When I put the first CD of Preacher's Boy audiobook in my car player and heard the narrator, I almost stopped listening immediately. The reader of this amazing Katherine Paterson book is the reader whom everyone else loves, but who ruined The Pinballs and Who Put that Hair in My Toothbrush for me. Given that Preacher's Boy is not my typical book, as it is historical fiction, I knew I would have a harder time getting into it as it was and the added misery of the smart-alec tone of Heller's voice made me audibly groan. I gave it a shot though and I'm glad I did. The captivating story of a ten year old Robbie, the son of the Congregationalist pastor in a small town in Vermont in 1899, sucked me right in and I was able to overlook Heller completely. That's saying something about Paterson's magic.
Having pastored a church, I understood a great deal of what Paterson had to say about what is expected of a pastor's kid. I knew lots of PKs and they did have a lot of pressure put upon them. I can't even imagine how much more pressure was put on them back in 1899. Plus, 1899 was a time of change. Darwin had come out with his theory of evolution and this was an abomination, according to many faithful. Robbie's dad is a different kind of pastor though, a thinking man's pastor who isn't afraid of new ideas and doesn't see Darwin as a threat to a person's faith. This, and his strong opinions against war, make him a little less credible in the eyes of some of his parishoniers. Robbie says that some of the men in the congregation wish that he would preach more judgement. I remember a reitred pastor and member of my church saying the same thing to me after one of my Sunday sermons. I wasn't mad or upset. I admired the man and respected his opinion, well, you know, even though he was very wrong.
Robbie gets into trouble and even becomes an "apeist," swearing off his belief in God. This is just a fantastic book. I can't say enough about it and I don't want to give too many details, because it's just a lovely story to read.
Paterson is a woman of faith and has experience in the church and you can tell because her descriptions and details are right on.
Robbie gets into trouble and even becomes an "apeist," swearing off his belief in God. This is just a fantastic book. I can't say enough about it and I don't want to give too many details, because it's just a lovely story to read.
Paterson is a woman of faith and has experience in the church and you can tell because her descriptions and details are right on.
No comments:
Post a Comment