What do you think?
Rate this book
Keeping Faith
“A triumph. This novel’s haunting strength will hold the reader until the very end and make Faith and her story impossible to forget.”
— Richmond Times Dispatch “Extraordinary.”
— Orlando Sentinel From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult ( Nineteen Minutes, Change of Heart, Handle with Care ) comes Keeping Faith : an “addictively readable” ( Entertainment Weekly ) novel that “makes you wonder about God. And that is a rare moment, indeed, in modern fiction” ( USA Today ).
— Richmond Times Dispatch “Extraordinary.”
— Orlando Sentinel From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult ( Nineteen Minutes, Change of Heart, Handle with Care ) comes Keeping Faith : an “addictively readable” ( Entertainment Weekly ) novel that “makes you wonder about God. And that is a rare moment, indeed, in modern fiction” ( USA Today ).
422 pages, Paperback
Published February 21, 2006
About the author
Jodi Picoult
94 books89.3k followersJodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.
MAD HONEY, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.
Website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodipicoult
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodipicoult
MAD HONEY, her new novel co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio on October 4, 2022.
Website: http://www.jodipicoult.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodipicoult
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodipicoult
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,213 reviews
November 10, 2008
11/10/08
Ugh!! I finished this last night because I couldn't bear to spend another day of my life with this in my purse. So why did I read it? For the same reason that many young women read books they might not be thrilled with... I had to read it for my book club (...which normally picks much more intelligent and interesting books). As I mentioned to the person selecting the book when she solicited comments about her short list of options, I've never been tempted to read a Picoult book. I doubt that I shall read another.
The short summary is this: after her parents' separation and divorce, Faith White starts talking to God (who she sees as a woman and calls "her Guard"). Faith starts healing people and develops what appears to be Stigmata. Divorce, medical things, custody battle. In short, complications ensue for father, mother, daughter, and the hot Southern television guy that's supposed to be proving Faith to be a fraud if he wasn't falling for her mom.
My irritation at this book exists on many levels. As far as being pertinent in a GoodReads review, here are a few. Oh, and I'm not too concerned about spoiling things for anyone reading this review, as I hope you don't pick up this waste of trees, so if you really don't want me to spoil the incredibly obvious and uninteresting ending... Don't read any further.
1. This was an incredibly formulaic book... It's as though Picoult had worked out a system for churning out books with interchangeable characters geared to a female marketplace (Working on her seventeenth book and she's only 42, is she? You don't say!). Names and details were changed, but otherwise it was like you might see: [Insert protective mother example here!] [Insert love scene here!] [Insert courtroom drama here!] I'm betting that if I picked up another Picoult book, I'd find myself in a book with the names and situations slightly changed, but ultimately, the exact same outline.
2. For a book that is essentially beach reading, it took itself way too seriously. You realize mass markets are made for beach totes, right? Pure and simple. That's the level of the writing, the intricacy of the characters, etc. I have nothing against beach reading or silly books, believe me. I find them to be delightful when that's what you want. But this book wants to pretend that it's about religion and protecting children... and funnily enough, she gets way more preachy about what children need in the courtroom scenes rather than being preachy about the religion (where everyone seems to be rational and accepting, aside from one small spectacle on Larry King). Oh and speaking about the focus on children...
3. For a book where characters kept insisting that the main story here (be it in the media frenzy, hospital scenes, or custody case) was about Faith (the child), I actually didn't think Picoult paid much attention to Faith until the last page of the book. (And then it was to do something incredibly inconsistent with the story she was writing.) Instead, the real drama centered around Mariah, the mother. (Maybe because Picoult is aiming for a middle-aged female market of wives and mothers, who want to know that just because they're not a gold-star mom and life isn't going smoothly, they're still great and could have a happy ending?) Picoult put way more effort into the relationship between Mariah and the tele-atheist Ian (though certainly not enough to convince us that their coupling is anything but unbelievable). Faith just wanders in occasionally to talk about drowned kittens and spurt blood from her hands and side.
4. I didn't find any of the characters to be deep or complicated... Or particularly likable. The mother is needy and spineless. The grandmother is a stereotype of a strong grandmother figure. The father is an adultering asshole that the writer wants to pretend like she's not depicting as an ass, so she throws in a moment or two where he sees other kids and misses Faith, or he worries a bit about diving right into a new family. The tele-atheist is way too simplified, would never actually be interested in Faith's mom, and his big secret was incredibly obvious. And for a story where "everything is uncovered" in these people's lives by detectives and media snoops, they conveniently miss a few things which, surprisingly enough, benefits the characters you're supposed to be rooting for.
5. Picoult wants you to think she's giving you a book where things might not be what they seem, and issues are complicated... She just doesn't want to put the effort into writing that book. There came a point where I stopped and wondered if Picoult was ballsy enough to do something (aka make this not about a kid hearing God, but make this about whether or not Faith or Mariah was lying and was mentally unstable). But that was a fleeting moment. I then remembered what a predictable book this had been up to that point and sure enough, we had to endure a hundred pages or so of courtroom scenes where Picoult desperately wanted us to think that the happily ever after for mother/daughter was in jeopardy.
Those are just a few things that bothered me. Thankfully, this book club meeting isn't for another month or so. I'll rant here and to my friends for a few more days, but perhaps by the time we meet, I'll have come up with something constructive to say or have thought of some interesting questions to pose for discussion. But right now, the only thing I'm left wondering is how many times Picoult watched Contact and how hard she thought about covering up the idea that Ian's character was really just Matthew McConaughey playing for the other side?
11/06/08
Sigh. Not what I would be choosing for a book club of intelligent young women.
Ugh!! I finished this last night because I couldn't bear to spend another day of my life with this in my purse. So why did I read it? For the same reason that many young women read books they might not be thrilled with... I had to read it for my book club (...which normally picks much more intelligent and interesting books). As I mentioned to the person selecting the book when she solicited comments about her short list of options, I've never been tempted to read a Picoult book. I doubt that I shall read another.
