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Available
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Publication
HarperCollins e-books (2011), Edition: 1st, 449 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:"[Haigh is] an expertnatural storyteller with an acute sense of her characters' humanity." �NewYork Times "We have the intriguing possibility that the nextgreat American author is already in print." �Fort Worth Star-Telegram When Sheila McGann setsout to redeem her disgraced brother, a once-beloved Catholic priest in suburbanBoston, her quest will force her to confront cataclysmic truths about herfractured Irish-American family, her beliefs, and, ultimately, herself.Award-winning author Jennifer Haigh follows hercritically acclaimed novels Mrs. Kimbleand The Condition with a captivating,vividly rendered portrait of fraying family ties, and the trials of belief anddevotion, in Faith..
User reviews
LibraryThing member LiterateHousewife
I am a cradle Catholic. My parents were always active in our local parish. We even attended what we called Family Camp, a week long family retreat run by Fr. R, a Roman Catholic priest I loved to death. With all the typical boredom associated with having to go to Mass every week and not a small
Sheila McGann, the oldest child from her mother's second marriage, rarely returns home to Boston. Although she loves her brothers, Art Breen from her mother's first marriage, and Mike, her younger full-brother, she has escaped from the dysfunction of growing up in an alcoholic father and a devoutly Catholic mother. It is no secret to either Shelia or Mike that their mother favors her oldest son. Art was much older than both of them. He joined the seminary when they were little. On top of that, Sheila has long since left the church and is unmarried, much to her mother's disapproval. She is obligated to return to Boston when she discovers that her brother has been accused of sexually abusing a young boy who was in his care. Sheila, knowing her brother like she does, does not believe Art to be capable of such an atrocity. While one might think that this would bring mother and daughter closer together, it does not. Sheila's convictions also put her at odds with Mike. He questions Art's innocence so much that he attempts to investigate the case and learn for sure one way or the other. As the father of three sons, he can't stomach the idea of anyone abusing little children and living. Even the bonds that do exist in the McGann family are hobbled by the news.
This is my first Jennifer Haigh novel, so I didn't anymore know what to expect from her writing than I did from her approach to this subject matter. I was blown away by the beauty of her words. There was something so familiar about her turns of phrase and about the way she unraveled this story of abuse and family secrets. I simply couldn't resist reading with a pen in hand to mark especially meaningful passages. I'd like to share two of them with you:
In my fantasy we sit together in her quiet kitchen, just us two. I open my heart to her and lay it on the table between us. I am still child enough to wish it were possible, adult enough to know it isn't. We are too much ourselves, the people we have always been. (page 22)
Art's news was unspeakable, by him or by anyone. I didn't take this personally. If I felt excluded, injured and aggrieved, that bolus of emotion was at least familiar. It attends all my dealings with my family, and theirs with me. Every one of us limps from old wounds. In a perverse way, they entertain us. We poke each other's tender places with a stick. (page 82)
The sexual abuse scandals leave the Catholic Church vulnerable and most deserving of vicious attack. I was prepared for the worst. What I got was an insightful piece of literature that honestly reflects the complexities involved with the Church's deepest shame. It is written from Sheila's point of view as a confessional memoir. She gleans what she can from those directly involved and intuited that which couldn't be known from what was true to the character of those involved. She doesn't cut herself any more slack than she gives others. It simply is an incredible read.
This book has had a profound effect on me. It is more than just about the child sexual abuse scandals. It's about the ugliness of secrets. It's about overlooking that which does not fit your picture of your life. It's about regret and redemption. Faith leaves the reader with a deeper understanding of how it feels to be Catholic today. Reflecting on my reading, it was as if Jennifer Haigh knew my heart, has witnessed my personal struggles with faith. It allows me the opportunity to see myself and my Church from a less biased distance. Faith is timely today's world, but the artistry with which the story is told and written will keep this novel relevant and worthwhile for generations to come.
