I’VE
NEVER reviewed a novel, so I’ve been puzzling about how to convince you to read
The Secrets of Leaven (Todd Wynward) without spoiling the story. Would it help to hear that I read this twice
in 48 hours? (OK, I was still
recuperating from an infection, so I had no energy to do much besides
read. But that doesn’t explain why I
read it AGAIN, a couple of weeks later.)
Maybe
the reason I love it so much is that I (like the third-year seminarian who is
the protagonist) have had many of the same questions he has during his crisis
of faith. Maybe it’s because I struggle
with the same tensions about the disconnections between the institutional
church and the teachings of Jesus that he does.
Maybe it’s because I also long to live The Way exemplified by Jesus in
ways not always supported by the institutional church.
But
those reasons will only work for my fellow ministry geeks and spiritual
questers. Secrets has a lot to say to anyone
who’s been on a quest for understanding the deeper questions of life. And to anyone who has ever felt uncomfortable
in a church setting (I know there are a LOT of you out there!). But I also
recommend this because it’s a mystery, a quest story, a love story, and an
outstanding read. Some of it is also
HILARIOUSLY funny.
I
have to warn you that this is the first of at least two books. This one is satisfying as a stand-alone read,
but I did really want to dig into the next one to see what happens next. I’m sure it will be surprising, because
nothing about this first one ever followed any predictable path. I also want to share with you that this has
kept me thinking deeply since the first time I read it. Richard Rohr is right when he calls this a “wild
hope for a tame world.”
Please,
go read this book!
I
received a review copy of The Secrets of Leaven from Speakeasy.com.