The short summary is this: after her parents' separation and divorce, Faith White starts talking to God (who she sees as a woman and calls "her Guard"). Faith starts healing people and develops what appears to be Stigmata. Divorce, medical things, custody battle. In short, complications ensue for father, mother, daughter, and the hot Southern television guy that's supposed to be proving Faith to be a fraud if he wasn't falling for her mom.
My irritation at this book exists on many levels. As far as being pertinent in a GoodReads review, here are a few. Oh, and I'm not too concerned about spoiling things for anyone reading this review, as I hope you don't pick up this waste of trees, so if you really don't want me to spoil the incredibly obvious and uninteresting ending... Don't read any further.
1. This was an incredibly formulaic book... It's as though Picoult had worked out a system for churning out books with interchangeable characters geared to a female marketplace (Working on her seventeenth book and she's only 42, is she? You don't say!). Names and details were changed, but otherwise it was like you might see: [Insert protective mother example here!] [Insert love scene here!] [Insert courtroom drama here!] I'm betting that if I picked up another Picoult book, I'd find myself in a book with the names and situations slightly changed, but ultimately, the exact same outline.
2. For a book that is essentially beach reading, it took itself way too seriously. You realize mass markets are made for beach totes, right? Pure and simple. That's the level of the writing, the intricacy of the characters, etc. I have nothing against beach reading or silly books, believe me. I find them to be delightful when that's what you want. But this book wants to pretend that it's about religion and protecting children... and funnily enough, she gets way more preachy about what children need in the courtroom scenes rather than being preachy about the religion (where everyone seems to be rational and accepting, aside from one small spectacle on Larry King). Oh and speaking about the focus on children...
3. For a book where characters kept insisting that the main story here (be it in the media frenzy, hospital scenes, or custody case) was about Faith (the child), I actually didn't think Picoult paid much attention to Faith until the last page of the book. (And then it was to do something incredibly inconsistent with the story she was writing.) Instead, the real drama centered around Mariah, the mother. (Maybe because Picoult is aiming for a middle-aged female market of wives and mothers, who want to know that just because they're not a gold-star mom and life isn't going smoothly, they're still great and could have a happy ending?) Picoult put way more effort into the relationship between Mariah and the tele-atheist Ian (though certainly not enough to convince us that their coupling is anything but unbelievable). Faith just wanders in occasionally to talk about drowned kittens and spurt blood from her hands and side.
4. I didn't find any of the characters to be deep or complicated... Or particularly likable. The mother is needy and spineless. The grandmother is a stereotype of a strong grandmother figure. The father is an adultering asshole that the writer wants to pretend like she's not depicting as an ass, so she throws in a moment or two where he sees other kids and misses Faith, or he worries a bit about diving right into a new family. The tele-atheist is way too simplified, would never actually be interested in Faith's mom, and his big secret was incredibly obvious. And for a story where "everything is uncovered" in these people's lives by detectives and media snoops, they conveniently miss a few things which, surprisingly enough, benefits the characters you're supposed to be rooting for.
5. Picoult wants you to think she's giving you a book where things might not be what they seem, and issues are complicated... She just doesn't want to put the effort into writing that book. There came a point where I stopped and wondered if Picoult was ballsy enough to do something (aka make this not about a kid hearing God, but make this about whether or not Faith or Mariah was lying and was mentally unstable). But that was a fleeting moment. I then remembered what a predictable book this had been up to that point and sure enough, we had to endure a hundred pages or so of courtroom scenes where Picoult desperately wanted us to think that the happily ever after for mother/daughter was in jeopardy.
Those are just a few things that bothered me. Thankfully, this book club meeting isn't for another month or so. I'll rant here and to my friends for a few more days, but perhaps by the time we meet, I'll have come up with something constructive to say or have thought of some interesting questions to pose for discussion. But right now, the only thing I'm left wondering is how many times Picoult watched Contact and how hard she thought about covering up the idea that Ian's character was really just Matthew McConaughey playing for the other side?
11/06/08
Sigh. Not what I would be choosing for a book club of intelligent young women.
January 6, 2020
I gave this 5 stars many years ago but it’s now a 3 star which is still fine. I was thinking this was the other of her books. Anyhoo ....
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
December 7, 2020
This blew we away, why have I never heard of stigmata before - i was fascinated from the get go.
This is the story of Faith, after her parents separation she starts to talk to an imaginary friend which rapidly escalates to healing and other miracles which leaves everyone around her questioning - is Faith talking to God?
Really really enjoyed the subject matter in this one.
This is the story of Faith, after her parents separation she starts to talk to an imaginary friend which rapidly escalates to healing and other miracles which leaves everyone around her questioning - is Faith talking to God?
Really really enjoyed the subject matter in this one.
August 4, 2018
Jodi Picoult is an author I keep returning back to again and again. Her books have the unique ability to ask complex questions of your own beliefs and prejudices; normally I devour anything she writes and some of my favourite books belong to her. However, Keeping Faith just didn’t hold its momentum for me.
Recently separated from her husband, Mariah and her strong willed mother are attempting to raise Mariah’s seven year old daughter Faith with as minimum disruption as possible. Mariah is chronically depressed due to her husbands infidelity, and as such is neglecting her child. Much of the book centres on Mariah and how she feels, which is at odds with the books title.
Most of Picoult’s books follow a similar thread: complex family ties, courtroom drama, a resolved ending. Keeping Faith differs slightly from the other books but the writing remains true to the Picoult style.
Maybe it was the religious aspect I found uncomfortable - the idea that a child is talking to God and has the ability to cure AIDS, bring an old woman back from the dead and walk on water is absurd to me. I just couldn’t take it seriously enough to look past these situations. The book didn’t progress as I would have liked it to either and I found myself wishing the pages away. Oh well, hopefully the next Picoult book I pick up will help make up for the time spent on this one.
