Customer Reviews

Our Lady of the Lost and Found: A Novel of Mary, Faith, and Friendship

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This is simply one of the most original and most creative pieces of work I've read in a very long time. I have read reviews that call it plotless and without climax, but I beg to differ. You can debate what a 'plot' is...this book is trying to do many things as once, and I'd say it succeeds in all of its goals. It is an overriding narrative about a visitation; it is a collections of narratives about other visitations (I only found one very minor historical inaccuracy, and Schoemperlen, unlike Timothy Findley in _Pilgrim_, gets Teresa of Avila dead on); in the end it is an examination of our definitions of fact and fiction, and which brings us more 'truth', and what it means to write ourselves a narrative of our lives. And, of course, what Mary means to us.

What is most compelling about this work, aside from the amazing linkages between history and physics and fiction and love and scientific method, are the details. I have never seen a book so full of details, minor and major, from the colour of the walls in each bedroom to the recipe for barley zucchini casserole to the beads of water on Mary's white nikes.They're wonderful details; her narrative comes in the details.

This book is charming, funny, startlingly thoughtful and even, at one point at least, overwhelmingly profound (she got me to cry over my chinese food in a mall food court.) It isn't a standard novel, and at times you won't feel sure that what you're reading is fiction at all (is the narrator really just the author? Is she telling us about her own life? Is this a history book? Is it some form of non-fiction?) But I think it's that variety and that richness that gives this book it's character. I would definitely recommend it, and I've already lent out my copy, and have had requests from others to be next on the list.

"Will you be able to resist the temptation to go and write a book about [my visit] afterwards? You must promise me that you will use a pseudonym and you will call it a novel. When that book comes out, I want to see in big letters that disclaimer on the copyright page: This is a work of fiction. If you break this promise, divine wrath will be the least of your problems. Divine wrath will not even be necessary. If people find out that I have been here, that I have talked to you, eaten with you, and slept in your house, they will descend upon you in droves. They will make a plague of locusts look like a minor inconvenience."

If Our Lady of the Lost and Found were adapted for film -- and it should be -- the soundtrack might start with OutKast, continue with Bach's Goldberg Variations and end with Erik Satie.

This is a touching postmodern ("a word which nobody really knows what it means") story of a perfectly happy solitary writer's perfectly natural perfect houseguest: Our tired Blessed Virgin Mary in need of a quiet vacation and quiet human friendship. It is meditative homage to the nonCatholic, neoagnostic author's new unexpected lifelong friend Mary, an elegy to quiet friendship between complex women who have learned to savor the exquisite pleasures of everyday life with clear understated Zen humor and irony. It is both an eclectic global education in Mariology and the tender, moving "novel of Mary, faith and friendship" Diane Schoemperlen found herself setting aside another book to write.

"Pour yourself a cold glass of water on a hot summer day and remember that the vessel was made by fire, Heraclitus' symbol of change. Think about transparent glass taking on the color of whatever is poured into it: green Kool-Aid, brown tea, red blood. Think about the glass being half empty and half full."

Definitely not for everyone, but highly recommended for those who, like Diane Schoemperlen, find themselves "ready." Those who are will savor a gifted author's understated comic ironic and delicate emotional timing.

Baptized Catholic, raised Lutheran, I left the church behind in my late teens and have considered myself agnostic since early college. Strangely enough though, I've been drawn to the image and idea of the Virgin Mary for as long as I remember. From my mousepad to keychains to the art I create, she's been "appearing" in my life for a long time now. Perhaps it's a feminist attraction for me, rather than religious, her being Jesus' mother, a commanding presence, even if only in the spiritual world, I don't know.

But I do know that I've always tended to view people who see the Virgin's image in inanimate objects as being less than brilliant, as silly religious zealots. Like the narrator, I felt superior to these people, all the while wholeheartedly believing in ghosts, spirits and other supernatural subjects. Why can't I believe that Mary has really appeared? This book has made me look at that, to question why one is more valid to me than the other. Once I was finished reading this book I felt alone and sad, and found myself wishing Mary would visit me, too...

I was drawn in by the title, and the storyline was irresistable. I read this book any moment I could, so enthralled by the way the author interwove history, science and religious fervor, interspersing it with a modern-day first-person "account" of a Marian visitation. The subtle humor throughout kept the story moving along, though I did weep from time to time while reading. This book was so simple and moving, I felt as if the narrator's experience could be true. And Mary, well, she seemed like a long lost friend, someone anyone would be pleased to have as a guest.

