Separation
of Faith: A Novel, by Cheri Laser begins in the year 1945 post World War II, as
Abby Ryan, formally referred to as Sister Mary Abigail was brutally attacked. This took place in the gazebo on the grounds
of Lady of the Valley Convent, a
painful memory that will never escape her mind. A handsome army captain, by the name of Sinclair Mellington tried to
stop the attack but by then it was already too late. He was very accommodating in trying to help
Sister Abby. Sinclair does become a
very important player in Sister Abby’s life both emotionally and legally.
Her dear lifelong friend Tess, also known as Sister Veronica was
there to comfort her and offer support. This was a devastating event in Sister Abby’s life and was a turning
point in her decision to what she really was “called” to do. Sister Abby felt this was a sign from God
that perhaps she needed to look at a different path. She was suffering guilt, shame, fear, and
confusion. With much prayer, reflection,
and serious thought, Sister Abby chose to leave the convent for obvious reasons. Naturally, her friend Tess was
disappointed. Although Tess wanted Abby
to be a part of the convent life as a nun, she also respected her decision.
Abby goes to her parents’ home in Seattle to recover physically
and emotionally from her attack. Ironically,
Sinclair and his family also live in Seattle. After Sinclair’s active duty was over, he decided to resume his studies
at the University of Washington, in which he eventually became a prominent
lawyer with his own law practice. Both
Abby and Sinclair keep in touch throughout the years.
October 2008, Isaiah who is
also an attorney found a secret letter his father Sinclair wrote. In the letter Sinclair who is now deceased,
stated he needed Isaiah to go to Kettle Falls when Sister Abby dies to take
care of a legal issue. Isaiah called
Tess a day before Sister Abby did indeed pass away. Isaiah then drove to Kettle Falls as his
father requested. Cheri Laser did a
fantastic job in generating curiosity as to what was the secret of the letter. Isaiah really thought this would be a simple
legal issue that could be straightened out with Sister Abby’s estate, being that
she lived a cloistered life for 24 years. However, Isaiah learned from Tess that Sister Abby has two daughters by
the names of Zoie Gerard and Rosabella, also referred to as Rosa. To make matters even more complicated he had
the unduly task to notify these women that their mother had passed away and to
inform them of the funeral arrangements. You can imagine what an awkward position Isaiah was in. Not knowing if the daughters even knew about
their mother, or if they knew about one another? Additionally, Isaiah is a complete stranger.
I found many interesting twists in turns in this book that will
keep the reader always on the edge of their seat. Learn why Tess is no longer a nun. See how important Sinclair becomes in
helping Abby fight a legal battle with a very powerful family, the Whitmores,
and how both Caroline and Tess were able to help Abby through a difficult time
in her life. Read about how Isaiah, who
always puts women at arm’s length, is considered to be a bit of a commitment phobe,
meets Ava while at Kettle Falls. She
helps him through his research regarding Sister Abby and her children and they
began to form a special bond. Find out
how Zoie and Rosa reacted to each other when then they finally meet. Learn how Zoie becomes instrumental in helping
Isaiah start writing again.
Separation
of Faith is an intricate novel. Cheri Laser’s prose is simply outstanding and
her characters crackle with realism—they become utterly real people. The storyline never drags, and at no point
does this novel ever fail to completely engulf my attention. Laser also does a terrific job incorporating
aspects of the Catholic faith into her story to add richness and
dimension. The reader does have to
be prepared for the occasional jumps back in time from 2008 to the 1940’s. I think the author was fairly successful in
doing this. Isaiah’s research would
bring the reader into a different era; although a few times in the beginning I
felt it was not completely clear. Overall,
Laser wrote so much detail about the surroundings and the motivations of her
characters. I would highly recommend this
book for anyone loving nostalgic, moving and detailed descriptions along with a
fresh outlook on the humanity side of the past.
Buy this book at Amazon.com
