Review of A Curate in Love
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
- Emily Meadows
- In It Together VIP
- Posts: 571
- Joined: 29 Sep 2022, 15:15
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 78
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-emily-meadows.html
- Latest Review: Forever Young by Karma Wiederrick
Review of A Curate in Love
"A Curate in Love" by Richard Hughes is a charming novel that follows the journey of Richard Hughes, a theology graduate from the University College, Bangor, Wales. The story unfolds as Richard starts his new job as the assistant curate at Mold Parish Church. As Richard begins his new life as a church leader, he remains connected to the love of his life, Ann Stephens. Ann is an avid and vocal atheist. As Richard grows in his job and deepens his ties to the community, he and Ann spend time together as frequently as they can manage. Adding to the complexity, Richard’s family doesn’t think highly of Ann, and Ann’s family doesn’t think highly of Richard.
Richard finds himself entangled in the complexities of both faith and love. The Mold Parish Church, also known as St. Mary's Church, has a rich history dating back to the 1490s. The pastor of the church is devoted to preserving its history, including morning and evening prayers, scarlet robes for the choir, and maintaining the ceremonial traditions of the past. Richard learns the previous curate left the job after one week, which gives him trepidation. But he continues forward with determination, committed to making things work professionally and personally. Do Richard and Ann find common ground that allows them to move forward together? Are they able to find an intersection between their love and differing religious convictions?
I enjoyed reading this book. The writing was descriptive and engaging, for example, on page 9, when the author describes someone as “an engagingly rotund Pickwickian figure in a diminutive pork-pie hat.” That sentence drew me into the story and made me hope for more sentences like it. The author kept the chapters short, rotating between happenings in the community, time between Richard and Ann, and historical information about the area and church. The narrative moved forward at a methodical but steady pace.
There were times in the book when I got lost in the well-cited but numerous references made. The author included more theological and historical details than were probably needed. For example, when Richard and his father found a church register that dated back to 1576, readers learned that the church register contained everything from the employment of a mole-catcher to marriages and baptisms. As a reader, I would have preferred more stories about Richard’s life than minute historical details.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I appreciated the writing, the history, and the tale of Richard and Ann. However, the book would have been slightly more enjoyable with fewer citations and more of the quirky, well-described stories interspersed throughout. This book would appeal to religious scholars, especially those who are interested in “The Book of Common Prayer” and its role in Christianity (which was the prayer book used in St. Mary’s Church). Readers who grew up in Anglican churches might also enjoy this book; the hymns, prayers, and rituals would feel familiar.
******
A Curate in Love
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
-
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 162
- Joined: 05 Aug 2023, 03:16
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 39
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lisa-p-cowling.html
- Latest Review: The one that kills you by Rick Rothermel
-
- In It Together VIP
- Posts: 160
- Joined: 02 Sep 2023, 07:25
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 20
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lunar-gate.html
- Latest Review: My Trip To Adele by R.I.Alyaseer and A. I Alyaseer
-
- Posts: 343
- Joined: 20 Jan 2024, 16:26
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 12
-
- Posts: 183
- Joined: 19 Jan 2024, 10:52
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 16
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-timothy-gye.html
- Latest Review: Original Wisdom by Donna Bond
-
- Posts: 326
- Joined: 09 Jan 2024, 11:25
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 32
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tobi-adefila.html
- Latest Review: Sex and the Sixty Something Guy by Mr. X
- 2024 Reading Goal: 20
- 2024 Goal Completion: 20%
Thanks for the review.
- shama naser
- Posts: 1
- Joined: 17 Feb 2024, 07:09
- Bookshelf Size: 0
-
- In It Together VIP
- Posts: 75
- Joined: 16 Feb 2024, 15:17
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 20
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-christabel-nmeso.html
- Latest Review: The Unfakeable Code® by Tony Jeton Selimi
-
- Posts: 216
- Joined: 10 Feb 2024, 22:49
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 21
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-anil-baade.html
- Latest Review: The DrugTech Trilogy by Marcel Victor Sahade
-
- Posts: 32
- Joined: 14 Feb 2023, 16:07
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 11
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-taiwo-hakeem.html
- Latest Review: Snatched Up to Heaven! by Jemima Paul and Arvind Paul