I finished this book this afternoon, and now I feel a sense of loss. Of course I can reread it, and I most certainly will, but the second reading won't be the same as the first. Like the Uncertainty Principle that Schoemperlen uses as a theme of the book, I feel forever changed as a result of having read this wonderful book. Anyone who loves reading about friendships, especially between women, will like this story. Whether you believe in the Virgin Mary or not, I highly recommend Our Lady of the Lost and Found.

I found this book to be entrancing and very touching. It is written in an autobiographical style, but interpolates a great deal of historical information about the life of Mary and her subsequent appearances around the world. Along the way, we muse with the writer on the role and purpose of Mary, and consequently of ourselves, the women of the world. The novel is a personal faith journey. For myself as a Catholic, it prompted an examination of my own beliefs and feelings about Mary. Although I had long ago side-lined her in my religious devotions, it was to her that I turned for help during the final illness of my mother-in-law, because in the "Hail Mary", we use the words, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death". This became my mantra. My mother-in-law was not a believer, but I felt Mary's presence there helping her at the hour of her death.

The novel is a very touching and readable work and I highly recommend it.

I'm a lapsed Catholic but have always had a curiosity about the history of Mary, alleged Virgin
mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Erroneously I thought the book was a fictional account of a made
up visit between a non-catholic unsuspecting woman and the mother of the Devine savior. I found
quickly that it was that and more! Schoemperlen weaved an intriguing tale that left my imagination
to wander. Several times she had me convinced, because of excellent historical research and clever
writing that indeed Mary did come to visit and refresh herself at the authors home!
Perhaps it was slow at times, but only served to let me recover between giggles of delight.
I've recommended this to all of my Catholic and Non-Catholic (especially recovering Catholic)
friends.

This book was not what I expected it to be. I picked it up thinking I would be reading a light-hearted "chick-Lit" type book that would be an easy read. What I got was a deeply introspective, historical book about the Virgin Mary that I quite enjoyed.

There is a great deal of religious/historical information about Mary that I did not know. Over 20,000 reported visions of her (some quite beautiful, some quite strange.) The author appears to have done a great deal of meticulous research, and I truly appreciate her efforts.

The un-named narrator of the book tells a delightful story of Mary's weeklong stay and there are several humorous moments I enjoyed. I found the narrator to be someone I truly identified with, being that I am also a single woman in my early forties. It's not often that I come across a character like that.

I only have one negative comment about the book and that is the over-use of the "comma." Practically every chapter has a paragraph (or two) that contains a series of words separated by the comma. It was a bit much after awhile. 4 1/2 stars for this one.

I enjoyed this book and will be passing it on to a few friends. I am not particularly religious, however,I do believe in miracles and the power of faith. I found the "religious history" sections to be interesting and insightful. I was never quite sure where the story would lead - so it held my interest until the very end. My only wish is that there had been more interaction with the narrator/main character and the Virgin Mary - possibly with some "answers" to the mystery of God.

I have enjoyed immensely this novel. It is certainly not a typical "beach read" where one just gets lost in the characters or action because there isn't truly much character or plot development. The strength of this "novel" is that all the action is the change that takes place within the mind of the narrator and how she changes during and after her week with the Blessed Mother. I was intrigued by the influence of Mary on how the nameless narrator views her life as a single woman writer. The questions she asks herself regarding her place in the world and how the most influential woman in history quietly and graciously affects the way she thinks about herself is quite powerful. Again, not a traditional novel but if you would like a book with real "meat" about faith and friendship, this is the book for you.

This book was given to me by a friend who thought I might enjoy it. She was right, though this book isn't exactly what I was expecting. The author uses the framework of a visit by the Virgin Mary to explore a number of historical and philosophical themes. How are truth, fact and story related, and how do they impact what we think of as history? What is the role of doubt in faith? How is our image of ourselves based on how we view our life story? These are just some of the themes the narrator reflects on. In addition, this book describes the stories of many of the Marian appearences, together with the stories of many saints where Mary plays a role. Overall, this book serves as a collection of interesting stories while providing a great deal of material for further reflection and thought.