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amount of ever-present guilt, my faith life, that of my family and that of our family's friends was a stable, comforting and accepting place to grow up. It wasn't until I was an adult when the sexual abuse scandals hit home. I believe I was in college when Fr. R, a man who made faith tangible to me, was forced out of the priesthood because of sexual misconduct. This revelation devastated me. I loved him, but what he did sickened me. How to reconcile that? Then, not too many years ago, my Dad called me. I love him, but he never calls me with good news. He called to let me know that the priest who led me through Confirmation and got me involved in the Church in a more adult capacity had been defrocked because of sexual abuse that took place during his early priesthood. Again, how do you reconcile a man you loved with a man who harmed and terrorized other children? When you continue to love the man who did these things, you feel like a traitor to those who suffered. Turning your back on him makes you feel like a traitor to all of the good things he brought into your life. It's my experience that the Church's child sex abuse scandals hurts each and everyone of us. It is this personal experience that I brought to the table when I began reading Faith.Sheila McGann, the oldest child from her mother's second marriage, rarely returns home to Boston. Although she loves her brothers, Art Breen from her mother's first marriage, and Mike, her younger full-brother, she has escaped from the dysfunction of growing up in an alcoholic father and a devoutly Catholic mother. It is no secret to either Shelia or Mike that their mother favors her oldest son. Art was much older than both of them. He joined the seminary when they were little. On top of that, Sheila has long since left the church and is unmarried, much to her mother's disapproval. She is obligated to return to Boston when she discovers that her brother has been accused of sexually abusing a young boy who was in his care. Sheila, knowing her brother like she does, does not believe Art to be capable of such an atrocity. While one might think that this would bring mother and daughter closer together, it does not. Sheila's convictions also put her at odds with Mike. He questions Art's innocence so much that he attempts to investigate the case and learn for sure one way or the other. As the father of three sons, he can't stomach the idea of anyone abusing little children and living. Even the bonds that do exist in the McGann family are hobbled by the news.
This is my first Jennifer Haigh novel, so I didn't anymore know what to expect from her writing than I did from her approach to this subject matter. I was blown away by the beauty of her words. There was something so familiar about her turns of phrase and about the way she unraveled this story of abuse and family secrets. I simply couldn't resist reading with a pen in hand to mark especially meaningful passages. I'd like to share two of them with you:
In my fantasy we sit together in her quiet kitchen, just us two. I open my heart to her and lay it on the table between us. I am still child enough to wish it were possible, adult enough to know it isn't. We are too much ourselves, the people we have always been. (page 22)
Art's news was unspeakable, by him or by anyone. I didn't take this personally. If I felt excluded, injured and aggrieved, that bolus of emotion was at least familiar. It attends all my dealings with my family, and theirs with me. Every one of us limps from old wounds. In a perverse way, they entertain us. We poke each other's tender places with a stick. (page 82)
The sexual abuse scandals leave the Catholic Church vulnerable and most deserving of vicious attack. I was prepared for the worst. What I got was an insightful piece of literature that honestly reflects the complexities involved with the Church's deepest shame. It is written from Sheila's point of view as a confessional memoir. She gleans what she can from those directly involved and intuited that which couldn't be known from what was true to the character of those involved. She doesn't cut herself any more slack than she gives others. It simply is an incredible read.
This book has had a profound effect on me. It is more than just about the child sexual abuse scandals. It's about the ugliness of secrets. It's about overlooking that which does not fit your picture of your life. It's about regret and redemption. Faith leaves the reader with a deeper understanding of how it feels to be Catholic today. Reflecting on my reading, it was as if Jennifer Haigh knew my heart, has witnessed my personal struggles with faith. It allows me the opportunity to see myself and my Church from a less biased distance. Faith is timely today's world, but the artistry with which the story is told and written will keep this novel relevant and worthwhile for generations to come.
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LibraryThing member Maydacat
This novel speaks to faith on many levels – a priest’s faith in God, a sister’s faith in her brother, a mother’s faith to her religion, a public’s faith to the media. Father Arthur Breen has been accused of the worst thing a priest can be accused of doing and is relieved of his duties. In
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a nearly Christ-like imitation, he does nothing to clear his good name or even defend himself. His thoughts are still only for the accuser and her son, both of whom he loves. Author Jennifer Haigh does a masterful job of creating characters that are real in every sense of the word and of dealing with a highly explosive subject with a meaningful and caring touch. Show Less
LibraryThing member richard.thurman
I just turned the last page on an excellent book that I want you all to know about. The book is Faith by Jennifer Haigh. If you read a synopsis of the book, don't be put off by what is seemingly another novel about a child abuse scandal involving a priest. This book is much more than that. The
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story is narrated by Sheila McGann, a lapsed Catholic from a dysfunctionally blended family. But don't tell Sheila it's a blended family; she claims that it wasn't so much blended as two separate families grafted on to one another. Shelia is a fantastic narrator: compassionate, astute, and brutally honest about her own blind spots and biases. Her oldest brother, Art, is accused of using his trusted position of priest as an opportunity to molest a young boy. Sheila leads us through Art's (and her own) childhood, his mediocre career as a priest, and his disgrace. Along the way, she paints amazing character portraits of her other family members, and the young woman who is suing the Church for allowing her son to be molested. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it. (Can you tell?) Show Less
LibraryThing member whitreidtan
Faith is not an easy thing to define. It is unprovable and intangible and yet it very clearly exists. It can be rock solid or it can be rocked to its very foundations, as it was for many when the Catholic Church's suppression, deflection, and general sweeping under the carpet of accusations of
When Father Art Breen is accused of molesting a nine year old boy, his family reacts in differing ways. His mother is unable to believe it of him while his younger brother convicts him immediately. His sister Sheila wants to believe he's innocent and sets out to search for the truth. She is the primary narrator, clearly telling Art's story well after the fact. As she uncovers more and more about the accusation itself and Art's choice not to defend himself from the allegation, she shares the story of their family, in which Art was simultaneously his mother's revered eldest and the object of his stepfather's disdain and derision. Sheila also uncovers the checkered history of the troubled young mother, Kath, who has made the accusation against Father Art on behalf of her son. As her glimpses into a fuller picture coalesce, Sheila is assailed by doubt, wondering if the Art she knows and loves could possibly have done this monstrous thing.
