Welcome to Litsy!

I was not going to read this, however coffee friends raved on and on abut it and one handed me a copy. Took me a while to get into it and must admit I skipped read a lot. Author must be smiling. A very timely novel. Interesting ending. A quick read especially if you read like me. 😊.

Good. Follows the story of how a pope is elected. Full of twists and turns especially the one at the end that I didn't see coming.

#Penquin
#PenquinRandomHouse
@penguinrandomhouse

Going into the book I didn‘t know the history of the Magdalene laundries so I didn‘t pick up on all the references at first. But after reading it I did some research and wow this is a powerful little book! I watch the film adaptation (now streaming on Hulu) & thought it was brilliant! To think that this was going on in my lifetime at some point is just horrific. I‘ll be eager to read more from the author.

Quirk of fate that this became available in my library hold list late last week. I, of course, read it right away. It‘s not a great novel, but it kept my interest. I do wish that the big plot twist had been more of a surprise; Harris is a bit heavy handed with the clues. I did enjoy the details about both the titular event, and the descriptions of the setting. I can see how it was attractive as a movie plot, although I haven‘t seen it yet.

I‘ve always been fascinated by the election of a pope. I get this book is fiction, but dang you sure don‘t get to cardinal status by being a meek/humble parish priest. When I think about the billionaires buying themselves a POTUS this book makes me wonder what shady things could be happening now for politics to underwrite some cardinal votes. 👇

So this seemed timely, and I thought it was fascinating. I've read that the details are accurate as to what happens in a conclave, and the author includes a bibliography at the end. I enjoyed the insiders' view, and the plot twists and turns kept me guessing. I'll have to watch the movie next!

p. 5: '[Francis of Assisi] shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace.'

3.75. A page-turner. Read for movie/book club.