Story is written by Sheila McGann, step-sister to Arthur Breen. Art is a priest accused of molesting a boy by his mother. It turns out that it is a lie and she only wants the money. It follows Art?s family in their search for the truth and their reconciliation with their own situations. A good read.

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 ( )

Jennifer Haigh's novel, FAITH (2011), is just one of those rare "wow" reads, the kind of book that's hard to put down, and I read it in just a few sittings. The setting is the Irish neighborhoods of greater Boston in 2001-2002, at the height of the clerical sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic archdiocese there. Although the disgraced Cardinal Law is never mentioned by name, he's in there. The central figure is Arthur Breen, a veteran priest accused of sexual misconduct, although the story is told by his younger half-sister, Sheila McGann. And it is a complex, convoluted tale of widows, missing fathers, alcoholism, drug addiction, devout faith, dysfunctional families and fallen away Catholics. I remember reading about it all in the papers as it was happening, and also about the much wider scandals within the Church over ensuing years, as well as the award-winning film, SPOTLIGHT (which I have not yet seen), about the Boston Globe's coverage of it all which came out a dozen or so years later.

Father Art Breen's story is a kind of microcosmic look at this wider problem within the Church, and one which affords us an intimate look into the training of priests, as well as the loneliness of the unnatural celibate life of priests. (I spent a year at a minor seminary and recognized the descriptions of the rues, regimens and routines followed at such places.) But Father Breen's story has its own particular heartaches, sadness and surprises, which I do not wish to reveal here. And the other characters - his own family members (especially the narrator), as well as a young single mom - are richly developed, with detailed backstories of their own, all of which converge in an unexpected and heartbreaking conclusion and denouement. Trust me, FAITH is simply storytelling at its best, and I fully intend to read more from this wonderful, gifted writer, Jennifer Haigh. My very highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, REED CITY BOY ( )

The character development in this book was fantastic. The entire book flowed in a very measured way that never lost my attention. In a way, I suppose it was hypnotic, for lack of a better word. The story will haunt me.

I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway. ( )

A sensitive novel of one family's experience of the Catholic priest sex abuse scandal. Surprisingly tender and thoughtful. ( )