Customer Reviews

Converting Kate

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Wow, Are you sure this was fiction? It rang true on so many levels, from my early longing and search for religion, but more so about who I was then and now.

I appreciate the all the hard work and spiritual insight that Becky must have, to write such a great book. I laughed and cried as my friend read the entire book out loud over a 12 hour drive back home to Salt Lake City this past summer.

Warning: May effect driving, caused by tears and laughter.

im only 12 years old and i lived like kate did i felt a deep connectionon on how she feels.I loved this book and impacted and I will never forget this book. Its like she was me and understands how I feel about my mother.

Converting Kate gives us a poignant yet uplifting picture of a teenager reared in a fundamentalist church who grieves over multiple losses: her parents' divorce; her father's death, for which her mother refused a funeral because of his unbelief; and a cross-country move separating Kate from family and life-long friends. Adjusting to her new situation, she struggles against the strictures of both her mother and the church, from which Kate slowly moves away. Through her mother's actions we are given glimpses of the ethical lapses such religious groups tolerate in the name of bringing others into the fold, behaviors propelling Kate into friendships with more tolerant friends as well as attendance at a mainline Protestant church. Issues of homophobia also play a part in the story as Kate observes the intolerance of her own church manifested in others, as well. In small, beautifully wrought segments, bits of memorized church dogma in Kate's thoughts gradually give way to quotations from the books her father treasured and bequeathed to her. If you have teenagers in your family, buy Converting Kate, not only for its compelling story, but as armor against religious intolerance.

As a former member of a highly rigid and judgemental fundamentalist church, I congratulate Beckie Weinheimer for getting it right. Without calling down judgement of her own, we enter Kate's bifurcated world, where everyone and everything is either "right" (according to the values she has been raised with) or wrong (everything and everybody else). Kate's turmoil as she questions her previously unexamined faith, and explores her place in that "other" world hits the nail on the head. It is a carefully nuanced tale, for thoughtful readers who may be examining their own basic beliefs. Oh, yeah...it is also a book I was unable to put down until it was DONE!
Way to go, Kate and Beckie Weinheimer!

I had saved this book to read over spring break when I had time to really enjoy it, and it didn't disappoint. I was quickly pulled into Kate's story, curious about her past, hoping she would find a way to feel comfortable in her life while remaining true to herself. Her doubts and questions were honest and ones I could easily relate to. Weinheimer's writing is smooth, easy to read, with dialogue that sounds natural and real. The story deals with so many topics that concern teens today - from one's religious beliefs to relationships with parents, peers, and members of the opposite sex to the ideas of charity and tolerance - and does it all in an honest and thoughtful way. I truly enjoyed this book!

In Converting Kate, author Beckie Weinheimer beautifully captured the true essence of turmoil and confusion as young Kate questions her faith, and ultimately her family and friends. The complexities in this lovely, well-written story made me stop and think about issues I'm not familiar with, most especially those of religious intolerance and the damage it can cause. I applaud the author for her sensitivity in crafting such a genuine and thought provoking story!

I have read Converting Kate several times now and with each reading, find a different pearl of wisdom hidden within it's pages. I have read it outloud on a long roadtrip with my partner and we both cried together over Kate's journey seeing our own similar experiences in her "conversion." I have also read it silently to myself - slowly pondering each chapter on completion.

I always find a true mark of a great story whether on page, the movie screen or elsewhere to be one where the characters come alive in my mind and seem so real that weeks, months or years after experiencing their story I might stop and wonder what they are up to now ... I can't help but wonder what Kate is up to now.

CONVERTING KATE is a deeply moving story revealing the challenges encountered during one year in the everyday life of a young girl. Kate shares her own doubts, her pain and her anger, as well as her joy - all of which are part of her journey of self-discovery. Her rebellions may not cause her any lasting bitterness, her burning resentments may not preclude a fleeting awareness of the fears and needs of others, but Kate's feelings are passionate and they are expressed to those who cannot understand, as well as to those who do. The important contribution afforded by this story is that it can make other young people feel less alone.

Beckie Weinheimer's debut novel, Converting Kate, has converted me into a true believer in her talent. This book, which explores a young girl's break with an evangelical religion, is lyrical and at times, magical. Her juxtapositioning of quotes from the tenets of the Church of the Holy Divine with quotes from great books is a compelling story in itself. And Kate is such a wonderful character with such gut-wrenching, true emotions, that the reader is enthralled from the first page. This masterful exploration of zealot beliefs couldn't have come at a better time and is a must read for all young adults.

CONVERTING KATE was a thought-provoking story.

Kate has been raised by a mother who is deeply involved with a church called the Church of the Holy Divine. This church influences everything that Kate and her family does. It comes between her mom and dad and they get divorced. After the divorce, her dad has a heart attack and Kate and her mom move to Maine to live with Kate's Aunt Katherine so her mom can manage the inn her aunt owns.

Kate loves to run so she joins the cross country team at the high school and she makes new friends -- but she rejects her mom's church. The conflict between Kate and her mother, and Kate finding her own beliefs, are the focal point of the story.

The church that Kate belongs to is a church in the extreme. I would have classified it as a cult. It monitors everything that Kate does. I am quite religious and believe that God is my savior, but my beliefs are joyous and my God is loving and kind. Kate's church believes that only the members of her own church will be saved. This is contrary to the belief that there are many branches to the love of Christ.

I liked the journey that Kate went on but I was sad that she didn't realize that God lives in each of us and that a church can be as flawed as the people that attend it, but that doesn't mean that God can't be there in a lot of its members. I believe that the road that Kate takes is the most important, and that most teens take that path and everyone comes to different conclusions.

Please read CONVERTING KATE if you have any questions about your faith or want to find out about different faiths.

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison