CAFE: A gathering place. A place of refreshment.

Thirsty for the latest releases in Christian fiction? Ready for a peek into the world of publishing and writing conferences? Hungry for spiritual and real-life nourishment? Pull up a seat; you're in the right place, and I'm so glad you've stopped by.

Friday, March 13, 2009

My Review of THE PASSION OF MARY-MARGARET

As promised. . . my review of Lisa Samson's latest book. For story information and a bit about Lisa, please see previous post.

I've long been a fan of Lisa's writing--her quirky characters, everyday situations that capture the imagination with stellar writing that takes you off ordinary paths into lesser explored territories of the holy and the righteous.

The Passion of Mary-Margaret is no exception. As a matter of fact, this may be her best novel so far. Written in a stream-of-consciousness style, the present day account of Sister Mary-Margaret mingles seamlessly with her childhood, her journey of faith, and dedication to Jesus and the Catholic church. You know bits of the future from M-M's journal writings, but only as the story unfolds does the crux of the story take center stage.

How far does one on the verge of taking her final vows go to follow the voice of Jesus? Is the ultimate obedience to the Lord lie in giving up a life service for Him for a higher purpose--to save one lost lamb?

Beautifully written, poetic at times, this book broadens my beliefs about the mystical aspect and sovereignty of Jesus and makes me realize anew how miniscule the human concept of God really is.

Publisher's Weekly gave The Passion of Mary-Margaret a starred review. I couldn't agree more.

3 comments:

Bonnie Way aka the Koala Mom said...

Okay, I'm off to the library... Lisa Samson is the main speaker at the ICWF WorDshop in Calgary in April, and this book sounds VERY interesting. There aren't many books about Catholics. Thanks for reviewing it! :)

carla stewart said...

You'll enjoy hearing Lisa--I've only heard her once. I learned a lot from this book since I have limited knowledge of Catholocism. Plus, it's so well-written.

Camille Eide said...

This one goes straight to the top of my TBR pile. Yeah.

I look forward to hearing/meeting Lisa this summer at the Oregon Christian Writer's week-long conference. I'll probably invite her over for Tots & Nugget Nite. What do you think?