Keeping Faith (P.S.)

One of America's most powerful and thought-provoking novelists, New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult brilliantly examines belief, miracles, and the complex core of family.

When the marriage of Mariah White and her cheating husband, Colin, turns ugly and disintegrates, their seven-year-old daughter, Faith, is there to witness it all. In the aftermath of a rapid divorce, Mariah falls into a deep depression -- and suddenly Faith, a child with no religious background whatsoever, hears divine voices, starts reciting biblical passages, and develops stigmata. And when the miraculous healings begin, mother and daughter are thrust into the volatile center of controversy and into the heat of a custody battle -- trapped in a mad media circus that threatens what little stability the family has left.

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The faithful start to arrive on Faiths' doorstep in search of miracles; along with the media led by a card carrying atheist whose TV show thrives on disproving such hype. They are all found camping out, waiting to have a moment, or a word with Faith. In the mean time the custody battle between Faiths' parents flares up leaving her torn between them as well as more confused with each passing day. The complications heighten when this innocent child exhibits the bleeding hands of the stigmata, leaving the doctors completely baffled.

Jodi Picoult is an author that will keep you coming back for more and will easily make a fan out of you. She takes a story and makes you question it every turn of the page. Something that may appear to be blatantly true is transformed into the totally unexpected, you will find yourself doubting just about everyone in the book at one point or another.

I suggest another of this authors books if you haven't had enough, "THE PACT, A LOVE STORY" which is about a teen suicide, another great read. The end of every chapter leaves you wondering about the veracity of each characters statement. Sometimes she does it with just one word, turning your idea of things "head over heels" when you thought you had it all figured out. Picoult is a truly talented author and worth watching and reading, you will certainly be entertained.

25 of 25 found the following review helpful:

Makes you wonderJun 13, 2000
By J. Green "nose4news"
In 380-ish pages that seem to turn themselves, Jodi Picoult makes readers stop and think about several issues as simple as mother-daughter relationships and as complex as God. Mariah White, for the second time in their marriage, catches her husband with another woman. The first time, she was pregnant with their daughter, Faith. The second time, Faith was with Mariah when Colin was caught in the act. The first time, Mariah tries to kill herself. The second time, Colin leaves and Faith's "Guard" shows up. The seven year old starts performing miracles, attracting media attention, develops stigmata and quotes the Bible, although she's never been subjected to it. Mariah tries to shield her daughter from the attention while trying to find out for sure what is wrong with her. The reader switches back and forth several times, wondering if Faith is seeing God or if her mother is seeking attention. The book ends with a custody battle between Colin and Mariah and the reader wondering how much "Faith" they really have and would have if in a similar circumstance. The book is filled with colorful characters, perhaps the best Mariah's hold-no-punches mother, Millie. A GREAT book that you won't put down, and won't forget after you do.

32 of 36 found the following review helpful:

A FASCINATING NOVELMay 02, 2000
By Nick G
Mariah White catches her husband with another woman (the second time during their marriage), her 7 year old daughter, Faith, witnesses the whole ugly scene. Mariah goes into depression and Faith retreats to a world of silence until she begins talking to her "imaginary friend". Mariah has little concern about the "friend" until her daughter begins reciting passages from the Bible, performing miracles and experiencing stigmata.

Once the media hears of the little girl, they endlessly try to find out more, turning Mariah and her daughter's life upside-down.

Mariah tries to find out what is happening to her daughter as well as shelter her from the frenzy caused by the media.

Ian Fletcher is the newsman who broke the story about Faith and started out to expose her as a fraud. As he becomes involved with the White's, he begins believing that Faith may actually be God's messenger.

The novel has several different themes...religion, media, and child custody.

I have only read one other novel by Jodi Picoult, The Pact (excellent novel as well), but she is an auther whose talent is endless. She writes novels that are suspenseful, controversial, and powerful.

Everything about this book works, the characters, the pacing and the plot.

11 of 11 found the following review helpful:

Disappointed with the Ending, but Still an Excellent ReadJul 25, 2005
By Kelly Houser
Jodi Picoult takes religion in her novel "Keeping Faith." Mariah White and her 7-year-old daughter Faith return home unexpectedly one afternoon and find Colin White, Mariah's husband and Faith's father, with another woman. Colin announces he is leaving Mariah for the other woman, and shortly thereafter, they divorce. Faith is particularly impacted by the divorce and she begins to speak to an imaginary friend that she calls her "Guard." Mariah doesn't think too much of it at first, but becomes worried and takes Faith to a psychologist. Over time, they come to realize that Faith's "Guard" is God. And God appears to Faith in a female form. The media swoops in on the story as soon as Faith performs her first miracle. She raises the dead. Then, she cures a baby who had AIDS. But Faith's visionary status takes a turn for the dramatic when the little girl begins to experience stigmata. Colin, thinking Mariah is somehow inflicting the stigmatic wounds upon Faith and that Faith is in danger, sues Mariah for custody of Faith.

This novel was tremendously intriguing and I would have been more than happy to give it a 5 star rating, if it had not been for the ending. Usually, Picoult answers any questions and ties up all the loose ends by the time the reader reaches the last page. I don't felt she did that in this book. I still had many questions that were left unanswered at the end of the novel, making me feel disappointed by it.

Overall, it was a great book and I would definitely recommend it.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

Mixed bagJun 10, 2006
By Karen Potts
As usual Jodi Picoult creates memorable characters and situations in this book. She explores the relationship between a mother, Mariah, and her daughter Faith, under extreme circumstances. At the beginning of the book, Mariah is very much in love with her husband Colin, despite the fact that he has been unfaithful to her and, at one point, has committed her to a mental hospital as the result of depression caused by his unfaithfulness. When she again discovers him with a woman, she goes into a tailspin and they divorce. About this time her daughter begins to spout scripture and relates coversations with God, who is a woman. When the girl begins working miracles, people flock to her in order to be healed. This unlikely scenario becomes even more complicated, as the girls' hands begin to bleed and the doctors cannot stop them. A custody battle ensues, and complications mount. Picoult's characters are believable, but the situations she puts them into are not, and this is what made the book less interesting to me. Hopefully, she will return to more realistic plots and will leave out the mystical aspects in future novels.

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