Great post! I know exactly what you mean about the difficulties faced in trying to find a decently written "inspirational" (in my case Christian) novel, as well as the difficulty in finding books that don't make conservatives look like narrow minded idiots.

That was a fantastic review and I appreciate your honesty. I think I'll probably skip this one. I have problems with Elna Baker for the same reasons.

That's the great challenge with LDS lit for me: I want to recognize my faith when I read LDS books. I don't feel the same way about books with other religions, or at least not to the same degree. When I read about my own religion, I want it to resonate with me.

What's your favorite LDS book? Have you read No Going Back? I wanted the writing to be tighter, but I thought the portrayal of LDS people and doctrine was well done.

I'm not a huge fan of the so called LDS literature either. I have read a bunch though (The Work and the Glory... anyone?), but not for a long long time.

I can't remember Emily's book having mentioned Mormons... weird. Must have tuned that right out!

And yes, after meeting an author, I pretty much automatically like their books. I want SO BAD to promote them and support them.

Julie - I know, right? I have faith that there are good, clean, well-written books out there - I just have to find them :)

Tricia - Thanks! I do want to stress that Emily is a great writer - her book just deals with a sensitive subject. I've never heard of Elna Baker ...

Emily - I agree. At the moment, I think my favorite LDS book is TAKEN BY STORM by Angela Morrison. It's a book about a "real" Mormon girl dealing with real problems, but it's not sentimental or cheesy. I haven't read NO GOING BACK, but I need to.

Suey - I've only read the first volume of THE WORK AND THE GLORY. I like the idea of the series, but the writing left a lot to be desred.

Emily's book is all about Mormons. LOL.

I totally agree on the authors - meeting them in person makes it tough to be critical of their books.

Eric Samuelson, a great playwrighting teacher at BYU, has a mantra he applies to many of his LDS-centered plays: "Affirm the faith, attack the culture."

The fact is that, like everyone else in the world, Mormons can be a bit narrow-minded about things that don't fit their ideal of perfection. We're certainly not the only group who does this, but when we amass in concentrated numbers, our ideals--both those taught by the church and our extentions thereof--can quickly translate into cultural mandates. Once that happens, anyone who dares to depart from the norm can feel isolated, shunned, and possibly persecuted.

I loved this book for all the reasons you list and also because of the way it reveals the foibles of my own faith and culture. If frank discussion of our imperfections drives others away from the church, it might not be the best missionary tool, but if actually being right is more important than being perceived as being right, we can always use a book that shows us where we are wrong. (Especially when that makes us uncomfortable.) :)

Besides, I think friends outside our faith will relate more to their LDS neighbors if they can see that we're not as perfect as we like to appear. :) If we're still breathing, we're still falling short.

Of course, the first part of Mr. Samuelson's mantra should also apply, and I do think that this book does a lot to affirm the LDS faith. The teens are imperfect and they have typically confused views of the world and how to cope with the tragedy, but I can't remember a single part of the book where they question their bedrock of faith. They may not always follow it, but the main message of the book is one of acceptance, of forgiveness, of moving on after tragedy, and of the importance of family.

Great review, Susan.

I've been meaning to pick this one up for a while now. I still intend to, though I know just what you are saying about being uncomfortable. I'm impressed with Smith for being able to write it and be so compelling.

The way you describe the author's writing, particularly her empathy for her characters, really appeals to me.

Robing - You already know all my feelings on this book and the subject in question :)

I agree that anyone (individual or community/people) who can't take an honest look at their own imperfections can never learn from them or grow. All of us can be narrow-minded at times - that's very true. However, I think there's a world of difference between tolerance and acceptance.

Melissa - Her bravery is one of the things I respect most about Emily. Also her sweetness, her sense of humor, her warmth, her mad writing skills ...

Stephanie - That's exactly what makes her writing so authentic and appealing.