Customer Reviews

A Miracle for St. Cecilia's

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am at a loss for words. This book is one in a million. It has been compared to Mitford, and that would be accurate! I recommend this book to everyone. Your faith will strengthen and be reaffirmed over and over. This book reminds us, that we are NOT on our time, but the Lord's. Don't hesitate to pick this read up and add it to your library!

I have to agree with another reviewer that this book is much, much better than the Mitford series. The characters come alive on the pages of this wonderful story of faith and hope in a small New England town. The miracles that happen to several of the parishoners are an added bonus and crackle with spiritual electricity. The author's afterward relating events from her own life blew me away. If you're in need of a little hope or just a boost to a flagging faith, then this book is for you. I plan to buy copies for both of my daughters to read.

If you are a fan of The Mitford Series, I think you will also enjoy A Miracle For St. Cecilia's. Set in a quaint, charming, New England town, you will meet an endearing set of characters, both parishoners at St. Cecilia's, as well as the towns folk of Dorsetville. Leading the parishoners of St. Cecilia's is Father James, who learns that St. Cecilia's doors will be closed due to lack of funds. Heart-broken, Father James is distressed at what will happen to his St. Cecilia's family, who rely on the church and their friendships there, to get through life's struggles.

Katherine Valentine is a gifted writer, though her style is simple, it is wonderfully easy to read, and creates a true warmth and feeling of comfort. Even though it did seem a lot like the Mitford series, it was still creative in the story lines, entertaining and insightful. For those with Christian roots, it provides some strong messages of faith & hope.

This was such a wonderful book. Do not listen to those who accuse the author of copying the Mitford series. I enjoyed the Jan Karon series but I LOVE this one. You will not be disappointed. The uplifting message of faith and hope filled my spirit.

If you like the Mitford series, you should like this. Lots of characters with personality, some of which I can see in my own parish. I liked the message of hope and faith. The description of Vermont in the winter was almost too good - I kept getting cold hands while reading the book.
Chatty without being gossipy, religious without being preachy - I would recommend this to anyone looking to have some heartstrings pulled.

As a fiction lover and fan of inspirational books such as the Mitford series, I was overjoyed when I heard about the publication of A Miracle for St. Cecilia's. Why? Because in today's world, there is always a need for books emphasizing the theme of Hope - hope in times of despair when it seems that the odds are stacked so staggeringly against us. Katherine Valentine manages to spread the good news that there is good cause to believe in Hope, and she manages to tell a great story while sharing this good news.
Set in the charming but declining mill town of Dorsetville, A Miracle for St. Cecilia's unites a cast of characters who, while engaged in their own personal struggles, come together to fight for a cause close to their hearts. Their beloved Catholic church, the focal point of their spiritual lives and social structure, and a source of financial and emotional support for their decaying community, is about to close. The book brings together an unlikely band of heroes: a dad with a deadly disease, a troubled young computer genious, three aging retirees (one of whom is Jewish, but a good friend to the church), a retired hunting dog, an elderly Irish priest, and the Pastor of St. Cecilia's who has great intentions but just can't seem to pull his parish out of the red ink.
The story moves along nicely and pulls the reader in quickly. I fell in love with the people of Dorsetville and found myself thinking about the many communities across our country who find themselvs facing these same troubling circumstances in their own places of worship.
As a Catholic, I appreciated this book for its attention to doctrinal and liturgical detail. I feel, however, that its message has broader appeal and that it will touch the hearts and souls of many. Katherine Valentine has created a wonderful book here and I look forward to reading the next in what I hope will be a series of books related to these charming characters. Treat yourself to this book, and buy it for a special friend!

This book was sweet and innocent, which are hard qualities to find today. It had lots of little giggles along the way. I recommend it. Catholics will really love it. There are lots of religious mentions throughout.

Having lived in the Litchfield, CT area for 35 years, I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the locations in the book. Characters are believable and certainly all things happen for a reason---not always easy for us to see. Enjoyable reading.

This story shows the goodness in people in a charming small town way. It deals with the clergy and religious as real people with faults and individual personalities who love God and their neighbor. It is refreshing to have a good Catholic everyday story. You finish the book wanting to move to a town as warm and friendly as Dorsetville where people truly care about each other.

A book that is worthwhile reading and you don't have to worry about the language. Can hold your interest and make you think of your own spirituality at the same time. I thorouoghly enjoyed this novel of suspense and togetherness. Of families torn about because of death and then brought back together because of the same. Can't wait for her next book. Really makes you think of your own belief in the Lord and how it can change ones life.