Official Review: Of Priests and Porcupines

[Nonso Samuelson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Of Priests and Porcupines" by Marty Meyer Gad.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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As a little girl, Molly Winters always dreamed of becoming a priest in the Catholic Church. She also believed that the Church needed to evolve by changing a lot of its traditional practices and rhetoric and putting love and compassion as the core of its mission. As an adult, Molly's time with a congregation in Massachusetts gave her a glimpse of what a truly democratized Catholic Church would look like. She witnessed this to a greater extent with her church in Minnesota, St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. After the church fell on hard times and was closed by the bishop, the parishioners set up another place of worship, the Catholic Community of the Apostle Mary Magdalene. This church operated in a way that flew in the face of the Catholic Church's tradition.

This kicked off a series of events that saw Molly ordained as a priest over this new church. But this was the only beginning. As Molly used her new office to strive for a truly reformed mode of worship, she began to experience the genuine dangers that women priests faced. Molly's journey saw her meet new families, and form friendships with new people, especially Amanda, a young girl battling her demons. Winters was determined to do her part in birthing a new Catholic Church, but little did she know that her journey was just beginning.

Of Priests and Porcupines gave me a lot to think about. The author, Marty Meyer-Gad, drew from her personal life and struggles, being a woman priest herself. Although this is a work of fiction, I can imagine that the ideas of the Church in this book came from an authentic place in the author's heart. I loved the author's storytelling ability. As someone who would like to see reform in the global Church, the storyline was refreshing for me. Throughout the story, though, I found that my ideas of a reformed Church didn't always align with hers.

I appreciated how the author fully developed Molly's character. Molly's perceptions of politics, religion, same-sex relationships, and corporate worship were interesting to read. The support characters also played their role well, especially Neil, Amanda, and her sister, Binesi. I also loved Meyer-Gad's writing style; her word choices and descriptive writing aided my comprehension exhaustively.

While I enjoyed the story, I think the plot needed just a little more help. For instance, the timestamps of events were not apparent in some places. The entire story in Of Priests and Porcupines happened in the space of more than a decade. However, while reading through, I didn't always get a sense of time passing. I had to deduce this myself a lot of times from the events happening.

Sadly, there were also many grammatical and typographical errors in the book. These errors didn't make the story any less enjoyable. Still, the book could do with some professional editing. I can only give this book a 3 out of 4 stars because of the time stamp issue and the book's errors. This is a relatable story about real issues, so it doesn't deserve a lesser rating. Meyer-Gad is a fantastic writer, and this book is a testament to that. I would recommend this book to people who want to see a world where women have access to the same privileges and responsibilities in the Church as men.

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Of Priests and Porcupines
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[Harty Muli]

I like this book on women empowerment. In her position as a priest, I wonder how much influence Molly will bring to her church. in terms of positive change. Thanks for the insightful review.

[winkieanderson]

I like the intention of Meyer Gad as she is in a Catholic setup and she knows the deficiencies of this particular system. Thus, this book shows writer's own experience being a Catholic priest
to present a true life giving case out of her own experiences to write such story.

[Priyanka2304]

I am not that into religion, so I would pass this book. Though, I really enjoyed reading your review. Thanks.

[Amy+++]

Your discripiton of this book pulled me in, I can't wait to read more.

[gatuguta2030]

Your review is superb.I can't wait to read.
Thanks.

[Pearl Akpan]

I think what is most remarkable was experiencing or seeing in the readers perspective how Molly grew. Amazing review and a wonderful read.

[onyii_review]

Amazing review. Catholic church goers will find this interesting.

[GNerd]

A story about a woman priest? Most delightful. I'll sure look this book up. Good job.