Faith by Jennifer Haigh, 336 pp.

Jennifer Haigh is one of my favortie authors. Her novels are each so different and not one of them has disappointed me. Her latest, Faith, is her best yet. It tells the story of a Catholic priest and his family as they weather the storm of the pedophile priest crisis in Boston. Father Arthur Breen's half-sister, Sheila McGann, tells the story. As someone who has in the past distanced herself from both her family and the church, she is an honest voice after the truth wherever she can find it. And when she finds it, she makes excuses for no one. As a Catholic, I found her observations so refreshing. I loved her apt reflections on what's happened to the church in her/my lifetime. But just as real-life headlines have captured everyone's attention, this captivating, well-crafted story will deservedly attract the attention of anyone. Maybe the best book I've read this year!