Customer Reviews

The Feast of Saint Bertie: A Novel

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Bertie is trying to be something more than she is by becoming less. She is seeking the living God by trying to allow Him room to come to her. But unplugging from a wired world and plugging into God isn't so easy. How do you shed the trappings of the modern age when they chase you to your hiding place?

Brimming with ordinary mircles, and loving detail, Popa invites readers deep into the heart of an untamed God. And challenges us to shift our perspective and see how close He is. Rich reading for the spiritually starved. Don't hesitate to dig in!

The title of this book does not give you an idea what you will find inside. Bertie starts out losing her husband after an illness that was hard to deal with. The day of his funeral her house is burned to the ground. Her son is missing and she cannot find him to tell him of his Dad's death.
What you find in this book is life as it happens to so many of us and we don't realize how it affects those around us. You find a wife grieving for the loss of her husband and her son's return. You find her trying to find answers and simplfy her life during her grief. You find a friend who stays with her even if at times their lives seem so different.
A journey through home delivery of a baby, people and their faith, marriage problems of those Bertie encounters in her endeavor to be alone with God.
One thing I have learned in life is God uses people to affect us. Even when we may be setting out on one journey, God may have a different direction and different plans entirely. Disruptions to our schedule may be for the good in the long run.
As one who has walked through the rebellion of a child, I could relate to Bertie looking for her grown son. You learn a lot about homeless people and homeless shelters on the road.
An act of kindness can change a person - in this case a young lady who is pregnant and looking to spells and such instead of what her Grandmother believed.
Entwined in this book is how paths cross, recross, and sometimes come to a happy ending.
A must read.

"Fire is a lovely thing," thinks Roberta "Bertie" Denys when she returns home from her husband's funeral to find her home burned to the ground. In a sense, it frees her from all that ties her to her past and releases her to worship God in a monastic poverty.

But monasticism is harder to come by than she expects, and relationships from the past, as well as the neighborhood, entangle her loving heart and distract her from the way she thinks she wants to worship God.

In this wise novel, Popa gently skewers spiritual pretention, materialism, new-age worship, and reminds us that love ultimately conquers all. With lyrical descriptions, curious twists and a unique way of looking at modern life, "The Feast of Saint Bertie" has insights about worshipping God in a modern setting that leaves us feeling all really will be well.

The Feast of Saint Bertie
Comments: Wonderful, inspiring, and such a welcome breeze! Very thoughtful and believable. The spirit of this graceful writer is everywhere and on every page you turn in this magnificent story. It will keep you spellbound from the first page clear through to the end. Roberta and India and all the other characters will grab at your soul, as Popa weaves their fascinating, complex, yet often simple story of living, overcoming and triumph. In a world that often challenges us to question what is of real value and importance; and how to live a truly authentic life. This story leaves you with the belief that the answers are out there if we will allow ourselves to discover them. You will want to recommend this book to your family and friends, as I have. They have all thanked me and asked me if she has written any others. Well, of course, I tell them, To Dance in The Desert! And I hear Popa is working of her next book as we speak. How many stories does she have in her? Let's watch(and read)and maybe we will find out. Perhaps she is the next Michner and she'll be keeping us entertained and inspired for decades. One can only hope.
Peggy Kelly Durfey

In Saratoga, Roberta "Bertie" Denys buries her famous in Silicon Valley husband Larry who suffered from Parkinson 's disease. Her only regret is their adult son Garrett failed to show up at the funeral; Garrett vanished four months ago. After the burial, Bertie comes home to find her house on fire; an arsonist struck. Her neighbor Suzanne takes her into her home.

Bertie moves into a rural shed where she plans to pray every three hours and learn what her visions mean. There she meets pregnant general store owner pregnant and single India, Russ, his ex wife Brenda and his ex partner Gil who is Brenda's second husband. Russ and his former father in law Boyd repair Bertie's roof. Bertie also helps at a food kitchen for the homeless where she sees Garrett who came in for a meal. He promises to visit her soon even as letters from her late spouse begin to arrive once a week to help her move on.

This inspirational character study stars a strong female protagonist trying to move on after the death of her beloved spouse who suffered for quite awhile with his debilitating illness. Part of her adjustment is from taking care of her late husband. As she seeks an inner peace through prayer, Bertie wonders if she can find this need for "all shall be well" without first finding her son. With a strong eccentric support cast, fans will enjoy Kathleen Popa's fine contemporary.

Harriet Klausner

I was drawn to this book because of Bertie's search for intimacy with God through a life lived for Him in the place of simplicity and devotion. The writing is fantastic. I loved the characters and felt as if I knew each one. I was truly sorry for the book to come to an end and hope the author may consider writing a sequel. I want more. WONDERFUL!

I was a little intimidated by the religious aspects of this book from the reviews, but read it anyway because it was so highly recommended to me. It was a fabulously written insight into one woman's life and how she comes to questions what she thought was true until that moment. I couldn't put the book down and really enjoyed it even more than I anticipated that I would. The book takes place in the neighborhood that I grew up in, and it's obvious that the author spent some time there as she refers to things in a way that is factual and true. (There's nothing worse than a novel set in an area you are familiar with that gets all the details wrong!) I loved all the references to my hometown! I was a little worried about the GOD aspect, but it is just a part of the story and more spiritual than religious. Give it a chance and you'll feel what Bertie feels, too.

I read this while sitting in my backyard and fell in love with this beautiful novel that inspired me to live simply and focus on everyday gifts from God. Bertie's struggle to dedicate day to day living to the Lord is so relatable in today's culture. I loved the humor in Bertie's mistakes and I was inspired by her passion. I am so glad to have discoverd Kathleen Popa.