Broken Water by Nick Perry - #bookreview

 

Here I am, submerged in uncertainty.

As a recent university graduate, Declan Murphy is looking for a fulfilling start to his career...

***

The Blurb

Growing up during the New Atheist movement, Declan Murphy never quite believed in the existence of a higher power. But when life throws him a series of challenges, his lack of an axis mundi has him latching on to the one vision that feels right: becoming a Catholic priest.

This emotional and thought-provoking story follows Declan as he navigates the conflicts between his personal beliefs and his family’s expectations.

Will he be able to reconcile this contradiction? And at what cost?

As Declan delves deeper into his journey, he will discover truths that will test his faith and his relationships. Will his quest to become a priest ultimately bring him closer to or farther from the truth?

And what of the biggest question of all? Why would an atheist ever want to become a priest?

My Review

This was such an interesting book to read.

The main character in this book, Declan is trying to ascertain exactly what he should do with his life. He has completed his degree and is undecided as to which direction life should now take him. I think many graduates will be able to identify with Declan, as will any of us who have ever been unsure of which way our lives are going.

I thought he was a fascinating character. This novel is extremely character focused, and therefore we are able to follow Declan's contemplation's fully. The author totally inhabits his character, and this elevated the novel significantly.

This is a very considered novel with each sentence being thought through thoroughly. It moves at a slow pace as all of Declan's thoughts and feelings are poured onto the page. To a degree, the reader is able to walk alongside him and experience his life and thoughts with him.

There are other characters in the book too. Declan's family and their priest added a great deal to the story. In fact, so did the other characters. His parents reaction when Declan claims in his teenage years that he thinks he is an Atheist was how I could imagine any Catholic parents might react. In addition, their reaction, particularly his father, when he later declares that he wants to become a priest was fascinating to read.

I enjoyed reading this very much. It is much slower than my usual reading fare but the pacing was totally appropriate for the book and worked well. This is a book to read and absorb. It is not to be rushed through, and this made for an enjoyable reading experience. I really liked Declan's character, and I felt the author has done a great job with this book. I highly recommend it.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1990336836

Publisher:  Chicken House Press

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  347 (paperback)

Purchase Details

Chicken House Press

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Waterstones

Blackwell's - free delivery within the UK

About the Author

Nick Perry is a classic combination of schoolteacher and writer from Port Moody, B.C. His work has appeared in publications from Canada to Iceland and the first excerpt of Breaking Water was published in Blank Spaces Magazine. He lives his life as if he's already on television.

You can also find Nick at:

Instagram

(book and media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

The Stories We Cannot Tell by Leslie A. Rasmussen - #BookReview

 

It had been an exceptionally warm February in Los Angeles, but for the last four hours, rain had been drumming on the windows of Rachel's classroom, leaving her no choice but to keep her kindergarten students inside for both recess and lunch. The caged-in five year olds were bouncing off the walls like tennis balls from a high-speed launcher someone forgot to turn off.

Rachel worked in an upscale private school, the kind of place where kids would bring sushi in for lunch instead of a turkey sandwich. She loved her students, except when they forgot to take their lunchbox home on Fridays.

***

There can come a point in life where you'll always remember what came before and what came after.

Rachel is a thirty-year-old married Jewish woman who's wanted a baby for a long time. Katie's a thirty-two-year-old single, catholic woman who has been trying to find a man who'll stick around. We follow the women individually as they find themselves pregnant-Rachel happily, Katie, not. As they enter their second trimester, they're shocked to hear that there's something very wrong with the babies they're carrying. Rachel and Katie meet in a support group and bond as they help each other through not only the excruciating decision they need to make but through the issues that come with making that decision. The Stories We Cannot Tell explores friendship, loss, love, hope, and family.

***

I like books about strong women, and this book offers us two main characters, Rachel and Katie, who fit the bill perfectly.

Rachel and Katie are two very different women who find themselves in a similar situation. Katie is Catholic and Rachel is Jewish and it was interesting to read of the impact that their different religious backgrounds have on the very difficult decisions that they both face. I liked the way the book alternates between the two characters and allows the reader the opportunity to appreciate the dual perspective of their lives.

It is a well written book which deals with the difficult topic of pregnancy that can go wrong, infertility and loss. The author deals with these subjects with enormous sensitivity. Speaking as a woman who has faced loss during pregnancy, at no point did I find the book traumatic. Instead, Ms. Rasmussen uses her pen to convey compassion at the difficult choices women sometimes have to make.

I enjoyed the developing friendship between the two characters and how it served to illustrate the support that women sometimes need from each other. The author developed her characters extremely well and I felt as though I personally knew them both by the end of the book as they were so easy to engage with.

It is a thought provoking and heart-felt book which moved me greatly. It encourages readers to think how they might react in a similar situation, and although the subject manner is an uncomfortable one, it is ultimately a book about hope, resilience and strength.

I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading more from this author.

ISBN:  978 1956851601

Publisher:  TouchPoint Press

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  326 (paperback)

About the Author:

Leslie A. Rasmussen is the award-winning author of the novel, After Happily Ever After. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA. She went on to write television comedies for Gerald McRaney, Burt Reynolds, Roseanne Barr, Norm McDonald, Drew Carey, as well as The Wild Thornberrys and Sweet Valley High. After leaving the business to raise her boys, she obtained a master’s degree in nutrition and ran her own business for ten years. Recently, she’s written over twenty essays for Huffington Post, and Maria Shriver, and spoken on panels discussing empowering women in midlife and other women's issues. 

Leslie is a member of The Writers Guild of America, as well as Women In Film and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. In her free time, Leslie loves to read, exercise, and hang out with friends. She lives in Los Angeles and is married and has two sons.

(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(all author info courtesy of the author's website https://www.lesliearasmussen.com/about)

(all opinions are my own.)