Recently separated from her husband, Mariah and her strong willed mother are attempting to raise Mariah’s seven year old daughter Faith with as minimum disruption as possible. Mariah is chronically depressed due to her husbands infidelity, and as such is neglecting her child. Much of the book centres on Mariah and how she feels, which is at odds with the books title.
Most of Picoult’s books follow a similar thread: complex family ties, courtroom drama, a resolved ending. Keeping Faith differs slightly from the other books but the writing remains true to the Picoult style.
Maybe it was the religious aspect I found uncomfortable - the idea that a child is talking to God and has the ability to cure AIDS, bring an old woman back from the dead and walk on water is absurd to me. I just couldn’t take it seriously enough to look past these situations. The book didn’t progress as I would have liked it to either and I found myself wishing the pages away. Oh well, hopefully the next Picoult book I pick up will help make up for the time spent on this one.
June 8, 2007
I loved this book while I was reading it, and I was very disappointed by the ending. It was a fast read, it was engaging, I absolutely didn't want to put it down.
A mother who has just discovered that her husband is cheating on her (several years after another cheating incident lead her to a suicide attempt) finds out that her daughter has an imaginary friend--God...who happens to be a woman. Faith performs some miracles and a media circus rises up around her--reporters camped out on the lawn, etc. Faith's father sues for custoday, and there's some question as to whether the mother might be forcing her daughter to do this for attention.
But they never actually say whether Faith is actually seeing God, or whether she's making it up, or whether her mother planted the idea in her mind somehow. The ending is actually DESIGNED to keep you guessing, which is pretty infuriating. Read at your own risk!
A mother who has just discovered that her husband is cheating on her (several years after another cheating incident lead her to a suicide attempt) finds out that her daughter has an imaginary friend--God...who happens to be a woman. Faith performs some miracles and a media circus rises up around her--reporters camped out on the lawn, etc. Faith's father sues for custoday, and there's some question as to whether the mother might be forcing her daughter to do this for attention.
But they never actually say whether Faith is actually seeing God, or whether she's making it up, or whether her mother planted the idea in her mind somehow. The ending is actually DESIGNED to keep you guessing, which is pretty infuriating. Read at your own risk!
August 25, 2008
Ay yi yi..ok, no more Jodi Picoult books..I always say that and then end up reading more...I WANT to like her books...and they always have sooo much potential...then, always...always always...they disappoint...I was especially excited about this one because of her latest interveiw she talked about this book and how it's her favorite and most challenging so far because of it's ground breaking subject matter...
Stigmata? Are you serious Jodi? Ay yi yi. This book wasn't so much about having and excercising faith as it was embracing fantasy and calling anything and everything "religion" and a call to embrace all ideas about God as relevant and true...sigh.
I DO like Jodi's characters though,the Ian Fletcher atheist characte was charming, but I was really hoping for some "come to Jesus" moment for him after his experience with his brother. HAHAHAAha Oh well...
Stigmata? Are you serious Jodi? Ay yi yi. This book wasn't so much about having and excercising faith as it was embracing fantasy and calling anything and everything "religion" and a call to embrace all ideas about God as relevant and true...sigh.
I DO like Jodi's characters though,the Ian Fletcher atheist characte was charming, but I was really hoping for some "come to Jesus" moment for him after his experience with his brother. HAHAHAAha Oh well...
January 2, 2018
4.5*
Absolutely fascinating. I love the mixed religion, religion in court, stigmata, psychological and medical, and family dynamics themes that arise while reading this book. This was one of my favorite Jodi Picoult books so far. My marathon continues with Change of Heart!
My short and sweet overall: interesting story and entertaining characters!
Absolutely fascinating. I love the mixed religion, religion in court, stigmata, psychological and medical, and family dynamics themes that arise while reading this book. This was one of my favorite Jodi Picoult books so far. My marathon continues with Change of Heart!
My short and sweet overall: interesting story and entertaining characters!
April 7, 2011
Keeping Faith is primarily a story about a young girl who suddenly starts seeing God and performing miracles. My impression was that readers would be allowed to come to our own conclusions about this (whether it was real, invented by Faith, invented by her mother for attention, etc.), but it doesn't work out that way: clearly, within the context of the story, Faith is healing people, experiencing stigmata and so forth. The story of how her mother Mariah, the local churches and the media react to this phenomenon is somewhat interesting, but hardly requires a book of this length.
And the romantic side-story involving Mariah and the television atheist, Ian, is terrible. Can you say "wish-fulfillment fantasy"? I'm sure every middle class, newly-divorced woman fighting for custody of her child would love the ego boost of a rich, handsome single man falling madly in love with her for no apparent reason, but.... yeah right. It's unclear why he's even interested.
I've read two Picoult novels now, to give her a fair chance, but don't kid yourself: the unique-sounding plotlines are really just a cover for poorly written melodrama and even more poorly written romance. Unless this is your taste in guilty-pleasure reading, I'd recommend moving on to books of real quality.
And the romantic side-story involving Mariah and the television atheist, Ian, is terrible. Can you say "wish-fulfillment fantasy"? I'm sure every middle class, newly-divorced woman fighting for custody of her child would love the ego boost of a rich, handsome single man falling madly in love with her for no apparent reason, but.... yeah right. It's unclear why he's even interested.
I've read two Picoult novels now, to give her a fair chance, but don't kid yourself: the unique-sounding plotlines are really just a cover for poorly written melodrama and even more poorly written romance. Unless this is your taste in guilty-pleasure reading, I'd recommend moving on to books of real quality.
October 24, 2008
This book was pretty good, overall. Definitely kept you reading, wondering what was going to happen next and, of course, WHY!? There were a few things that bothered me about it though. I think there were too many questions left unanswered. I understand that maybe this was purposeful, but I didn't like it, personally. I was also put off by the fact that the story was told 'about' several different characters, in the third person, but ONE character was told in first person. It didn't make sense and was a bit confusing at first. Overall though, it was a powerful story that made you think, whatever your personal beliefs are.