Tightly written and evenly paced, this novel examines the many different angles every story contains. The adage that there are two sides to every story is true exponentially here. There is Art's story, as unknowable as it might be. There is Kath's story. There is the story Sheila is stitching together from various sources. And finally, there is the whole truth, unblemished and unattainable. Haigh has used the Catholic priest abuse scandal to raise questions about what we believe and why. This is not a religious book. Faith and religion are two different issues. But the struggles and wrestlings of faith are beautifully, sharply portrayed here.
Despite the factual inspiration of the novel and the way the accusation drives the plot, this is in actuality an intense family drama, an examination of the way in which the people who know Art best react to his possible guilt. As the story unfolds, glimpses of intrigue, of secrets as long kept as the Church's, threaten to spill into the open, changing the landscape of faith, just as the scandal in Boston did for so many of the Catholic faithful. Haigh has done a wonderful job portraying her characters as real and flawed. The reader, learning ever more, wavers, just as Sheila does, between having faith and doubt in Art's innocence. Tightly woven and engrossing, this is hard to put down, keeping the reader turning the pages until the very end, needing to know not only whether Art is guilty but also whether his family's faith, in the church and in each other, has survived this annus horribilus.
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priests molesting children came to light. Parishes were devastated, the victims were at the center of a firestorm, and the church found itself having to defend the indefensible. But were all of the accusations legitimate? Jennifer Haigh's newest novel, Faith looks at the damage wrought by such an accusation and at the deeper issues of sacrifice, goodness, family, and faith.When Father Art Breen is accused of molesting a nine year old boy, his family reacts in differing ways. His mother is unable to believe it of him while his younger brother convicts him immediately. His sister Sheila wants to believe he's innocent and sets out to search for the truth. She is the primary narrator, clearly telling Art's story well after the fact. As she uncovers more and more about the accusation itself and Art's choice not to defend himself from the allegation, she shares the story of their family, in which Art was simultaneously his mother's revered eldest and the object of his stepfather's disdain and derision. Sheila also uncovers the checkered history of the troubled young mother, Kath, who has made the accusation against Father Art on behalf of her son. As her glimpses into a fuller picture coalesce, Sheila is assailed by doubt, wondering if the Art she knows and loves could possibly have done this monstrous thing.
Tightly written and evenly paced, this novel examines the many different angles every story contains. The adage that there are two sides to every story is true exponentially here. There is Art's story, as unknowable as it might be. There is Kath's story. There is the story Sheila is stitching together from various sources. And finally, there is the whole truth, unblemished and unattainable. Haigh has used the Catholic priest abuse scandal to raise questions about what we believe and why. This is not a religious book. Faith and religion are two different issues. But the struggles and wrestlings of faith are beautifully, sharply portrayed here.
Despite the factual inspiration of the novel and the way the accusation drives the plot, this is in actuality an intense family drama, an examination of the way in which the people who know Art best react to his possible guilt. As the story unfolds, glimpses of intrigue, of secrets as long kept as the Church's, threaten to spill into the open, changing the landscape of faith, just as the scandal in Boston did for so many of the Catholic faithful. Haigh has done a wonderful job portraying her characters as real and flawed. The reader, learning ever more, wavers, just as Sheila does, between having faith and doubt in Art's innocence. Tightly woven and engrossing, this is hard to put down, keeping the reader turning the pages until the very end, needing to know not only whether Art is guilty but also whether his family's faith, in the church and in each other, has survived this annus horribilus.
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
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
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.
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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:
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.
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LibraryThing member libsue
Haigh has written a fair portrayal of a scandal that rocked the Catholic Church in Boston. Questions of abuse and the effects that they have on the individuals involved, entire familes and communities are covered here.
LibraryThing member jovilla
A priest in Boston is accused of molesting a little boy. This accusation affects all his family members plus many in the community. This book is well written and very believable. It is very thought provoking to consider all the consequences of an accusation.
LibraryThing member michaelbartley
I liked this novel, it was a fast read, well written the characters were real, the story was believable.
