Has anyone read this book? I grabbed the sample from iBooks and read the 215 pages in that. The introduction to a character named Ian I kind of skimmed over. Up until a few moments ago I didn’t know what the book was about. I only knew a friend of my liked this author, I’d never read anything by her, I liked the title and the cover image (I know right, great way to pick a book.)
Just wondering if anyone here has read it and if they’ve any thoughts on it before I go ahead and purchase the book in my iBooks library.
I had to take Ms. Picoult to task over the statement in her book, “Change of Heart”, that a priest could break the seal of confession “in certain circumstances”. She alleged that she had been told by some priests that it was allowed (which it is NOT, in ANY circumstance.) Since then, I haven’t been particularly impressed by her (especially since “Change of Heart” is a complete rip-off of “The Green Mile”.)
I know this doesn’t address the book you referred to, but I thought you might be interested.
Most of the Jodi Picoult books I’ve read have been OK up to the end, wherein she gives her readers the emotional equivalent of a wedgie. I haven’t read Keeping the Faith so I can’t comment on it specifically, but my advice to you is to read up to the next-to-last chapter, then imagine how you think the story should end. Chances are that whatever you come up with will be better than what Picoult actually wrote.
I could have written the above myself because I agree. I’ve read two or three Picoult novels. They were quick, easy reads and okay until the end. Then, I couldn’t believe the ending and was very frustrated that I read the book. Also, I did not like the way Picoult handled Catholicism in any of her books that I read and I found what she wrote offensive in that area. Bluerose above pointed out one instance, but it seems to be a theme with her in other books too, at least the two or three that I read. I won’t read any more of her books for those reasons.
I was curious about that too. How confusing is the book if one can read 215 pages and not know what it is about yet? And, how long is the book if 215 pages is a sample read? Sounds like a heavy read, but I didn’t know Picoult wrote in that style.
I think the 215 must be a typo. Maybe it should be 25, Mom2em?
Hmm… I’ll double check the sample to see if maybe I’m mistaken. It starts pretty… Innocently. A woman -and her daughter visiting the grandmother before ballet. Daughter forgot her leotard so they return home for it to find her husband who she thought was still away on business. Momentarily happy reunion til the other lady in the washroom comes out. Husband leaves, wife falls apart and daughter goes mute. Then there’s a little back story about the husband having done this before an the wife breaking apart and trying to kill herself. He commits her to an institution. She finds she’s pregnant, she never really attached to her daughter. Didn’t think she knew anything about motherhood. Her daughter gets into an accident and she ends up asking something like “please let me keep her.” an then it gets into the religion part.
The next chapter of the preview introduces a famous atheist character who wants to go to Lourdes and “prove the statue is not crying that it’s really just condensation.” his chapter is basically just filler to introduced you to him and his … Intentions(?) I guess.
After I read the preview I goggles up the book. Appearently the daughter ends up telling her mother she talks to God. A female figure called a guard.
I found the Lourdes comment offensive, though not something I haven’t heard before. I guess I was just curious to know if the rest of the book would be like that or limited to the athiest character.
I read reviews and the blurb she has on her website. I might just skip the book hehe just looking for something not too involved to read . Up until the Ian character and that I found it an easy read.
But certainly checking why the sample was 215. Maybe I had my type in the reader small?
Hehe still new to this app reading stuff but it seems the number of pages is related to the font size. On the smallest I could put it, it was still 100 pages.
It seems to be broken up into “books.” the sample includes the prologue, and the two first chapter of book one.
The book wasn’t so much confusing that I couldn’t tell what it was about. While reading I saw a woman whose husband cheated on her who she had a daughter with, named Faith. I kind of thought maybe religion might play a part in it but I never guessed how or that it might be the way it is. So I guessed I was a little surprised when I read about it on google.
I haven’t read that particular book, but I went through a Picoult stage, but eventually found that most of her stories were way too contrived to be believable, and her endings often way too convenient. I also lost all respect for her after she confessed in an interview that the ending to one of her stories,The Pact, was not what would have happened in “real life”, but she couldn’t bear not to give the character a happy ending. Even though she had set up the story so that the non-happy ending would have been perfectly believable, and more honest.
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