Matters of Faith

Matters of Faith is so genuine, I was certain Kristy Kiernan either had food allergies herself or was close to someone who does. Turns out neither is the case. Kiernan simply has a gift for empathy that shines through her writing. I hope every parent, grandparent, teacher, neighbor, anyone who knows someone with a food allergy has the opportunity to read this book. The story is engaging and the reader becomes a part of the Tobias family as they deal with not only a medical crisis, but with family flaws that have been forced to the surface. Grab a few tissues and be prepared for the ups and downs of a family who could just as easily live in your neighborhood.

Chloe is mom to 18-year-old Marshall and 12-year-old Meghan, and wife to Calvin. Her life is like any other with its daily challenges, but even she doesn't know what she'll do when her family's cohesiveness is put to an extreme test. The novel opens with Chloe reflecting on how having a sixth sense would be helpful in noting the small things in life that become the catalyst to a major turning point. Hindsight is always educational, isn't it? Marshall is coming home during college break and is bringing a girl, the first girl to meet the family. First impressions are not always the best and Chloe and Cal have different reasons for not readily accepting Ada. But Meghan and Ada become instant friends, so there's hope. The writing in Matters of Faith works with two distinct points of view that engage the reader in just the right way. Kiernan doesn't waste any words. She balances narrative with dialogue so the reader feels more like a fly on the wall of a real family instead of someone flipping pages. Kiernan's characters are unique individuals dealing with the typical daily life routine. And because of their `realness', the author is able to connect with a large audience. Like having a conversation with friends, Kiernan's writing challenges the reader to figure out what he or she would do given the same circumstances. Where many writers create characters that are black or white in their response, Kiernan's characters are unpredictable. Kristy was born in Tennessee and raised on the beaches of southwest Florida, where she still resides with her husband, Richard, and their dog. Her first novel, Catching Genius, was published in March of 2007 and has become a book club favorite. Matters of Faith is her second novel. From the opening lines in Matters of Faith until the final word, the reader becomes a witness during a small portion of time in one family's life. This novel doesn't jump out and grab you by the throat, instead it softly winds its way into your heart so you can't walk away. I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in a great story.

I whizzed through this book in every spare moment of free time that I had over three days. I read very little fiction these days, and I found it very refreshing to see food allergies play such an important part of a mainstream book. I had myself convinced that Kristy Keirnan, the author, had to have a food allergic niece or nephrew or good friend who had a child with food allergies. I was amazed when I found out that that was not the case. Kristy did such an incredible job of describing what it's like to live with someone who has life threatening food allergies. I also really loved the tale of the marriage and the dynamics of how their son related to both of them. I found myself actually peeking at the end, so concerned with the outcome. But as I got there, I found it very real and satisfying. It could have gone many different ways but I'm glad she chose the ending that she did.

This is the best book I have read since The Kite Runner. Someone who looks entirely normal and healthy may have food alergies that could result in life-threatening, even fatal results. And while this seems to be the main theme of Matter of Faith, Kiernan has woven other more common themes through the tale of the drastic situation created when a young girl is (intentionally?) fed a peanut butter cookie by her brother and his new girlfriend to test the girlfriend's adamant belief that only prayer, not medicine, is needed for healing. The story is told by both the mother (Chloe) and the brother (Marshall). Through them we view all sorts of human conditions, beliefs and feelings: children of the same family who each need very special considerations; married partners who have never seen eye-to-eye on raising those children; the physchological results of an abusive childhood; searching for faith and what can happen when one "finds" it, possibly in all the wrong places. This book MOVES. It reads swiftly. It read so TRUE that you cannot but feel you are living with Chloe and her family as she prepares to meet her college son's first real girlfriend,Ada, as she watches daughter Megan become entirely enchanted with Ada and fears husband Cal's cavalier association with his son on his return from school. What happens happens swiftly and the movement never stops, not even when we spend hours, days with Chloe and Cal in the hospital. This book is intense without being the least bit "preach-y." There are no slow spots. The characters are so well drawn that you KNOW them, even the minor ones. And it has no platitudes, no actual reassurances except to leave you knowing that life is not about absolutele answers. I have not encounted a book in a long time that I did not want to put down from the moment I read the first sentence of Matter of Faith. I dog-eared so many pages that the book looks "fat" lying on my nightstand. This is a book I will read AGAIN and SOON. I feel it would make a dynamite movie.

I adored Kiernan's first book, Catching Genius, but she's managed to top her stellar debut performance. Matters of Faith is a deeply moving story full of rich emotional detail, suspense, heartbreak, and redemption; I couldn't find a flaw in it. This is a book you'll want to read and think about and discuss and read again--perfect choice for book clubs! I'd give it six stars if I could!