LibraryThing member SalemAthenaeum
In the spring of 2002, the archdiocese of Boston has been hit with a scandal of monumental proportions. Priests across the city are being charged with betraying the souls in their care. Sheila McGann is the sister of one of these priests, the popular Art, pastor of a large suburban parish. Having
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been long estranged from her family due to their difficult and demanding nature, Sheila returns to support her brother and help to clear his name. She quickly learns that things are not as straightforward as she thought, as her younger brother has already convicted Art of his accused crime and Art refuses to defend himself. In a desperate search for the truth, Sheila finds her faith shattered, but surprisingly put back together again. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beamis12
When I first started reading this book I thought one would have to be Catholic to identify with this story but that was because the author did such a fantastic job with the tone and the setting. I could just picture my old neighborhood and Catholic school in Chicago, really felt like I was there
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again. When you read fourther, however, you realize there is so much more to this book and the problems it outlines could pertain to so many other things, anyone who reads the papers will find this relevant. How quick we are to judge without considering a person can be innocent but their lives are ruined nontheless and not just theirs but family and friends alike. This is probably one of the best novels I have read in a long time. Show Less
LibraryThing member pinkcrayon99
I had the opportunity to choose books from the Harper Collins ARC Spring line up and Faith was the first one that caught my eye. Besides the title the family portraits on the cover sealed the deal for me before I had any clue of what this book was about. I assumed is was about religion and family.
Mary Breen has a failed marriage and a baby son and neither "fit" into her strict Catholic beliefs. Mary finds love and eventually marries Ted McGann who readily accepts her son Arthur "Art" and they have two children of their own Sheila and Michael. The story is narrated by Sheila who has purposely distanced herself from the McGann clan. She gives us the details of the events that took place in the Boston Archdiocese during early 2002. Father Arthur Breen, her brother, is accused of molesting a young boy he has befriended. His maid's grandson. The already dysfunctional family is shattered and the pieces are landing everywhere.
Art was groomed for the priesthood at an early age. He seemed to just ease into it. Mary cherished the fact that she got it right with Art despite the obstacles she faced to get him there. He was her pride and joy. Art's humility was infectious. This humility also made it hard to determine his guilt or innocence. Art didn't have much of and outlet for his problems and inner demons because he was carrying all those of other people. It has to be hard to carry the weight of other peoples sin on you. The Roman Catholic collar either masked his emotions to the public or they only saw him as a dumping station for their own. When Michael discovers Art's charges his love is challenged and uncertainty revealed. Abby, Michael's wife, has never really made an effort to be apart of the McGann clan and she resents them even more when Art's scandal is made public. Abby's feelings and his brother's scandal sets Michael on an emotional roller coaster. Kath Conlon, the accuser, may be the saddest character of this entire novel. She is used, abused and tossed to and fro. She has never really learned how to cope with life other than with sex, alcohol, and drugs. When the story ends she is one of those characters that lingers. Even though we see the headlines"priest molest young child" and sometimes are quick to judge we don't know the inner lives of the victim or the accused. Haigh makes you realize just when you think choosing a side is easy, considering the charges, she throws in another twist that makes you re-evaluate your choice.
Sheila unravels the story layer by layer starting when Harry Breen, Art's biological father, walked out on Mary. Sheila finds grace and redemption while gathering Art's story. Art's dilemma and tragedy ultimately and unconsciously brings her back to her faith.
This story is laden with secrets that will literally make you gasp. There were times that I was so drawn into this book that if my phone rang or if I was distracted by the call of my name I jumped. The writing was simply brilliant. When I began reading this book I had to double check to make sure it was fiction because it read like non-fiction. It is my favorite of 2011 so far.
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I'm a woman of "faith" so I was excited to see what this book was all about.Mary Breen has a failed marriage and a baby son and neither "fit" into her strict Catholic beliefs. Mary finds love and eventually marries Ted McGann who readily accepts her son Arthur "Art" and they have two children of their own Sheila and Michael. The story is narrated by Sheila who has purposely distanced herself from the McGann clan. She gives us the details of the events that took place in the Boston Archdiocese during early 2002. Father Arthur Breen, her brother, is accused of molesting a young boy he has befriended. His maid's grandson. The already dysfunctional family is shattered and the pieces are landing everywhere.
