Faith

By: Jennifer Haigh

Narrated by: Therese Plummer

It is the spring of 2002, and a perfect storm has hit Boston. Across the city's archdiocese, trusted priests have been accused of the worst possible betrayal of the souls in their care. In Faith, Jennifer Haigh explores the fallout for one devout family, the McGanns.

Estranged for years from her difficult and demanding relatives, Sheila McGann has remained close to her older brother, Art, the popular, dynamic pastor of a large suburban parish. When Art finds himself at the center of the maelstrom, Sheila returns to Boston, ready to fight for him and his reputation. What she discovers is more complicated than she imagined. Her strict, lace-curtain-Irish mother is living in a state of angry denial. Sheila's younger brother, Mike, to her horror, has already convicted his brother in his heart. But most disturbing of all is Art himself, who persistently dodges Sheila's questions and refuses to defend himself.

As the scandal forces long-buried secrets to surface, Faith explores the corrosive consequences of one family's history of silence - and the resilience its members ultimately find in forgiveness. Throughout, Haigh demonstrates how the truth can shatter our deepest beliefs - and restore them.

A gripping, suspenseful tale of one woman's quest for the truth, Faith is a haunting meditation on loyalty and family, doubt and belief. Elegantly crafted, sharply observed, this is Jennifer Haigh's most ambitious novel to date.

©2011 Jennifer Haigh (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Boston pedophia scandal handled compassionately

Any additional comments?

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 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:

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.

Stick with it

It took me a while to get into this, and not being a Catholic meant I didn’t really grasp the depth of the families’ problems. I was a bit confused at times as to whether it was meant to be read from the viewpoint of the sister, or objectively, because at one point the author writes in the first person.
I nearly gave up, but somehow the novel and the family grew on me and I was disappointed when I cam to the last page. Worth a read.

Dificult subject

This is a very horrible subject. I never would have read this book if it weren't for book club. However I did find it an engrossing story. The reader is fabulous! The book puts a new perspective on a despicable subject. It teaches me once again there are always more than one way to look at anything.

layered and finely nuancedHaig gets better and bet

Would you consider the audio edition of Faith to be better than the print version?

The characters come alive in the narration

What was one of the most memorable moments of Faith?

When the priest whispers "help me" to the young drug addicted mother he has been helping

What about Therese Plummer’s performance did you like?

In this case less is really more - there was just enough of the irish brogue in her voice to envoke a lingering irishness in the characters, and she does not fall into the trap of trying to assume a "male" voice for male characters

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were several - one would be hard to single out

Any additional comments?

I have now read all four titles in the Audible catalogue by Jennifer Haig, and greatly enjoyed all of them, but the last two have been the best

Exceptionally well written

I'm a great fan of 1st person point of view fiction. This story was exceptional.

A thoughtful and contemporary view of our times.

Would you listen to Faith again? Why?

Yes. A review of a good man's dilemma today.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Faith?

Apparent loss of family support

What about Therese Plummer’s performance did you like?

Competent

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did not bur I could have

Any additional comments?

It is a story of a much wider problem than that of one man.

Stick with it, especially if you've been Catholic

At first I thought this was a trite story about a pedophile priest, but I stuck with it and found the book to be much more profound. I am a 57 year old lapsed Catholic, who went to Catholic school for 12 years, so I could definitely relate to a lot. The family stuff relationships added richness to this book, and I found it engrossing.

Riveting and timely

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is an incredible story about a topic that affects everyone whether they are catholic or not. Similar to Doubt, this book makes us look inside at our preconceptions, prejudices and judgments and generalize to how they influence how we approach other people. We are humbled and amazed at the unfolding story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The protagonist was exquisitely human, self effacing and heroic. He was a very sympathetic man.

What does Therese Plummer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The reader's voices and intonations, her reactions and pace make this like a well done play where one can actually visualize the characters.

Who was the most memorable character of Faith and why?

Again the priest was the most memorable because he was the common demoninator and his plight of solitude and the yearning for connection is one with which we all struggle.

Any additional comments?

Well worth it!

Subtle & provocative

Very thoughtful story of a complex problem that I, raised in the Irish Catholic church in Massachusetts, found believable. Narration was very good- though some of the Boston accents were just a tad off but not in an annoying way. The story is a very human one that anyone of any religious upbringing could relate to

An actual theme, so terrible, delicated treated

Pedofilia in catholic churches, is something we are always reading disgusted in papers. Here is a terrible and wonderfull story that makes you see so many angles.