Product Description

For the second time in her marriage, Mariah White catches her husband with another woman, and Faith, their seven-year-old daughter, witnesses every painful minute. In the aftermath of a sudden divorce, Mariah struggles with depression and Faith begins to confide in an imaginary friend.

At first, Mariah dismisses these exchanges as a child’s imagination. But when Faith starts reciting passages from the Bible, develops stigmata, and begins to perform miraculous healings, Mariah wonders if her daughter – a girl with no religious background – might indeed be seeing God. As word spreads and controversy heightens, Mariah and Faith are besieged by believers and disbelievers alike, caught in a media circus that threatens what little stability they have left.

Is Faith a prophet or a troubled little girl? Is Mariah a good mother facing an impossible crisis – or a charlatan using her daughter to get attention?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18005 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Review
"* 'Jodi Picoult's novels often focus on lives turned upside down by some terrible event, and it's her way with the small emotional detail that makes them so rewarding.' - Marie Claire * 'Another fascinating and engrossing read by Picoult' - Closer * 'Picoult fans will not be disappointed. There is the usual compulsive writing, the insight into family and colourful characterisation... a pleasure to pick up, and impossible to put down' - Daily Express"

Review
'Picoult offers a perfectly pitched take on the great mysteries of the heart' (Kirkus Reviews )

'Addictively readable, raising valid questions about religion without getting maudlin. For a novel, that in itself is a miracle' (Entertainment Weekly )

'If you have not already discovered her gripping tales of family upheaval and modern moral dilemmas, make this the year you do. With its themes of marriage breakdown and religious belief, KEEPING FAITH, is as supenseful as any thriller, and full of raw emotion.'

'Jodi Picoult's novels often focus on lives turned upside down by some terrible event, and it's her way with the small emotional detail that makes them so rewarding.'

'Another fascinating and engrossing read by Picoult'

‘Picoult fans will not be disappointed. There is the usual compulsive writing, the insight into family and colourful characterisation . . . a pleasure to pick up, and impossible to put down’

'This is another cracker from Picoult'

'If you have not already discovered her gripping tales of family upheaval and modern moral dilemmas, make this the year you do. With its themes of marriage breakdown and religious belief, KEEPING FAITH, is as supenseful as any thriller, and full of raw emotion.'

Kirkus Reviews
'Picoult offers a perfectly pitched take on the great mysteries of the heart'

Customer Reviews

A Little Girl's Imaginary Friend Is God
When Mariah White catches her husband cheating on her for the second time, the only thing that she has to live for is their 7 year-old daughter, Faith. But Faith's way of coping is to create an imaginary friend, one called God, and when Faith starts performing miracles people begin taking notice of her. Soon the White family's life becomes a three ring circus, complete with a custody battle for Faith, religious figures and followers camping out in their garden, a TV reporter on a personal crusade determined to discredit Faith's abilities, and at the centre of it all, a mother trying to connect with her daughter.

I admit because of the religious aspects of this book, I wasn't that interested in reading it, but my mother gave it to me as a birthday present and I proceeded to read it within three days. It was a terrific and addictive story which was more complexthan I thought. With many hidden tales and an intriguing court case the story had me gripped after the first few chapters. The custody battle comes the the forefront of the book in the second half and is very frustrating to read, but in a good way, when you want to interact with the characters.

As the main character Mariah initially comes off as cold and not very close to her daughter, but this changes as she tries to keep Faith out of harm's way. Faith, herself is a cute, precocious kid who just wants her mother's love and doesn't understand what she's doing by talking to God.

This is a good story that will keep you interested, so give it a chance.

Picoult at her best - no spoilers
To me "Keeping Faith" is one of her best books to date, and I have read a few. I think peoples opinions of this book vary so much because a lot of it is down to taste on the subject matter.
It seems to start where Maria White, who thinks her and her husband have a great relationship, finds out he's cheating and she's with Faith when he's caught out with another woman. After he leaves, Faith starts a friendship with an imaginary friend initially called "guard". It's when she starts quoting passages from the bible, even though not from a religious or church going family, that her mother starts to worry. Her actions that follow, become known to the public and crowds gather outside her home. Some believers and some thinking Mariah is just trying to make some money from the little girl.
It makes you wonder whether this could really happen or not and Jodi Picoult leaves you wondering. Her handling of the subject matter is fantastic, and the way she makes the various relationships evolve in the book is very well handled.
I know some of the reviews on here are mixed, but certainly give it a go, and although you may not believe the subject matter it really does make for a good piece of fiction.

Strange and tedious
I have enjoyed some of Picoult's other books, but struggled to finish this one. I found it to be extremely far fetched in some places, with the Jesus-like miracles Faith was supposed to be performing, such as bringing her dead Grandma back to life and healing all the ill people in the hospital. Even though I'm not much of a cynic, I found myself thinking 'Oh, please' in several places, and this stopped me from enjoying it. A few of her other books have been very enjoyable because they deal with more believable life issues. This book, I just found strange and tedious.