Our Lady of the Forest

by David Guterson

Book Overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - From the award-winning, bestselling author of Snow Falling on Cedars comes an emotionally charged, provocative novel about what happens when a fifteen-year-old pill-popping runaway receives a visitation from the Virgin Mary. - Surely one of this year's best novels."--The Plain Dealer

Ann Holmes is a fragile teenaged runaway who receives a visitation from the Virgin Mary one morning while picking...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375726578
• ISBN13: 9780375726576
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An Admirable Work

I've seen some other reviews here state in plain terms that the depiction of Father Collins is a stereotype and offensive to the Faith. I can understand that sentiment, but as a Catholic myself, I disagree with it. Collins is intensely human, first of all, doesn't act on his fleeting thoughts of lust (and they are fleeting, mind you ~ the notion that he's "obsessed" with sex is absurd because he's clearly not). He's just a man, even if he is a priest, so I say give him a break. More importantly, he's a good man, and trying to be a good priest ~ ultimately it's his meek heroism that is among the many miracles in the book. More importantly, Father Collins recognizes that it doesn't matter whether Ann Holmes saw the Virgin Mary in the Forest or not ~ because regardless of what she did see, Mother Mary was there. I relentlessly read depictions of the Church in literature and among the hoardes, this is one of the fairest, even-handed handlings of the faith out there. Sure the faithful are rendered as full of pock-marks and Guterson doesn't gloss over anything about their weaknesses and failings. But never once does he stoop to bash the faith. For that I applaud him.

Read and decide for yourself....

I finished reading -Our Lady of the Forest- last night and came here to read what others had written who shared my feelings (a little self-gratification of my own). Imagine my disappointment at the many bad reviews here. However, "Riveting and Remarkable" is how one professional reviewer described this book. I agree. For potential readers, you may find the word "masturbate" as initially jarring as I did. -Is Sex Necessary?- I can only say that it works itself out... the book is filled with sexual images and the initial theme of self-gratification is a necessary mirror to the ultimate redemption. I recommend this book. It was well-written, quite enjoyable and rang true according to my own ill-fated dive into Roman Catholicism and the Marian faithful. David Gutterson aptly captures the real fervor of true believers here. He also captures, I think, the terrible depths of a true cynic. In brief, it is the story of redemption for a poverty-struck town. The author also shows us a deeply-felt understanding of spiritual mysteries in all their glory and sorrow. In the end, WE are illuminated. I thank the author, David Guterson, for so beautifully combining the Gritty Realism and the Magical Realism of the Pacific NW. I admit, I had picked up and put down -Snow Falling On Cedars- but will try it again in homage to my deep admiration of Our Lady. BRAVO

A Book for Divergent Views on Religion and Faith

Yes, this is a novel about faith and religion but it is one of those rare books published these days which can appeal to readers holding widely divergent views on the subject. From one perspective this is an inspiring story of faith and redemption...from another, a cautionary tale of cynicism and greed. And to his credit, the author David Guterson never discloses to the reader his own thoughts or views. His main characters--Ann Holmes, Father Collins, Carolyn Greer, and Tom Cross--are each fully developed and true to life. They are at times humorous, at times irritating, and at times so very, very sad. This is a beautifully written book...even better that Snow Falling on Cedars. And like Snow Falling on Cedars it is one of those books which friends will encourage their friends to read.

Insightful foray into human frailty laced with Divine Grace

In contrast to a couple of other reviewers below, I, as a Catholic, found this book to be an amazing feat of poetic, insightful analysis of the tensions that we all strive to resolve in some manner, between the frailty and caprice of our human nature, especially in the area of sexuality, and our desire for greater faith and grace, and between the "Church" as simultaneous institution and living organism.As a happily married parent of three children and very active in "mainstream" parish Catholic life, having been involved in charasmatic Catholicism and Marian devotional groups, having traveled to Medjugore in the late 80's, having witnessed a supposed "Marian Locutionary" and the surrounding "hoopla" in the Chicago area at about that same time, having seen saints and shams, and having a rather broad knowledge of the various theological, philosophical and mystical topics interjected and alluded to, "en passent," such as Manichean Cosmogeny, Kaballah, and Platonic solids, I thoroughly enjoyed the perceptive character development of the various personalities involved, whom the author uses to embody and present the various elements of conflict. Through these personalities and their encounter with this unfolding apparition and the "visionary," we see our humanity exposed, and the Grace of God working in unusual, subtle and surprising ways in dark and hidden undercurrents.In the end, we find that God does indeed "work in mysterious ways" and most often in spite of our foolishness and weakness! For the reviewers who accused the author of being "anti Catholic" and too focused on sex, I would say just the opposite. Yes, if you are offended by the laying bare of our human condition, as in the stark portrait offered in Tom Cross, or the "un-priestly" struggle of Fr. Collins with sexual desire, you may wish to skip this book. (Or maybe, it's time to open your eyes to what God already clearly sees in each one of us ... remind me again, why did Jesus come? To redeem sinners, or something like that?) In my opinion, this book is an inspiring affirmation of our great God and his grace, the Catholic faith and the rather colorful assortment of characters that comprise "the faithful" and give vibrancy to our Church. I listened to it on CD on a solo 800 mile drive and found it an enlightening and agreeable travelling companion.

Finding a contemporary Mary in fiction

It is so difficult to find work with vibrancy that adds to a contemporary interpretation of Mary, Queen of the Cosmos, and David Gutterson in Our Lady of the Forest has managed such a task with grace and sensitivity.Gutterson's characters are flawed and very human, and perhaps that's what makes the book so powerful. Mary, in her greatness, looks past flaws and into hearts. As I read the book, I was reminded of the story of Lourdes and St. Joan d'Arc, yet the book is far more than a rehashing of these stories.For me, the book was REAL--Ann Holmes is a contemporary version of Bernadette but with modern and tragic complications. There is no sugar coating as in the church-accredited tales of Mary--Gutterson deals with the ugliness of sexual abuse, drug usage, depression, greed and mental instability, but moreover, he presents to us a story of beauty, spirituality, vision and undaunted belief. As I turned the last page of the book, I was sad that it ended. The book was like a good friend--in my life there are few people who understand a deep adoration of the Virgin, and for 300+ pages, I felt that Gutterson was one of them. On a personal note, for many years, it has been the Virgin who has brought me back around and reignited my own spirituality. Our Lady of the Forest is a good read for those who like well-written fiction and a must-read for those who seek to deepen their understanding of the role of the Mother of God in the comtemporary world. It is, simply, a beautiful and moving book.