July 18, 2007
When Mariah and her daughter walk in on Mariah's husband with another woman, she thinks that this is the ultimate shock in her life...that is, until her daughter starts speaking in Bible passages. In any other child, this may not be startling; however, Mariah has raised her seven-year-old with no religion present in the household.
Things go from strange to miraculous as Faith begins spontaneously healing people, developing stigmata, and speaking with her "guard." Could Faith truly be speaking with God, or is she delusional?
Atheist Ian Fletcher is a cynic, and decides to investigate the story for his anti-evangelical television show. After awhile, he finds himself drawn to Mariah...and after further investigation, he's not ready to draw any conclusions about her daughter.
Not as compelling as some of Picoult's other books; it had a slow start, but was intriguing and made me want to know what happened in the end.
Things go from strange to miraculous as Faith begins spontaneously healing people, developing stigmata, and speaking with her "guard." Could Faith truly be speaking with God, or is she delusional?
Atheist Ian Fletcher is a cynic, and decides to investigate the story for his anti-evangelical television show. After awhile, he finds himself drawn to Mariah...and after further investigation, he's not ready to draw any conclusions about her daughter.
Not as compelling as some of Picoult's other books; it had a slow start, but was intriguing and made me want to know what happened in the end.
September 2, 2008
I think this is my FAVORITE Jodi Picoult book. I love her other books, too, but this one hit me profoundly. This book captivated me right from the beginning. I read it for several hours straight, and when I could no longer stay awake to continue, I found myself constantly thinking about it throughout the next day. I couldn't wait to get back to it!
All of the main characters were compelling, but I was especially drawn to Ian Fletcher, whose transformation from the beginning of the novel to the end unfurled so beautifully. At first, you could not help but hate this atheist preacher with his pomposity and narrow-mindedness. Ugh. But then you discover Ian's twin brother Michael, which reveals a completely different side of him and partly explains the distant person he has become. I think I fell in love with Ian just when Mariah did—when she and Faith saw him interact so sweetly with Michael. Afterwards, when Mariah shows him just a little care and concern, she cracks his brittle exterior, and we discover this loving soul underneath. I don’t think I will ever forget the scene of Ian visiting Michael early in the morning, when he receives that incredible gift. I am tearing up again just thinking about it!
Totally by accident, I happened to read Keeping Faith right before the release of Change of Heart, and I was delighted to discover that Ian Fletcher was 'resurrected' in that novel. To me, Change of Heart was worth reading just to learn about how Ian, Mariah and Faith were faring since I last left them. Although I liked Keeping faith better than Change of Heart, I found both books captivating. As is the case in all of Picoult's stories, her meticulous research and character development make the story quite compelling. (And in Change of Heart, it was so refreshing to see Maggie, who is bright and funny but also overweight and insecure, land a handsome, sensitive guy. Hooray!)
Was anyone else moved by Ian Fletcher? I'd love to hear some other comments about him.
All of the main characters were compelling, but I was especially drawn to Ian Fletcher, whose transformation from the beginning of the novel to the end unfurled so beautifully. At first, you could not help but hate this atheist preacher with his pomposity and narrow-mindedness. Ugh. But then you discover Ian's twin brother Michael, which reveals a completely different side of him and partly explains the distant person he has become. I think I fell in love with Ian just when Mariah did—when she and Faith saw him interact so sweetly with Michael. Afterwards, when Mariah shows him just a little care and concern, she cracks his brittle exterior, and we discover this loving soul underneath. I don’t think I will ever forget the scene of Ian visiting Michael early in the morning, when he receives that incredible gift. I am tearing up again just thinking about it!
Totally by accident, I happened to read Keeping Faith right before the release of Change of Heart, and I was delighted to discover that Ian Fletcher was 'resurrected' in that novel. To me, Change of Heart was worth reading just to learn about how Ian, Mariah and Faith were faring since I last left them. Although I liked Keeping faith better than Change of Heart, I found both books captivating. As is the case in all of Picoult's stories, her meticulous research and character development make the story quite compelling. (And in Change of Heart, it was so refreshing to see Maggie, who is bright and funny but also overweight and insecure, land a handsome, sensitive guy. Hooray!)
Was anyone else moved by Ian Fletcher? I'd love to hear some other comments about him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2021
I am a huge fan of Jody Piccoult, but I have to say this is the least favorite of any of her books that I’ve read so far. I didn’t like the premise of the book to begin with and the only character in the book that I really liked was...well, I guess I really didn’t find any of the characters relatable. I found many Parts of the plot unbelievable, starting with the supposed Stigmata of the little girl. I also found the development of the mother and the journalist Ian to be a little far-fetched. f you happen to pick up this book as your first Piccoult book, don’t let it sour you. Try My Sister’s Keeper or Leaving Time. Those are much better reads, in my opinion.
September 7, 2015
3 ½ stars
The story is a bit formulaic as most Jodi Picoult books are but sometimes that makes for comfort reading.
The story: Seven-year-old Faith is caught in the middle of her parents crumbling marriage and in much need of a friend to confide in. That is when her imaginary friend steps in. Not long after, miracles start to occur around Faith, and her mother starts to realize that Faith is not only speaking to "God", but that her God is a woman. And then the media and church gets wind of this…
There is a definite hook that made me listen to this even while I was not driving (which is where I normally listen to my audio books). Picoult writes well and chooses interesting and controversial issues to work through and I also appreciate the fact that she kept the ending slightly open to interpretation so readers can draw their own conclusions.
I have no hesitation recommending this as a nice and easy read however, for me, it was not completely flawless.
As the majority of the story focuses on Mariah and her struggle to keep her daughter with her, I think an opportunity was missed to flesh out Faith’s character and not just use her as the catalyst to create controversy and momentum. The same goes for Ian Fletcher.
But I also have to mention that I bought the abridged audio version by accident so perhaps I missed some of the buildup and nuances that would have been present in an unabridged version.
I added the extra ½ star as the narrator Megan Dodds did a stellar job with this audio version.
