Review coming soon

I am looking forward to reviewing Hanna Pylvainen's new book We Sinners which was recently published by Henry Holt Co. We Sinners is about the toxicity of religion, how religion can destroy and chip away at ones life, and in this case a family.

Those of us who regularly attend Church and who are active in parish life tend to notice the good things; fellowship, outreach, uplifting worship. However we sometimes overlook the real tragedies in parish life, stories that Ms. Pylvainen brings up in her book.

Below is a description of We Sinners from the publisher:

This stunning debut novel—drawn from the author's own life experience—tells the moving story of a family of eleven in the American Midwest, bound together and torn apart by their faith

The Rovaniemis and their nine children belong to a deeply traditional church (no drinking, no dancing, no TV) in modern-day Michigan. A normal family in many ways, the Rovaniemis struggle with sibling rivalry, parental expectations, and forming their own unique identities in such a large family. But when two of the children venture from the faith, the family fragments and a haunting question emerges: Do we believe for ourselves, or for each other? Each chapter is told from the distinctive point of view of a different Rovaniemi, drawing a nuanced, kaleidoscopic portrait of this unconventional family. The children who reject the church learn that freedom comes at the almost unbearable price of their close family ties, and those who stay struggle daily with the challenges of resisting the temptations of modern culture. With precision and potent detail, We Sinnersfollows each character on their journey of doubt, self-knowledge, acceptance, and, ultimately, survival.