Art was groomed for the priesthood at an early age. He seemed to just ease into it. Mary cherished the fact that she got it right with Art despite the obstacles she faced to get him there. He was her pride and joy. Art's humility was infectious. This humility also made it hard to determine his guilt or innocence. Art didn't have much of and outlet for his problems and inner demons because he was carrying all those of other people. It has to be hard to carry the weight of other peoples sin on you. The Roman Catholic collar either masked his emotions to the public or they only saw him as a dumping station for their own. When Michael discovers Art's charges his love is challenged and uncertainty revealed. Abby, Michael's wife, has never really made an effort to be apart of the McGann clan and she resents them even more when Art's scandal is made public. Abby's feelings and his brother's scandal sets Michael on an emotional roller coaster. Kath Conlon, the accuser, may be the saddest character of this entire novel. She is used, abused and tossed to and fro. She has never really learned how to cope with life other than with sex, alcohol, and drugs. When the story ends she is one of those characters that lingers. Even though we see the headlines"priest molest young child" and sometimes are quick to judge we don't know the inner lives of the victim or the accused. Haigh makes you realize just when you think choosing a side is easy, considering the charges, she throws in another twist that makes you re-evaluate your choice.
Sheila unravels the story layer by layer starting when Harry Breen, Art's biological father, walked out on Mary. Sheila finds grace and redemption while gathering Art's story. Art's dilemma and tragedy ultimately and unconsciously brings her back to her faith.
This story is laden with secrets that will literally make you gasp. There were times that I was so drawn into this book that if my phone rang or if I was distracted by the call of my name I jumped. The writing was simply brilliant. When I began reading this book I had to double check to make sure it was fiction because it read like non-fiction. It is my favorite of 2011 so far.
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LibraryThing member pdebolt
Surely there is no criminal more universally hated than a pedophile unless it's a pedophile who is also a priest. In this novel, Jennifer Haigh explores the ramifications of faith in the contexts of both religion and family. The title is stunningly appropriate as the story unfolds in
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heart-wrenching detail when an already dysfunctional family reveals closely-held secrets. I have been a fan of Jennifer Haigh's writing since I read her debut novel. She has continued to hone her talent in thought-provoking prose that is both topical and universal. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookappeal
"Here is his story as far as I know it, what Art told me at the time and what I found out later, and what I still can't verify but know in my heart to be true." So begins Sheila McGann's account of Spring 2002, when her half-brother, Art, a Catholic priest in Boston, is accused by a young mother of
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molesting her 9-year-old son. Sheila pieces together her knowledge of Art with what she learns after his accusation, including the actions of their brother, Mike, who can't believe in Art's innocence without proof, and the checkered history of Art's accuser. Though Haigh incorporates a little more Latin and Catholic tradition than may be comfortable for some readers, she uses Sheila's questionable point of view to slowly tease out the details of a story shrouded in secrets. Page-turning domestic drama at its best. Show Less
LibraryThing member Thanny
A catholic priest art green in Boston in early 2000 is accused of child molestation. He is forced to immediately leave his Parrish and his home there , he can't know who has accused him. The scandal is so great in cath church that they go overboard in their treatment of him. His family doesn't
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support him.recommits suicide.6 Show Less
LibraryThing member TerriBooks
I was riveted by this novel exploring the issue of abuse of children by priests. The accused priest is seen from the perspective of his family. Could he have done it? Did he do it? Why would he have? I thought it was even-handed, not demonizing the Church nor priests. It gives an insight into the
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complexity of the question, and into human nature. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookchickdi
Haigh sets her story in Boston in 2004, shortly after scandal began to rock the Catholic diocese. Many priests had been accused of sexually abusing young people, and the large Catholic community was devastated.
Sheila McGann tells the story of her half-brother, Art Breen, a priest accused by an
Art's mother, a devout Catholic, believes her son could never do what he is accused of. Sheila's brother Mike, a former cop and father of three young boys, is disgusted, believing that no eight-year-old boy could lie about being molested. Sheila supports Art, but has her doubts.
The title of the book, Faith, is brilliant, for this is a book not about religious faith, but more about faith in your family. Sheila says to Mike,
"Sorry, Mike, but sooner or later you have to decide what you believe." It was a thing I'd always known but until recently had forgotten: that faith is a decision. In its most basic form, it is a choice.
I love those lines, because faith really is an active thing. You can grow up attending mass every week, participating in the sacraments, but to really have faith, you have to choose to believe in something.
Family is at the heart of this novel, and Sheila's family has its troubles, like most. She says:
We are a family of secrets. Without knowing quite how I knew it, I understood what might be said, and what must be quiet. If from the outside the rules appeared arbitrary, from the inside they were perfectly clear.
I suspect that Sheila's family is not as unlike other families as she believes. I think many people reading this book will relate to the McGann/Breen family.
What I like about Haigh's books is that the characters are so real, you think that you actually know them. Father Art is the most well drawn. He is a lonely man, even as a youth; perhaps being a stepson and stepbrother added to that sense of being different.
As a priest, Art cannot marry or have a family of his own, and this isolation hurts him. His loneliness is palpable, and when he meets the young boy and his drug-addicted mother, he feels a sense of family and belonging.