The story is a bit formulaic as most Jodi Picoult books are but sometimes that makes for comfort reading.
The story: Seven-year-old Faith is caught in the middle of her parents crumbling marriage and in much need of a friend to confide in. That is when her imaginary friend steps in. Not long after, miracles start to occur around Faith, and her mother starts to realize that Faith is not only speaking to "God", but that her God is a woman. And then the media and church gets wind of this…
There is a definite hook that made me listen to this even while I was not driving (which is where I normally listen to my audio books). Picoult writes well and chooses interesting and controversial issues to work through and I also appreciate the fact that she kept the ending slightly open to interpretation so readers can draw their own conclusions.
I have no hesitation recommending this as a nice and easy read however, for me, it was not completely flawless.
As the majority of the story focuses on Mariah and her struggle to keep her daughter with her, I think an opportunity was missed to flesh out Faith’s character and not just use her as the catalyst to create controversy and momentum. The same goes for Ian Fletcher.
But I also have to mention that I bought the abridged audio version by accident so perhaps I missed some of the buildup and nuances that would have been present in an unabridged version.
I added the extra ½ star as the narrator Megan Dodds did a stellar job with this audio version.
July 28, 2019
After reading House Rules and experienced the powers of Jodi Picoult’s style of writing, I had to read another book for her… so I picked up Keeping Faith.
This one is different… it’s more spiritual as it’s about a little girl who has an imaginary friend that she called her "Guard". It’s up to you to understand that this “Guard” is not really a Guard, as the girl starts developing the powers of healing, and becomes the center of attention in her neighborhood.
There is love and dedication from her mother, her wants to protect her child and going against the odds to ensure her safety. She also goes through struggle with the men around her, and how she became so close to death… more than once.
It’s a deep story of sacrifices, love and miracles.
I just love the way Picoult makes you feel every word and transport you to a world of holy magic, even if you don’t believe in it.
This one is different… it’s more spiritual as it’s about a little girl who has an imaginary friend that she called her "Guard". It’s up to you to understand that this “Guard” is not really a Guard, as the girl starts developing the powers of healing, and becomes the center of attention in her neighborhood.
There is love and dedication from her mother, her wants to protect her child and going against the odds to ensure her safety. She also goes through struggle with the men around her, and how she became so close to death… more than once.
It’s a deep story of sacrifices, love and miracles.
I just love the way Picoult makes you feel every word and transport you to a world of holy magic, even if you don’t believe in it.
December 17, 2018
3.5 stars
April 20, 2008
This book, like all of Jodi Picoult's books, deals with sensitive subjects. This one questions whether God is real or not, it dicusses different faiths and non-faiths, it talks about supposed miracles and believing in them or not, but most importantly it discusses the power of love.
While the majority of this book questions faiths, and what's happening to the little girl, Faith, I think that this story, instead of being about believing in Faith, is really about Mariah, her mother. About her strength and her journey to believe in herself.
She's hurt twice in the same way within seven years of each other and she deals with the same situation in two very different ways. Above being about Faith and her "miracles." I think that this story is about Mariah's strength, her becoming the mother she's always wanted to be and her willingness to do all that she can to be able to hold onto the ones she loves the most.
While the majority of this book questions faiths, and what's happening to the little girl, Faith, I think that this story, instead of being about believing in Faith, is really about Mariah, her mother. About her strength and her journey to believe in herself.
She's hurt twice in the same way within seven years of each other and she deals with the same situation in two very different ways. Above being about Faith and her "miracles." I think that this story is about Mariah's strength, her becoming the mother she's always wanted to be and her willingness to do all that she can to be able to hold onto the ones she loves the most.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2020
Review to follow
March 10, 2016
Compared to her other ones, so and so.
October 17, 2017
7,5 de 10*
Em “Uma Questão de Fé”, Jodi Picoult aborda um tema bastante controverso, uma criança que supostamente faz milagres com todo o circo mediático à volta da situação.
Gostei muito desta leitura, mas terminado o livro fiquei com a sensação de ter as minhas expectativas defraudadas, porque não obtive as respostas que pretendia. O livro está bem escrito (como é habitual nesta autora) e as personagens estão muito bem construídas, mas parece-me que Jodi acabou por fugir à questão principal. Eu, pelo menos, esperava um final mais concreto e diferente do que foi.
Comentário completo em:
http://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.pt/...
Em “Uma Questão de Fé”, Jodi Picoult aborda um tema bastante controverso, uma criança que supostamente faz milagres com todo o circo mediático à volta da situação.
Gostei muito desta leitura, mas terminado o livro fiquei com a sensação de ter as minhas expectativas defraudadas, porque não obtive as respostas que pretendia. O livro está bem escrito (como é habitual nesta autora) e as personagens estão muito bem construídas, mas parece-me que Jodi acabou por fugir à questão principal. Eu, pelo menos, esperava um final mais concreto e diferente do que foi.
Comentário completo em:
http://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.pt/...
December 13, 2007
"I figured that motherhood would be something that descended naturally, the same way my milk came in - a little painful, a little awe-inspiring, but part of me now for better or for worse. I waited patiently... any day now, I told myself, I am going to wake up and know what I am doing."
"My mother used to tell me that when push comes to shove, you always know who to turn to. That being a family isn't a social construct, but an instinct."
"Being a father... is not AT&T commercial, no simple feat of tossing a ball across a green yard or braiding a length of hair. It is knowing all the words to 'Goodnight Moon'. It is waking a split second in the middle of the night before you hear her fall out of bed. It is watching her twirl in a tutu and having one's mind leap over the years to wonder how it will be to dance at her wedding.
It is maintaining the illusion of having the upper hand, although you've been powerless since the first moment she smiled at you from the rook's nest of your cradled arm."
"Uxorious: Excessively fond of one's wife."
"This is the codicil of motherhood: like it or not, you acquire a sixth sense when it comes to your children - viscerally feeling their joy, their frustration, and the sharp blow to the heart when someone causes them pain."
