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I made it a resolution to vary the fiction I read this year and, lo and behold, saw a banner ad on BookSense for LYING AWAKE. Must've been fate. I bought myself a copy without expectations and, boy, was I more than pleasantly surprised. At only 181 pages, it's a very quick read, but one you'll want to savor. Salzman is a poetic writer, using words lyrically and without excess to tell the tale of one woman's faith. Sister John is a nun in a Carmelite monastery outside of Los Angeles, devoted to God and her cloister, seemingly entrenched in her faith. She writes poetry, so well in fact that a book has been published and is a popular seller. Indeed, the royalties help pay for upkeep of the monastery. Sister John is even scheduled to do a reading for the Pope, a special poem she is working on, often in the middle of the night when brilliant inspiration seems to strike her like fireworks. She is having ever increasing visions of God's love and beauty. But those around her are worried because her "visions" begin to involve physical lapses, such as episodes of unconsciousness. When Sister John discovers the reason behind her visions, she has to make a choice between her own future...and possibly losing her spiritual gifts and her connection to God. For those worried that this is a preachy novel all about Christianity, don't fear. You can interpret what is presented on so many levels. At the core is a simple lesson about faith and how easy it is to believe when things are going well, how hard when life throws us curves we don't anticipate. The amazing writing of Mark Salzman alone is worth staying awake late at night to finish LYING AWAKE. Highly recommended. ----- Susan McBride is the author of And Then She Was Gone and Overkill. |
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