in her marriage, Mariah White catches her husband with another woman and Faith, their seven year old daughter, witnesses every painful minute. In the aftermath of a sudden divorce, Mariah struggles with depression and Faith seeks solace in a new friend… a friend who may or may not be imaginary.
Faith talks to her "Guard"constantly; begins to recite passages from the Bible— a book she's never read. Fearful for her daughter's sanity, Mariah sends her to several psychiatrists. Yet when Faith develops stigmata and begins to perform miraculous healings, Mariah wonders if her daughter-- a girl with no religious background-- might indeed be seeing God. As word spreads and controversy heightens, Mariah and Faith are besieged by believers and disbelievers alike, caught in a media circus that threatens what little stability they have left.
What are you willing to believe? Is Faith a prophet or a troubled little girl? Is Mariah a good mother facing an impossible crisis— or a charlatan using her daughter to reclaim the attention her unfaithful husband withheld? As the story builds to a climactic battle for custody, Mariah must discover that spirit is not necessarily something that comes from religion, but from inside oneself.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the book, but what I got was a story that I found hard to put down… Well written, thought and emotion provoking, a good story that left me thinking about it for days afterward, unable to pick up my next book… Sparking ideas about God, the church, media attention, relationships between parents and their children, parents and their partners… Quite intense aftermath really… A great read… I will definitely be reading more of Jodi's books...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Phew... lucky you enjoyed it or I don't think you would've believed any more of my recommendations :) Might have to borrow it from you as I haven't read that one yet... You must read "my sisters keeper" by Jodi - brilliant book.

corrie said...

Of course you can borrow it... Really need to join a library, there are too many books in this house...

love and light...