All Saints
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Book Overview
The acclaimed author of The Cloud Atlas returns with a wondrous second novel. Set in a small beachfront Catholic high school, narrated by a beautifully complex heroine-theology teacher Emily Hamilton-All Saints is at once a mystery, a love story, and a powerful rumination on secrets, temptation, and faith. By life's midpoint Emily has seen three husbands, dozens of friends, and hundreds of students come and go. And now her classroom, long her refuge, is proving to be
anything but. Though her popular, occasionally irreverent church history course is rich with stories of long-dead saints, Emily uneasily discovers that it's her own tumultuous life that fascinates certain students most. She in turn finds herself drawn into their world, their secrets, and the fateful choices they make. A novel of mystery and illumination, calling and choice, All Saints explores lives lived in a fragile sanctuary-from Emily and her many saints to a priest facing his own mortality and a teenager tormented by desire. Told with grace and compassion, this is a spellbinding novel of provocative storytelling.
anything but. Though her popular, occasionally irreverent church history course is rich with stories of long-dead saints, Emily uneasily discovers that it's her own tumultuous life that fascinates certain students most. She in turn finds herself drawn into their world, their secrets, and the fateful choices they make. A novel of mystery and illumination, calling and choice, All Saints explores lives lived in a fragile sanctuary-from Emily and her many saints to a priest facing his own mortality and a teenager tormented by desire. Told with grace and compassion, this is a spellbinding novel of provocative storytelling.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0385336977
ISBN13:9780385336970
Release Date:March 2008
Publisher:Random House Group
Length:288 Pages
Weight:0.55 lbs.
Dimensions:0.6" x 6.0" x 8.3"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
All Saint's - a wonderful read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
This is a book that is difficult to put down. The story is told within the context of biblical history and modern Orange County, CA, an unusual combination. The author uses engaging humor to develop the adult characters and wonderfully captures the awkwardness of the personal growth of the teenage characters as they absorb life lessons. The story followed many unexpected paths that intrigued and provoked thought. Forty people at my company gathered to read the book and the author was kind enough to join us for a discussion. The author is as engaging as the book itself.
the lessons of emotional distant relationships
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I connected to this book in a way that surprised me. Life is short; we keep people distant to protect ourselves. The lesson in the book- keeping them distant is how we really hurt ourselves. A great read!
Wonderful Character
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I enjoyed every minute spent with this character. She is someone you'd like to be you friend. I laughed (a lot) and cried (a little). I am not a religious person, but found all the references to saints fascinating.
Couldn't Put It Down!!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I LOVED this book! So many interesting, real, flawed characters. My mind is still racing, as I'm remembering little details from the beginning of the book and putting them in their right places now that I know the whole story. Very, very well written. I didn't want the book to end!
All Saints Rocks!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I had the pleasure of hearing Callanan read a few passages from his excellent new book a few weeks ago at KGB Bar in NYC. He was on the bill with two other authors -- one of whom just had his book favorably reviewed on the front page of the NYT Book Review -- and honestly Callanan blew both of his fellow writers out of the water. I started reading All Saints when I got home from the reading that night and never stopped. My sister has a copy and was so engrossed by the book that she completely missed her subway stop while reading it. Since I went to Catholic school, I suppose the book had particular relevance for me, but the central themes of the book are truly universal -- love, longing, aging, faith, how our experiences and memories shape us over time, etc. Callanan's narrator shares her hard-earned wisdom with us in a voice that is both genuine and genuinely funny. I thoroughly enjoyed "All Saints," even more than I did Callanan's outstanding first novel, "The Cloud Atlas."
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