Author: Julian Guthrie
Publisher/Format: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt : e-galley 292 pages
Subject: Closure of Catholic parish, Catholic church politics
Setting: San Francisco
Genre: Non-fiction
Source: Net galley from publisher
This was a so-so read I got it as an e-galley from the publisher. I found it enlightening but tedious. Due out sometime this month, I won't be rushing to put it on my 'gotta have' list. Although well-written, it reads like the series of newspaper articles that gave birth to the project. If you are from the San Francisco area, and are interested in local history, it will appeal to you. If you have an ax to grind with the Catholic church, it will appeal to you. If you're looking for intelligent decision-making, and/or happy endings, don't get your hopes up.
Essentially, the story centers around a small group of people who refused to accept the inevitable -- a building that had served as their physical place of worship was going to be closed down by their religious superiors. They acknowledged that "church" meant the worshiping community, but did not seem able to separate the community from the building. A lot of time, energy and money spent to get them through the trauma to a reluctant acceptance. SAD.
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