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Proof of Heaven: Book summary and reviews of Proof of Heaven by Mary Curran Hackett

Proof of Heaven

A Novel

by Mary Curran Hackett

Proof of Heaven by Mary Curran Hackett X
Proof of Heaven by Mary Curran Hackett
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  • Published Nov 2011
    336 pages
    Genre: Literary Fiction

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About this book

Book Summary

A mother's faith, a child's courage, a doctor's dedication - a moving and thought-provoking tale of hope, love, and family.

He might be young, but Colm already recognizes the truth: that he's sick and not getting better. His mother, Cathleen, fiercely believes her faith will protect her ailing son, but Colm is not so sure. With a wisdom far beyond his years, Colm has come to terms with his probable fate, but he does have one special wish. He wants to meet his father who abandoned his beloved mother before Colm was born.

But the quest to find the dying boy's missing parent soon becomes a powerful journey of emotional discovery - a test of belief and an anxious search for proof of heaven.

A magnificent debut novel, Mary Curran Hackett's Proof of Heaven is a beautiful and unforgettable exploration of the power of love and the monumental questions of life, death, and the afterlife.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Colm's medical condition and repeated resurrections offer intriguing narrative possibilities. But, weighed down by sentimental prose and predictable characters, Hackett's premise stalls out." - Kirkus Reviews

"[T]he focus on [Cathleen's] struggle to reconcile faith and loss both overwhelms and undercuts an otherwise interesting premise that the author took from her own life." - Publishers Weekly

"Reminiscent of Carol Cassella's recent work, this is an emotionally fulfilling, spiritually inviting, thought-provoking novel." - Booklist

This information about Proof of Heaven was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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bookaddict11

Excellent First Novel
This book has more heart and depth than any I've read in a long time. I read it very quickly and found it hard to put down. The main characters of Cathleen, Colm, Sean, and Dr. Basu were well developed and I was able to connect with each of them in a different way. This book puts an interesting twist on the age old question of "What is Heaven".... and it dives deeply into the "concept" of Heaven, and how it is different for everyone. I look forward to more books from this author!!!

Carol T. (Ankeny, Iowa)

Fast read, Good analogies
While some of Hackett's scenes are contrived and she frequently resorted to telling her readers what they should have gotten from a story or scene when she might have trusted them to "get the point" from what she was showing, the book is a good, fast read, with good analogies - searching and finding, what constitutes a family, the pain and pleasure of unconditional love. An excellent book for book clubs, or just for a few friends to read and discuss.

Peggy

A Mother's Love
For me this was not exactly a fast read. I found the story very touching and an illustration of the power of love to protect and sometimes overprotect and live in denial. There is a lot of talk about faith in this book but there is a fairly good balance too with both sides shown, if still in extreme. You have the believers and the non believers so it isn't really preachy.

The author pretty much put her own life and experience into this book in the character of Colm. Children are incredibly strong when they have such illnesses. I found Cathleen overbearing at times especially in her refusal to accept Colm's feelings. I thought that Dr. Basu balanced it out as the outsider though.

This is an excellent book for reader's clubs. There is so much here that can be discussed from faith and what it means to family and how much the past influences the present. I'd say this book is more for older readers and by that I mean at least 16 yrs and up.

Deb Y. (Blanco, TX)

At Odds with the Other Reviewers So Far
I actually enjoyed the book. It was an interesting premise, I enjoyed the characters, and basically liked the whole book. For a first book, I didn't pick it apart - I just read.............and, to me, it was worth reading. Is it a classic? Probably not, but I certainly wouldn't discourage others from taking the time to read it. Lots of Catholicity (if people object to that), but I think MC Hackett writes about what she knows..........My two cents........

MBB

Proof of Heaven
Sorry to say, not one of my favorites. Although I lost interest several times I continued to read! I felt the characters reacted as any parent/family would. The entire book seemed "weak". I felt as if I was left hanging when I finished.

Anna

Unusual
Proof of Heaven was easy to read. The subject matter was a bit sad and the ending confusing. The mother's devotion to her son was realistic because most Mothers would go to any lengths to save their child. I felt the ending left a lot of unanswered questions.

...8 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Mary Curran Hackett

Mary Curran Hackett is an adjunct English professor at the University of Cincinnati. She lives with her husband and children in Cincinnati, Ohio. Visit her online at www.mchackett.com.

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