Keeping Faith - Book Review

Keeping Faith
by Jodi Picoult
Harper Collins 1999
Author's website


As I have mentioned through this blog, I am not a fan of Chick-Lit. So I have never read any of Jodi Picoult's books.



Until this week after I saw the trailer of the new movie My Sisters Keeper - which opened at the theatres this week. The trailer looks good. My logic says, if the trailer looks good then the movie must be good. If the movie is good, then the book must be good. So I decided that I maybe better read a Jodi Picoult book or two. So I did.

Keeping Faith is about atheism and religion. One of my favourite subjects.

Seven year old Faith talks to her imaginary "Guard" constantly and begins to recite passages from the Bible. Being Jewish, Faith has never read the bible. Fearful for her daughter's sanity, Mariah sends her to several psychiatrists.

Yet when Faith develops stigmata and begins to perform miraculous healings, Mariah wonders if her daughter, a girl with no religious background, might indeed be seeing God. Word leaks to the press and a media storm ensues.

Mariah's ex-husband suddenly instigates a lawsuit for custody of Faith, claiming that Mariah is a danger to his daughter. And his lawyer gets a court order stating that Mariah must be kept away from her daughter for Faith's protection and safety. Faith is put under the care of a court appointed guardian. The court case is riveting.

I really enjoyed this book. A lot more than I thought I would.

Jodi Picoult has written more than 15 books. I know a lot of my readers will have read them, but I am just discovering them now. I plan on reading more - starting with My Sisters Keeper which has been reserved at my local library.