Keeping faith

This is an amazing tale about the psychology of the human mind and the spirituality of the human soul melding together to tell a story of a little girl, named Faith, who is seemingly befriended by God. There have been many stories written about people actually seeing or talking to God but this one has an interesting twist that could only come from the talented mind of Jodi Picoult; the God that little Faith is conversing with is a female. In the beginning, her mother believes Faith is putting up a psychological defense against the problems her family has recently faced – a divorce. Faith was present when her father was caught having an affair and she became depressed and withdrawn ever since. Is she making up an imaginary friend to find comfort? Or is she really talking to God? For a child who was brought up not knowing about God, it becomes astoundingly clear that something beyond reality has taken hold of young Faith. She begins quoting from the Bible, a book she has never even picked up and appears to have some sort of supernatural healing abilities. Once these abilities become public, Faith and her family find themselves being dragged into a media circus full of believers who want her to help heal them to nonbelievers who are trying to debunk her claims. Throughout the story, even Faith’s mother is not sure what to believe, but when Faith develops the signs of Stigmata, bodily marks like the crucifixion wounds of Christ, it becomes harder and harder to deny that God is actually communicating directly with her little girl. This story is one of hope and love. It is also one of controversy and cynicism. The story is not about advocating religion, but about keeping an open mind. Picoult once again tells a masterful and compelling story in Keeping Faith. This book is filled with all the big questions in life and while it does not give you all the answers, it does compel you to consider the evidence and draw your own personal conclusions. It explores the relationships between mothers and daughters, God and humanity. It is a perfect tale about the unknown and the human condition. Be prepared to find yourself so absorbed in this book that putting it down will be nearly impossible. Cynics should also be prepared to find themselves having a change of heart.