"My mother... she is beautiful, softened at the edges and tempered with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her."
"How could she even be considered remotely qualified to be a mother, knowing that she was every bit as fallible as this baby was perfect? In the stitch of a moment, anything could go wrong... she would look into her daughter's face and see accidents waiting to happen. And then her vision would clear and she would see only love, a well so deep that you could try and try and never know its bottom, but only suck in your breath at its frightening depth."
"Suddenly [she] wonders if moments like this are what qualify you as a good parent: realizing that no matter how you try, you will not be able to protect a child from the tragedies or the missteps or the nightmares. Maybe the job of a mother is not to shelter but to bear witness as a child hits full force... and then cushion the fall when it's over."
"Children are the anchors that yhold a mother to life." ~Sophocles - Phaedra
"And, like the Wizard of Oz, he's learned if you hide long enough behind a curtain of bluff and principle, people stop trying to find out who you are in the first place."
"Maybe there is more to a person than a body and mind. Maybe something else figures intot he mix - not a soul, exactly, but a spirit that hints you might one day be greater, stronger than you are now. A promise; a potential."
"I remember thinking of my heart, balanced just above the baby's feet, like the ball on a trained seal's nose. And then there was the remarkable drive that came when I realized the only way to stop the pain was to get it out of me, to push and push until I was certain I'd turn myself inside out, even as I felt her head widening and changing me and the small knob of her nose and chin and shoulders as they slipped in succession, streaming between my legs in a shuddering rush of breath and blood and beauty."
"Motherhood isn't a test, but a religion: A covenant entered into, a promise to be kept. It comes one-size-fits-all, and it camouflages flaws like nothing else... [my child] is the one thing in my life I got right on the very first try."
"I can feel my daughter's eyes on me, like the sun that touches the crown of your head when you step outside."
"Sometimes there aren't words. The silence between us is flung wide as an ocean. But I manage to reach across it, to wrap my arms around him."
"My mother used to tell me that when push comes to shove, you always know who to turn to. That being a family isn't a social construct, but an instinct."
"Being a father... is not AT&T commercial, no simple feat of tossing a ball across a green yard or braiding a length of hair. It is knowing all the words to 'Goodnight Moon'. It is waking a split second in the middle of the night before you hear her fall out of bed. It is watching her twirl in a tutu and having one's mind leap over the years to wonder how it will be to dance at her wedding.
It is maintaining the illusion of having the upper hand, although you've been powerless since the first moment she smiled at you from the rook's nest of your cradled arm."
"Uxorious: Excessively fond of one's wife."
"This is the codicil of motherhood: like it or not, you acquire a sixth sense when it comes to your children - viscerally feeling their joy, their frustration, and the sharp blow to the heart when someone causes them pain."
"My mother... she is beautiful, softened at the edges and tempered with a spine of steel. I want to grow old and be like her."
"How could she even be considered remotely qualified to be a mother, knowing that she was every bit as fallible as this baby was perfect? In the stitch of a moment, anything could go wrong... she would look into her daughter's face and see accidents waiting to happen. And then her vision would clear and she would see only love, a well so deep that you could try and try and never know its bottom, but only suck in your breath at its frightening depth."
"Suddenly [she] wonders if moments like this are what qualify you as a good parent: realizing that no matter how you try, you will not be able to protect a child from the tragedies or the missteps or the nightmares. Maybe the job of a mother is not to shelter but to bear witness as a child hits full force... and then cushion the fall when it's over."
"Children are the anchors that yhold a mother to life." ~Sophocles - Phaedra
"And, like the Wizard of Oz, he's learned if you hide long enough behind a curtain of bluff and principle, people stop trying to find out who you are in the first place."
"Maybe there is more to a person than a body and mind. Maybe something else figures intot he mix - not a soul, exactly, but a spirit that hints you might one day be greater, stronger than you are now. A promise; a potential."
"I remember thinking of my heart, balanced just above the baby's feet, like the ball on a trained seal's nose. And then there was the remarkable drive that came when I realized the only way to stop the pain was to get it out of me, to push and push until I was certain I'd turn myself inside out, even as I felt her head widening and changing me and the small knob of her nose and chin and shoulders as they slipped in succession, streaming between my legs in a shuddering rush of breath and blood and beauty."
"Motherhood isn't a test, but a religion: A covenant entered into, a promise to be kept. It comes one-size-fits-all, and it camouflages flaws like nothing else... [my child] is the one thing in my life I got right on the very first try."
"I can feel my daughter's eyes on me, like the sun that touches the crown of your head when you step outside."
"Sometimes there aren't words. The silence between us is flung wide as an ocean. But I manage to reach across it, to wrap my arms around him."
August 4, 2014
So it took me about a month and a half to read this book. Usually that would mean that it was so bad that I just couldn't get through it. To the contrary, I thought it was a good book (not great, but good), just a little too slow for me. There were so many times I wanted to read, but I was bored with it, so I just put it down. I thought the story line was a good one, but there was so much unnecessary story added to it, that it seemed to drag on and on.
I thought Ian's press conference at the end was a total cop out. The entire book I spent wondering what he was going to say, what people were going to think when they heard him say it. I am disappointed in the way that played out. I've only read one other Jodi Picoult book (My Sisters' Keeper), but I also thought that story had a cop out in it too - which was the ending. It seems when there is an issue that everyone is thinking about, Jodi decides to play it safe and instead of taking a stand one way or the other, she takes the safe road and doesn't make a decision. That bothers me a lot.
I found Metz's cross exam on Mariah unrealistic as he was was badgering her and downright calling her a liar. Yet her attorney just sat there and hardly objected at all. Those questions, while it made for a nice story, never would have played out in a real trial. Mariah's attorney would have objected continuously and the Judge never would have allowed that line of questioning to continue. Also, the continuous adding of witnesses and exhibits at the last minute by Metz were unrealistic. Counsel submit witness and exhibit lists for a reason - exactly so that this "surprise" doesn't come up in trial. I doubt the Judge would have allowed either. In that regard, I found the Judge to be unrealistic.
