Proof of Heaven: A Novel
Release date: 2011 / 336 pages
Synopsis (from Amazon): He might be young, but Colm already recognizes the truth: that he’s sick and not getting better. His mother, Cathleen, fiercely believes her faith will protect her ailing son, but Colm is not so sure. With a wisdom far beyond his years, Colm has come to terms with his probable fate, but he does have one special wish. He wants to meet his father who abandoned his beloved mother before Colm was born.
Review: As the author, who is an English professor, undoubtedly knows, writers are often admonished to “write what they know.” This is what Mary Curran Hackett has done in her poignant, heartbreaking, yet lovely novel Proof of Heaven. Hackett has based the characters as well as Colm’s physical ailments on the people in her own life and on her own physical limitations.
In the novel, Catherine gives birth to Colm, who the first sentence declares, “…had died seven times before his seventh birthday.” Eventually Colm is diagnosed with dysautonomia, a condition where the brain is unable to consistently and reliably communicate with other functions in the body, leading to heart failure and other issues. This drives Catherine to find treatment for her son, allowing her to meet a doctor who becomes a significant figure in her life, as well as providing a reason for her beloved brother, Sean, to tackle his alcoholism and Colm to come to terms with the father he never knew. In addition, Colm and Catherine must grapple with Colm’s impending death and what “proof of heaven” they might cling to.
Hackett creates three-dimensional characters effortlessly, bringing to life Colm and Catherine within the first chapter. Although “faith” is a recurrent issue throughout the novel, Hackett never sounds preachy or didactic — probably a result of the twists and turns of her own faith journey. Proof of Heaven is a very fast read — and while the subject matter is substantial and weighty, the experience of reading the novel is fast-paced and engrossing.
So, while the experience of reading a novel about a boy destined to die at an early age is as difficult as one would imagine, I do recommend Proof of Heaven as an interesting character study that will make short work of an afternoon.
Interested? Drop me a comment and I’ll choose a winner soon!
Check out other reviews:
Tuesday, November 1st: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Wednesday, November 2nd: A Cozy Reader’s Corner
Friday, November 4th: My Heart’s Desire
Tuesday, November 8th: BookNAround
Wednesday, November 9th: Book Club Classics!
Wednesday, November 9th: Into the Hall of Books
Thursday, November 10th: The Lost Entwife
Monday, November 14th: Reflections of a Bookaholic
Tuesday, November 15th: Reviews from the Heart
Wednesday, November 16th: Seaside Book Nook
Thursday, November 17th: A Bookish Libraria
Pingback: Mary Curran Hackett, author of Proof of Heaven, on tour November 2011 | TLC Book Tours
I’m glad to see this is a quick read – I don’t think I could deal with a very lengthy story about a terminally ill child … it would be too heartbreaking for me.
Thanks for being on the tour!
I would not have pulled this off the shelve without your recommendation but …. I’ll give it a try. Sounds like it could be something I would pitch to my book group! Thanks. Kim D
Thank you for the review. I also would not of picked this up if a long read. It is hard to read about a child that sick. I will try.
It sounds like a great, if heartbreaking book.
This does sound like a difficult topic, but it sounds intriquing. Thanks for the giveaway.
Hi there! Please pick me! Thanks for the opportnity:)
Great review. This is already on my “to read” list. Thanks for the giveaways!
have seen this book everywhere and even have a promotional flyer..would love to read thanks!
This book sounds lovely, if heartbreaking. I’d love to read it! Thank you.
I would really love to real this book. I haven’t read anything about dystonia yet. It must be a real struggle.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
Please include in this Giveaway. It sounds like a must-read. Thank you.
Tragic. Please count me in. Thank you
nfmgirl At gmail dOT com
Great review – it made me want to read this one. It will be going on my TBR list.
Sounds like a sad story but one we can learn from, too.
Your review is fantastic. Although the subject mattermay be difficult at times and the story sad, it and some of the characters sound inspiring. This is a book I definitely want to read.
Please enter me in your giveaway!
Thank you!
Aimala127(at)gmail(dot)com