Customer Reviews

Love in a Fearful Land: A Guatemalan Story

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I think the story of Father Stanley Francis Rother is a compelling one, but Henry Nouwen does not do it justice. I have heard good things about Nouwen's other writings, but this story is poorly researched. I learned more in the Epilogue than I did the rest of the book, and it left me wondering why Nouwen failed to investigate certain aspects of Father Stan's life. Rather than an honest, detailed look into his life, Nouwen paints a one dimensional character and chooses to ignore the human aspects of Father Stan's life. It had a cheesy Catholic feel to it, as if Henry was just writing propaganda to promote Father Stan to the sainthood.

I am glad I read the book, as it exposed me the life of a martyr, and I don't know another book that tells the story of Father Stan. But for a more general investigative book on some of the history of Guatemala's long war, I would recommend Silence On The Mountain by Daniel Wilkinson.