Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Saint Catherine of Secaucus by Ann King is a literary tale that explores how the faith of our childhood can, as events and circumstances occur, change and develop. For Catherine Ricci,  a Catholic schoolgirl, becoming a nun was always the dream. She idolized her favorite teacher Sister Alberta and was determined to be just like her. Catherine was ten when Sister Alberta was killed in a car accident and her faith took its first significant blow. Despite coming from an intensely religious Italian immigrant family, Catherine struggled to reconcile her own broken home, a father who cheated on her mother, and an uncle who regularly beat her favorite aunt with any sort of loving, gracious God. As an avowed agnostic, Catherine was determined to attend college and forge a life of her own, jettisoning the constrictions and hypocrisies of religion. It would take a vile attack on her and a subsequent court case to lead her back to where she had first started; living and mixing with Catholic nuns, this time at the Sisters of Charity in Newark, New Jersey. Here she will learn true service and selfless devotion. 

Saint Catherine of Secaucus is a beautifully written story, set in a quieter, more gentle time, or so it would seem. What Ann King does beautifully is remind us that human nature hasn’t changed over time and even when we look back at periods of history like the 50s, 60s, and 70s, we often do so through rose-tinted glasses and forget that this so-called “golden age” wasn’t so wonderful for everyone in society. Catherine’s work at the Sisters of Charity underlies the need for social safety nets for those less fortunate or those who have stumbled. I particularly appreciated the constant discussions Catherine had, often with herself but also with her friends, about faith, purpose, and meaning. Perhaps it is Catherine’s flaws and her willingness to take responsibility for her actions that endear her to readers, but she is also easy to identify with. I found myself berating her for her cynicism and lack of forgiveness whilst still praising her compassion, bravery, and desire to discover her path in life. Any author who can gain empathy for their characters from the reader has achieved their objective as this author has. I love novels that use the characters to prompt readers to ask questions of themselves. I highly recommend this book.