Zermatt

I am a huge fan of Frank Schaeffer's first two books in this trilogy, Portofino and Saving Grandma. I find his portrayal of Calvin Becker, the son of evangelical missionaries, to be realistic and comical. Calvin illustrates their lives, with all their contradictions, perfectly, from the perspective of a pre-adolescent boy. I found this third book in the series to be less satisfying than the first two. I enjoyed the first two thirds of the book immensely, but felt that the last part felt unrealistic as it showed Calvin's father "falling off the wagon" of religiosity. I still enjoyed it, however, and would love to read more about this family.

I have fallen in love with Frank Shaffer's "Calvin Becker" universe. The characters are well developed, and his descriptions make me feel like I've spent lots of time in Portofino and Zermatt (Which I really have!) The stories are well written, and give the reader a feeling like slipping on a soft old sweater and sitting by the fire on a cool, damp winter's evening. However, the relationship between Calvin and his best friend, Jennifer, drives much of the plot in the first two books, and Jennifer is nowhere to be found in Zermatt. I missed her terribly because I want to see what happens to the couple as they grow up. (This is supposed to be a "Coming of Age" story, at least for Calvin.) It's clear that the feelings between the two of them are changing as they get older and closer to adolescence. However, the way that "Zermatt" ends leaves us with clear clues that there is more about the Becker family coming soon. I also got the feeling that Jennifer will be there when the next chapter begins. I certainly hope so!

I've read everything America's best writer on all things to do with fatherhood and family has written. Portofino was terrific, Saving Grandma stupendous, and Keeping Faith, A Father-Son Story About Love and the United States Marine Corps touching. But "ZERMATT" is the best yet. You heard it here first: Zermatt will become an American classic. If you realy want to get inside the head of a fifteen year old boy and the inner dynamic of a family driven by religious delusion, this is the book. For anyone who had a powerful mom, a father doing his best to keep up and religion hanging over them all, Zermatt is the book.

In this howlingly funny follow up to Portofino and Saving Grandma, Mr. Schaeffer again tackles the theme of religious zeal and hypocrisy, setting the backdrop at a European ski resort. I laughed out loud at the unbalanced Swiss maid, the two-faced sister, the manic- depressive father, and drunken English gentleman as seen through the eyes of an adolescent boy. There is more to this book than the comedy routine. At the heart of this is a question that has plagued me as a believer for years: where is the line between getting close to God and playing God?Whether you're looking for a bildungsroman, a nostalgic look at Europe in the 60's, or just a good long laugh, Zermatt will deliver.