The Song of Jonah

By Gene Guerin

Book Overview

Unjustly accused in a minor sex scandal, Fr. Jon Armitage, a charismatic but brash young priest accustomed to hobnobbing with the upper crust of New England society, is exiled to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in the early 1960s. There, in the bishop's office, he discovers mediocrity and corruption to match anything from his previous situation. In his zeal, Fr. Jon again overreaches. His punishment this time is assignment to the remote parish of Nueve Niños squatting at the edge of an ancient crater lake on the barren plains of northeastern New Mexico. In this modern retelling of the Book of Jonah, Fr. Jon, like his biblical counterpart, rejects the call from God to his own "Nineveh." In an ironic echoing of Jonah's fate, the priest is swallowed up by a metaphorical whale and deposited on the very shores of the place he was determined to avoid. Nueve Niños, with its long-standing reputation for mistreating its pastors, is an alien world that will prove his ultimate testing ground. Through his slow, often reluctant immersion into the lives of the villagers, Fr. Jon eventually gains insight into himself and his ultimate calling.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826343368
• ISBN13: 9780826343369
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

It's a Page-Turner

The Song of Jonah echoes nicely with the biblical Book of Jonah. There are bits of Thornbirds, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and Lilies of the Field, and a whole lot more of Guerin's own special feel for the people and lore of New Mexico. He has also filtered in a great sense of humor. Top it off with a subplot about dozens of pieces of stolen art, and this one's a page-turner; I hope Guerin's working on a third book.

Will make a great movie!

This is a terrific book. Tried just commenting on the section where someone wrote they couldn't put it down. I wanted to agree with that but for some reason can't see that my comment went through. Full disclosure- I've known Gene for a long time. We used to work together. I read his first book "Cottonwood Saints" and really liked it. This one is even better. In fact, I think it is great. I can see it as a movie. It is amazing to me that he could improve this much especially as I liked the first one so much. Read it on vacation and I will confess- I resented when it was my turn to drive!

A great read

I enjoyed every page. Gene Guerin is a master story teller. As someone who loves the culture and history of Northern New Mexico, I have become an avid reader of Gene Guerin's books. For those who loved his first work, Cottonwood Saints, this one is even better. I couln't put it down. Highly recommended!

Couldn't put it down!

"The Song of Jonah," Guerin's second novel, is simply wonderful - the best book I've read in a long time. I finished it in two sittings, and I was sad to see it end! The narrative and the characters will stay with you. A perfect conversation piece for any book club. Enjoy!