The Barn Dance by James F. Twyman

There are people who consider James Twyman a huckster and New Age cultist, but whatever you think of the man, he has written a thought-provoking book. The Barn Dance posits that there are a few places in the world where the veil between heaven and earth is lifted and the living can make contact with the dead. In his introduction, Twyman writes that he is publishing his story as a novel, but to him it is absolutely a true story. He meets his dead wife at a barn dance and proceeds to learn lessons about his life that his soul has not yet absorbed. I have lots of quibbles with his theology but enjoyed his book, anyway. It is a fast easy read.

Godric by Frederick Buechner

If you like medieval language and religiosity, you'll love this novel about St. Godric. The rhythm of Beuchner's sentences, the use of archaic English, the subtle rhyming and assonances combine to evoke the feeling of a medieval ballad. The story is true to its historical roots, tracking what is known about St. Godric (c.1065-1170). Overall there is more of the earthly than of religion, but Godric's desire for absolution and redemption colors everything. His religion is standard medieval Christianity, and although he is a hermit, he doesn't seem at all a mystic; his is an intense but conventional approach to religion.

The Golden Frog by Michael Mamas

I was very excited about this novel at first, seeing it as the thinking man's "Shack." But towards the end it falls into that boring ploy of lecturing by having one character give lessons to another -- in this case, on connecting to God, the Universe, Oneness, the Force, the unified field, etc. It is an attempt to explain in fiction what it is to have a mystical experience and how to do it. While I'm skeptical about the possible success of this kind of attempt, I did learn a few things of interest. For instance, the Surya method: "The key to proper meditation is that it's natural and effortless. Many meditation techniques try to force the mind to be still. That's all wrong. Proper meditation allows the mind and body to unravel naturally." You are supposed to relax into your true nature, an approach I believe is much better than disciplining yourself into quietness.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

In Addis Ababa twin boys are born. Their imagined lives form the basis for Verghese's 658 page novel in which he weaves plots and subplots around the twins' life in the mission hospital where they grow up. One twin is smart, studious, and conventional; the other is smart, a tinkerer, and unconventional. In spite of their differences and the painful conflicts they experience, the twins are bound in love throughout their lives. Verghese is a doctor, and medicine is a central focal point in his novel; there are many operating room scenes and interesting descriptions of diseases and treatments. Cutting for Stone is well written and interesting enough to pull the reader through all of its many, many pages.

The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty

A fat guy sets off to bicycle across the country letting the trip help him come to terms with the impact his mentally ill sister has had on his life while also keeping him rooted in a relationship to the girl next door. McLarty gives us interesting characters in an interesting story, but there is something profoundly annoying about this book. Perhaps the author is bilking the reader for too much sympathy; perhaps it's the scrambled time sequence. I don't recommend it.

When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson

Violent events (a triple murder, a drowning, a car accident, a train wreck, a kidnapping, as well as beatings and break-ins) set the background against which two heroines struggle to come to terms with their tragedies and establish stable lives. The setting is Edinburgh where 16-year-old Reggie works as a nanny for Joanna Hunter, a young mother and physician. A thirty year old tragedy in Dr. Hunter's life resurfaces and intertwines with current difficulties her husband is experiencing. Reggie and her police woman friend are pulled into solving a mystery and coming to the aid of the good doctor. When Will There Be Good News? is a good read. The only things I found unsettling were the many divorces and total absence of a good marriage.