I actually found myself questioning Mariah throughout the story. When everyone was wondering if she was hurting Faith, I myself was wondering if there was something we didn't know. Even though we, as readers, saw first hand the miracles that Faith performed, and her stigmata, it still seemed so unbelievable to me, that I thought the only thing that made sense was that Mariah indeed was causing Faith to behave in such a way. But perhaps that's just because I don't believe in god and so it didn't seem real to me.
I also thought there were sooo many characters. I couldn't keep any of the Preists straight and eventually stopped caring all together.
In the end, I will never re-read this book. I'm glad I'm *finally* done. And I guess in hindsite the story added very little value to my life. I'm not going to sit here and think about it anymore and that's usually the sign that the book wasn't that great overall.
I thought Ian's press conference at the end was a total cop out. The entire book I spent wondering what he was going to say, what people were going to think when they heard him say it. I am disappointed in the way that played out. I've only read one other Jodi Picoult book (My Sisters' Keeper), but I also thought that story had a cop out in it too - which was the ending. It seems when there is an issue that everyone is thinking about, Jodi decides to play it safe and instead of taking a stand one way or the other, she takes the safe road and doesn't make a decision. That bothers me a lot.
I found Metz's cross exam on Mariah unrealistic as he was was badgering her and downright calling her a liar. Yet her attorney just sat there and hardly objected at all. Those questions, while it made for a nice story, never would have played out in a real trial. Mariah's attorney would have objected continuously and the Judge never would have allowed that line of questioning to continue. Also, the continuous adding of witnesses and exhibits at the last minute by Metz were unrealistic. Counsel submit witness and exhibit lists for a reason - exactly so that this "surprise" doesn't come up in trial. I doubt the Judge would have allowed either. In that regard, I found the Judge to be unrealistic.
I actually found myself questioning Mariah throughout the story. When everyone was wondering if she was hurting Faith, I myself was wondering if there was something we didn't know. Even though we, as readers, saw first hand the miracles that Faith performed, and her stigmata, it still seemed so unbelievable to me, that I thought the only thing that made sense was that Mariah indeed was causing Faith to behave in such a way. But perhaps that's just because I don't believe in god and so it didn't seem real to me.
I also thought there were sooo many characters. I couldn't keep any of the Preists straight and eventually stopped caring all together.
In the end, I will never re-read this book. I'm glad I'm *finally* done. And I guess in hindsite the story added very little value to my life. I'm not going to sit here and think about it anymore and that's usually the sign that the book wasn't that great overall.
January 10, 2009
This book had a bit of a slow start, but I was hooked by the ending... I was up till 2am with 'just a little bit more', until I had finished it!! One of those ones where I wish there were half stars, so this could be a three and a half!
"As Mariah White struggles with depression her seven-year-old daughter Faith seeks solace in a new friend - a friend who may or may not be imaginary. Faith talks to her 'Guard' constantly and begins to recite passages from the Bible - a book she's never read. After a succession of visits to psychiatrists, all of whom conclude Faith is not hallucinating, the unimaginable starts to seem possible: perhaps Faith may actually be seeing God. When Faith's cachet is enhanced by reported miracle healings and alleged stigmata, she is touted as a prophet.
Amidst the gathering storm of controversy, most disruptive of all is the arrival of two men: one a renowned television atheist who plans to debunk faith's claims and help boost his flagging ratings, and the other her divorced father whose fear for his daughter's safety leades him to battle for custody. As Mariah finds herself fighting to keep her daughter, she has to push past her own insecurities and stand up for herself and her competence as a parent.
Keeping Faith explores a family plagued by the media, the medical profession, and organised religion in a world where everyone has an opinion but no one knows the truth. At her controversial and compelling best, Jodi Picoult explores the moment when boundaries break down, and when the only step left to take is to take a leap of faith."
"As Mariah White struggles with depression her seven-year-old daughter Faith seeks solace in a new friend - a friend who may or may not be imaginary. Faith talks to her 'Guard' constantly and begins to recite passages from the Bible - a book she's never read. After a succession of visits to psychiatrists, all of whom conclude Faith is not hallucinating, the unimaginable starts to seem possible: perhaps Faith may actually be seeing God. When Faith's cachet is enhanced by reported miracle healings and alleged stigmata, she is touted as a prophet.
Amidst the gathering storm of controversy, most disruptive of all is the arrival of two men: one a renowned television atheist who plans to debunk faith's claims and help boost his flagging ratings, and the other her divorced father whose fear for his daughter's safety leades him to battle for custody. As Mariah finds herself fighting to keep her daughter, she has to push past her own insecurities and stand up for herself and her competence as a parent.
Keeping Faith explores a family plagued by the media, the medical profession, and organised religion in a world where everyone has an opinion but no one knows the truth. At her controversial and compelling best, Jodi Picoult explores the moment when boundaries break down, and when the only step left to take is to take a leap of faith."
August 25, 2018
This novel is more about the ideas and questions than about characters or plot. The characters are unoriginal, and if you like a neat linear plot that resolves everything at the end, this book will disappoint you there, too.
However, the strength of the novel -- and a strength much more important than any weaknesses -- is the authenticity with which questions about 'faith' and God are approached. Here, too, the lack of complete resolution works in the novel's favour.
Given that considerable strength, I do wish the novel had accomplished two things. First, while the question remains open as to whether or not the child is seeing and speaking with God, the healings she performs are never questioned -- despite some of these being quite dramatic. Yes, people wonder whether or not there is a hoax on the part of the healer, but the healings themselves and those who experience them are never questioned. Second, the novel did not discuss the problem of evil, or how and why a good, loving, all-powerful God allows suffering. It danced around the issue, but never dealt with it directly, which I think was a missed golden opportunity.
Generally, though, it was enjoyable to read and I would recommend it to others who are interested in the issues and questions surrounding faith and doubt that it does raise.