The least well drawn character is Art's mother. Sheila and Mike do not like their mother, they make many cutting comments about her, but I was never clear exactly what she had done to warrant this dislike. She seems to be very distant from her children, and perhaps the author made her character less clear to her children to emphasize that distance.
Faith is an emotional ride, and it affected me deeply. Days later, I find myself still thinking about Father Art, my heart aching for him. The writing is superb, the characters are so real. It is simply the best book I have read this year. It ranks up with Emma Donoghue's amazing Room in the emotions that I felt when I read it.
I grew up in a Catholic family, and that part of the story resonates with me, but you do not have to be Catholic to appreciate the richness of this story. If you have siblings, you will understand the feelings here.
Sheila McGann tells the story of her half-brother, Art Breen, a priest accused by an
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eight-year-old boy's mother of molesting her son. There is an element of mystery to the novel as Sheila attempts to discover whether the charges are true.Art's mother, a devout Catholic, believes her son could never do what he is accused of. Sheila's brother Mike, a former cop and father of three young boys, is disgusted, believing that no eight-year-old boy could lie about being molested. Sheila supports Art, but has her doubts.
The title of the book, Faith, is brilliant, for this is a book not about religious faith, but more about faith in your family. Sheila says to Mike,
"Sorry, Mike, but sooner or later you have to decide what you believe." It was a thing I'd always known but until recently had forgotten: that faith is a decision. In its most basic form, it is a choice.
I love those lines, because faith really is an active thing. You can grow up attending mass every week, participating in the sacraments, but to really have faith, you have to choose to believe in something.
Family is at the heart of this novel, and Sheila's family has its troubles, like most. She says:
We are a family of secrets. Without knowing quite how I knew it, I understood what might be said, and what must be quiet. If from the outside the rules appeared arbitrary, from the inside they were perfectly clear.
I suspect that Sheila's family is not as unlike other families as she believes. I think many people reading this book will relate to the McGann/Breen family.
What I like about Haigh's books is that the characters are so real, you think that you actually know them. Father Art is the most well drawn. He is a lonely man, even as a youth; perhaps being a stepson and stepbrother added to that sense of being different.
As a priest, Art cannot marry or have a family of his own, and this isolation hurts him. His loneliness is palpable, and when he meets the young boy and his drug-addicted mother, he feels a sense of family and belonging.
The least well drawn character is Art's mother. Sheila and Mike do not like their mother, they make many cutting comments about her, but I was never clear exactly what she had done to warrant this dislike. She seems to be very distant from her children, and perhaps the author made her character less clear to her children to emphasize that distance.
Faith is an emotional ride, and it affected me deeply. Days later, I find myself still thinking about Father Art, my heart aching for him. The writing is superb, the characters are so real. It is simply the best book I have read this year. It ranks up with Emma Donoghue's amazing Room in the emotions that I felt when I read it.
I grew up in a Catholic family, and that part of the story resonates with me, but you do not have to be Catholic to appreciate the richness of this story. If you have siblings, you will understand the feelings here.
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LibraryThing member Carolee888
Words cannot express how powerful this book is. I am amazed at Jennifer's Haigh's skill at building complex characters and evoking emotions in her writing.
I have read that everyone who is Catholic should read this book but I am not Catholic. Rather, my grandmother had Irish origins and was
I can remenber my mother's reluctuance for us to go to grandmother's house because of her inclination to break loose in a rousing untamed Irish song.
This book makes a person think about several issues that the Catholic Church still faces today. It also brings up the religious concept of faith and also the question of faith in family members. If told that your brother or sister did something horrible beyond belief would you still have faith in him or her? Or would you let doubts creep in? Or believe what others say or your sibling?
'Faith' also brings into light the incredible depth of complexity in family life and history. Too often families are portrayed too simply in literature. Jennifer Haigh shows that people are the sum of so many experiences and interactions with others, internal thoughts and even more.
In 2002, the Archdiocese of Boston was embroiled in a shocking sexual scandal and later found to be involved in a coverup. Jennifer Haight thought about the family when she wrote this book. What would happen to the family of the accused when the news got out?
Sheila McGann is the narrator, the questionner, and the investigator in this story. As a loving and admiring sister, she had to know Did her half-brother, Father Arthur Breen really do what he was accused of? While trying to find out she laid bare her family's deepest secrets.
I felt myself squirming through the first third of this book because the family secrets that she knew and those she uncovered were so personal, painful and heartbreaking that I felt like an intruder. I had to remind myself that this is fiction because all the characters were so real to me.
Jennifer Haigh begins the story with the background of Sheila's broken family. Arthur was the only child of Harry and Mary Breen. Harry Breen used to come home right after work but then he started to stay out late after playing cards. One night, when Arthur was still a baby, he just didn't come home. That marriage was annulled and the second one lasted but only because Mary and the kids learned how to survive on and off temper displays and excessive drinking. From that second marriage, Sheila and her younger brother Mike were born.
