Author: Coralie Hughes Jensen

Publisher: Lighting Rider Press

ISBN: 0-9787318-1-6

I liked the format of this book, the setting out in small and varied chapters allowed  the story to flow easily. This novel is a captivating read full of twists and secrets that instantly have your attention from the very first chapter.  When Father Jonah Devlin arrives in the fishing village of Passup Point he becomes immediately aware of the wild  atmospheric elements. Coming from Boston USA to the deep penetrating cold of this rural community where poverty and despair is rife, Jonah wonders how he can help his congregation. The church is stripped bare and in a state of dilapidation. DIY seems like the only option until Kylie and Jason, two young brothers, offer to help restore the church to its former glory.

Father Jonah seems quite distant and a man of few words when you first get to know him, however his past is not all that it seems. He has found himself banished to this part of the world where, cut off from civilization by it’s geographical setting, its residents face a daily battle with the elements.  The residents are starved not only of the warming rays from the sun but also of hope for the future. Gradually Jonah gets to know his parishioners and tries to give them the support and comfort he feels they have been deprived of.  

Phoebe Slade quite fancies this new priest  but she has a decent husband. She takes Jonah under her wing and offers to wash and iron his vestments, as well as inviting him to dinner to meet some residents of Passup Point. The food served however was alien and turned his stomach, consisting of cod’s tongue and seal flipper pie.

A lucky escape at Judy’s another of his flock was enough to scare him to death and was it possible he stayed the night at Alberta Richards the night of the bad snow?.

Seeking a more comfortable sanctuary, Jonah turns to The Bar and Grille coffee shop which provides the perfect place for meeting more people and it is there he strikes up a friendship with Gabrielle, a young waitress who is struggling to raise her two brothers. She is to figure greatly in the story of Father Jonah.

Stories of the local residents, such as Phoebe and her husband are woven into the plot and create even more depth. I think this part is so cleverly written with a dash of humour too.

Father Jonah had many dreams or recollections of his first assignment after his ordination fifteen years before, where he had been a very successful priest.  The Bishop had other ideas for him though after the priest sanctioned a service for gays.  A baptism at Passup Point brought back memories of being a Catholic Father but were these genuine memories? In an old newspaper there had been a scandal involving young boys.  Father Jonah knows his own sexuality but is unable to ignore the past.

Why has Jonah been exiled to this God forsaken place? Is he really an Anglican priest?

Coralie Hughes writes about complex characters  and situations with her unique ability. These characters become very realistic and colourful as you read more into their lives and  problems. The priest’s sorrow, anger and frustration  are at one with the wild and bleak conditions in this desolate fishing hamlet.

A clever intriguing novel.  

The above review was contributed by: Jessica Roberts: Jessica has been a book reviewer for a newspaper and a national women's magazine and is working on a novel.