However, the strength of the novel -- and a strength much more important than any weaknesses -- is the authenticity with which questions about 'faith' and God are approached. Here, too, the lack of complete resolution works in the novel's favour.
Given that considerable strength, I do wish the novel had accomplished two things. First, while the question remains open as to whether or not the child is seeing and speaking with God, the healings she performs are never questioned -- despite some of these being quite dramatic. Yes, people wonder whether or not there is a hoax on the part of the healer, but the healings themselves and those who experience them are never questioned. Second, the novel did not discuss the problem of evil, or how and why a good, loving, all-powerful God allows suffering. It danced around the issue, but never dealt with it directly, which I think was a missed golden opportunity.
Generally, though, it was enjoyable to read and I would recommend it to others who are interested in the issues and questions surrounding faith and doubt that it does raise.
July 27, 2020
Faiths Dad left her and her mom Mariah and Mariah is not doing well. Mariah is depressed, lonely and miserable and she doesnt bond with Faith.
Suddenly, Faith having no religious background starts hearing things from God. Once the media and her father finds that out he wants back in his daughters life because hes greedy.
Mariah just wants whats best for Faith but not shes stuck in a custody battle and doesnt know if she will be able to keep Faith.
Obviously being Jodi Picoult it was wonderful. The characters had debth and layers. The story pulled me in, wanting more.
She has a way of writing that pulls me in and makes me believe the characters lives and problems are real.
Suddenly, Faith having no religious background starts hearing things from God. Once the media and her father finds that out he wants back in his daughters life because hes greedy.
Mariah just wants whats best for Faith but not shes stuck in a custody battle and doesnt know if she will be able to keep Faith.
Obviously being Jodi Picoult it was wonderful. The characters had debth and layers. The story pulled me in, wanting more.
She has a way of writing that pulls me in and makes me believe the characters lives and problems are real.
August 6, 2009
“Keeping Faith” is about seven year old Faith White, who has been conjuring visions of what seems to be God. Actually, this book is not just about Faith, but about her entire family as well. After Mariah White, Faith’s mother, catches her husband cheating on her with a woman named Jessica; that is when Faith begins envisioning God. So afterwards a whole bunch of legal drama occurs, including Colin, Faith’s father, wanting custody of her, Ian Fletcher, a television star atheist who has a sudden interest in the White family, and a whole bunch of other religious popes, priests, and what not.
I actually am very tired right now as I am writing this review, so I’m going to make this short. I enjoyed this novel as much as any other Jodi Picoult novel, the only thing I didn’t like so much was how the book focused a little bit too much on religion and little bit too less on Faith. Although she was the main character, I would’ve liked to get to know her a little better. Otherwise, this was another great novel by Jodi Picoult, it included a lot of interesting plots and twists, great characters, and a storyline that had me hooked until the end.
I actually am very tired right now as I am writing this review, so I’m going to make this short. I enjoyed this novel as much as any other Jodi Picoult novel, the only thing I didn’t like so much was how the book focused a little bit too much on religion and little bit too less on Faith. Although she was the main character, I would’ve liked to get to know her a little better. Otherwise, this was another great novel by Jodi Picoult, it included a lot of interesting plots and twists, great characters, and a storyline that had me hooked until the end.
December 31, 2012
I've only read one other Picoult book but I've already figured out that what they're not just stories. They're stories that induce you to think about their topic. Picoult likes to leave the door open just a bit, so the endings tend to be a bit ambiguous. The intent, I'm sure, is to force you mull over what the story means to you. In that light, the story was a success for me, but I'm not sure I really liked it because I'm not completely sure if I interpreted the ending the way the author intended it. Did Faith stop having visitations and just decided to pretend she still did? Or were the visitations ever really real? And maybe Picoult wants me to have these doubts. If it's the latter, I kinda think the book should have been more ambiguous all the way through so I didn't feel so jarred by the ending. Regardless, I'm glad I read it.
May 30, 2015
Very interesting & thought provoking
Jodi picoult never ceases to grasp my complete attention with her writing and this book was no exception. She writes with such passion and knowledge about her subjects you can't help but praise her for all the research she has done even if you don't agree with the subject matter.
Keeping faith will evoke many feelings some of which are anger, passion, love, respect, frustration, and pure joy. These are just a few.
I am not even a mother to a human child and I thoroughly enjoyed his book. I would recommend Keeping Faith to anyone who has children, enjoys religious books, or just enjoys Jodi picoult in general.
Great read!
Jodi picoult never ceases to grasp my complete attention with her writing and this book was no exception. She writes with such passion and knowledge about her subjects you can't help but praise her for all the research she has done even if you don't agree with the subject matter.
Keeping faith will evoke many feelings some of which are anger, passion, love, respect, frustration, and pure joy. These are just a few.
I am not even a mother to a human child and I thoroughly enjoyed his book. I would recommend Keeping Faith to anyone who has children, enjoys religious books, or just enjoys Jodi picoult in general.
Great read!
September 28, 2015
Kinda typical J.P. novel...lawyers trial at the end, etc. It wasn't bad and I like to read her books every now and then as a "break" more serious literature. Her books are an easy and fast read and her characters are interesting and (generally) likable. This book had a unique twist in that the 7 year old child supposedly "sees God" and performs "miracles" - good topic, made for some interesting reading about how crazy religion really can be and how it divides people. I liked how the Rabbi and the Priest kind of end of as buddies...LOL
September 29, 2016
I'm not a very religious person but I enjoyed listening to this book. I'm not sure I would have kept on going had I been reading the book as opposed to listening to it. The narrators did a great job bringing the book to life for me. Nonetheless, it was a great story! Jodi Picoult hasn't disappointed yet! Highly recommend this audiobook.
March 6, 2016
This book just took me aloot of time !! it is totally not what i expected " not in a good way " , over dramatic !!!, but i don't want to hide the fact that it tickled the back of my brain in several beautiful points !!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,213 reviews