Jennifer Haigh explores the dynamics of this family and
how the older brother Arthur's experiences growing up was so different than Sheila and Mike's. The story of her family becomes more emotionally charged and riveting as you read on. Each family member had a different opinion as to whether Arthur was guilty. The suspense was very riveting. As more and more secrets are revealed you may have feeling for the truth but you will also be surprised. I had trouble laying the book down. In fact, I went to sleep and got up at four in the morning to finish the book.The family details are so vivid intimate and realistic that you can do nothing but feel the pain and grief of the family.
You must read this book!
I received this book for the purpose of review for Booking with Bingo but my thoughts about this book are completely my own.
I have read that everyone who is Catholic should read this book but I am not Catholic. Rather, my grandmother had Irish origins and was
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Catholic also.I can remenber my mother's reluctuance for us to go to grandmother's house because of her inclination to break loose in a rousing untamed Irish song.
This book makes a person think about several issues that the Catholic Church still faces today. It also brings up the religious concept of faith and also the question of faith in family members. If told that your brother or sister did something horrible beyond belief would you still have faith in him or her? Or would you let doubts creep in? Or believe what others say or your sibling?
'Faith' also brings into light the incredible depth of complexity in family life and history. Too often families are portrayed too simply in literature. Jennifer Haigh shows that people are the sum of so many experiences and interactions with others, internal thoughts and even more.
In 2002, the Archdiocese of Boston was embroiled in a shocking sexual scandal and later found to be involved in a coverup. Jennifer Haight thought about the family when she wrote this book. What would happen to the family of the accused when the news got out?
Sheila McGann is the narrator, the questionner, and the investigator in this story. As a loving and admiring sister, she had to know Did her half-brother, Father Arthur Breen really do what he was accused of? While trying to find out she laid bare her family's deepest secrets.
I felt myself squirming through the first third of this book because the family secrets that she knew and those she uncovered were so personal, painful and heartbreaking that I felt like an intruder. I had to remind myself that this is fiction because all the characters were so real to me.
Jennifer Haigh begins the story with the background of Sheila's broken family. Arthur was the only child of Harry and Mary Breen. Harry Breen used to come home right after work but then he started to stay out late after playing cards. One night, when Arthur was still a baby, he just didn't come home. That marriage was annulled and the second one lasted but only because Mary and the kids learned how to survive on and off temper displays and excessive drinking. From that second marriage, Sheila and her younger brother Mike were born.
Jennifer Haigh explores the dynamics of this family and
how the older brother Arthur's experiences growing up was so different than Sheila and Mike's. The story of her family becomes more emotionally charged and riveting as you read on. Each family member had a different opinion as to whether Arthur was guilty. The suspense was very riveting. As more and more secrets are revealed you may have feeling for the truth but you will also be surprised. I had trouble laying the book down. In fact, I went to sleep and got up at four in the morning to finish the book.The family details are so vivid intimate and realistic that you can do nothing but feel the pain and grief of the family.
You must read this book!
I received this book for the purpose of review for Booking with Bingo but my thoughts about this book are completely my own.
Show Less
LibraryThing member krbrancolini
In "Faith" Jennifer Haigh asks us to consider the possibility that an accused pedophile priest might be innocent. In this book that priest is Father Art, older brother of high school teacher Sheila McGann. Older half-brother that is. Haigh writes wonderful prose, creating believable situations and
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recognizable characters. Fr. Art broke my heart; guilty or innocent -- and I believed him to be innocent throughout the book -- he demonstrates selflessness, putting the welfare of someone he loves above his own. Sheila is a wonderful narrator; I didn't warm up to her right away, but it's clear that she is trying to do the right thing by her brother. "Faith" is full of complicated familial relationships -- Kath Conlon (who accuses Fr. Art on behalf of her son Aidan) and her mother Fran (Fr. Art's long-time housekeeper); Mike (Sheila and Art's younger brother) and his siblings. Haigh portrays these relationships with insight and sensitivity. The scene of the extended family coming together for First Holy Communion resonated with me; the way the various family members gravitate to different rooms of the house and to one another. It's difficult to articulate why this book is so satisfying. It is sad and difficult to read; I was crying by the end. I anticipated some of the secrets but not others. While reading "Faith" I kept thinking about Fr. Greg Boyle's book "Tattoos on the Heart" about his work with former gang members in Los Angeles. Fr. Greg teaches: Don't jump to conclusions. Give people a chance to change. Stand in community with them. "Faith" is filled with the guilty, but there's never any doubt that Fr. Art forgave. Show Less
LibraryThing member DowntownLibrarian
A sensitive and involving novel on a difficult subject: an accusation of child molestation.
