A short novel, or long exercise, about a Carmelite nun in an LA cloister. Nun meets God, nun loses God, nun finds medicine, nun finds God, nun loses God and I won’t tell you how it ends. An investigation into the nature of faith and how doubts infect everyone, even women who have forsworn all earthly pleasures to be in monogamous relationships with Jesus/God. Maybe this book about doubting the nature of God’s intent could only have been written by a Jew. June 2007.
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Life of Pi, by Yann Martel **** (of 4)
I loved it. A great piece of storytelling. Sure, there were plenty of bits worth analyzing-science vs. religion, first world vs. third world, true vs. false-but I liked it most of all because it was a great adventure.
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I am the Messenger by Markus Zuzak * (of 4)
Feh. Zuzak’s means well. An Australian teenage no-goodnik performs saintly deeds for friends, acquaintances, and strangers transforming himself from a messenger of love to the message of love. But the book is stale and ponderous. It’s written for young adults, but It doesn’t have the carrying power of a Harry Potter or The Book Thief (also by Zuzak), one of my favorite books of all time. February 2008.