Very well written and thoughtful.
Very well written and thoughtful.
LibraryThing member ken1952
Jennifer Haigh looks at the priest scandal in this absorbing novel. Set in Boston where the abuses first came to light, Haigh tells the story through a sister of one of the accused priests. Love, loneliness, doubt and faith are all explored in this fascinating book that should work well for reading
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LibraryThing member julie10reads
A sensitive topic--a priest is accused of sexually molesting a young boy--on so many levels. Jennifer Haigh is brave to attempt a defense--in essence "hurt people hurt people"--that invites the reader to view the priests as former victims themselves. Father Arthur Breen, the accused, typifies the
The time frame of 2004 was confusing for me: the 3 main characters had childhood memories that would be appropriate for someone in their mid-sixties.particularly with respect to the customs of the Catholic church yet Mike, the real estate agent/brother seems to be in his late 30s.
Faith doesn't show us anything we don't already know. Faith asks us to imagine the personal story of one priest caught in the maelstrom of a worldwide scandal.
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easy mark: quiet, obedient, misunderstood, physically and emotionally timid, different from his peers and even siblings. Haigh traces Arthur's stunted development to his father's disappearance when Arthur was an infant. Mother is persuaded to have the marriage annulled and later remarries, a loud, irascible alcoholic with whom she bears 2 more children. It's a classic Irish Catholic family heavy with things not to be mentioned, never mind discussed (such as Mother's first marriage). Arthur puts one in mind of a good Catholic girl who negotiates family and Church rules with a high degree of observance, not without incurring huge personal deficits. Is it sad? Is it understandable? Yes. Does it excuse the rampant sexual abuse throughout the Catholic Church? No. Without losing focus on Arthur's story, Haigh insinuates with a few telling descriptive lines where the blame lies: on those who knew and allowed it to continue--pastors,bishops, cardinals.The time frame of 2004 was confusing for me: the 3 main characters had childhood memories that would be appropriate for someone in their mid-sixties.particularly with respect to the customs of the Catholic church yet Mike, the real estate agent/brother seems to be in his late 30s.
Faith doesn't show us anything we don't already know. Faith asks us to imagine the personal story of one priest caught in the maelstrom of a worldwide scandal.
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LibraryThing member njmom3
I abandoned this book about half way through. This review is about the reason why.
The book deals with the scandal of abuse that recently surrounded the Catholic church. The narrator is not a priest affected, not a victim but the sister of a priest accused of molesting a child. That voice
Unfortunately, I had to walk away from the book.
The book deals with the scandal of abuse that recently surrounded the Catholic church. The narrator is not a priest affected, not a victim but the sister of a priest accused of molesting a child. That voice
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unfortunately made the book seem very detached and removed. I felt that telling the story using that voice made the story seem far away. The narrator became the main character which for me shifted the focus away from what the story was about.Unfortunately, I had to walk away from the book.
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LibraryThing member burnit99
I was moved by the author's emotionally powerful "The Condition" to look for her other books. So far that book remains my favorite, but this one runs a close second. Sheila McGann has been estranged from her relatives for years, save for her older brother Art, a Boston priest who has been accused
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of child molestation. Sheila returns to Boston to help him, finding that some family members deny there is a problem, and others, particularly her younger brother, have decided on his guilt. Art himself does not defend himself against the charges, nor admit to them. Eventually Sheila's persistence uncovers a complex truth, and she (and the reader) learns some home truths about faith, guilt and forgiveness. This is an author who bears watching. Show Less
LibraryThing member dgmlrhodes
This book was a surprise to me. I picked it up because I really like Jennifer Haigh's writing and I did not read the description of what it was about. Thus, I was surprised that it had content around pedophilia and the scandals in the Catholic Church that were big in the news a number of years
Faith is about more than just religion. It is about faith in self, faith in loved ones, and faith in others. It is also about the loss of faith and regaining finding it again.
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back. Once I figured out what it was about, I was prepared to hate it - but it drew me in and I found it to be a surprisingly interesting and sensitive book on the topic. It raised many important issues and the multiple facets of the topic. Faith is about more than just religion. It is about faith in self, faith in loved ones, and faith in others. It is also about the loss of faith and regaining finding it again.
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LibraryThing member jlundgren2011
The author does a good job of taking a difficult subject and making it humane. The story is told through the sister of a priest accused of molesting a child. It is a very interesting read, the characters are well developed and the reader is curious to find out the truth of what really happened. If
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the reader is willing to take some risks with such an emotional topic, they will find some human truths, delve into family dynamics and responses to crisis and sibling relationships. Show Less
Awards
Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction (Longlist — Fiction — 2012)
Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (Fiction — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2011-05-10