The Blind Side of the Heart : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing - Too Many Holes in the Story
Review: As far as I am concerned, the author dropped the ball on this story. It catches your attention in the beginning, even though I question the accuracy of some of the legal and prison settings and situations. However, this agonizing battle that Maggie goes through becomes boring and overdone. Her friendship, though the author would like us to believe that it ran deep, did not cover the concept that she actually trusted the person she supposedly loved, even though she kept reassuring us that she did trust. There are wonderful moments in the book, but frankly it ended rather flat. It could have been much better.

Rating:
Summary: Decide for Yourself
Review: Blind Side of the Heart is a rare find. Character and plot were developed fully, but the author left enough unwritten that you found yourself drawn into the story. And, I was not left disappointed at the end - even though the main conflict in the plot is not resolved for you by the author. I hate books that are complex enough to engage your mind throughout, then get tied up way too neatly in a trite ending. Not the case here.

If you like a truly good story with fleshed out, authentic characters centered around an issue that strikes home, read this book. It is an enjoyable study in human nature that forces introspection.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully absorbing
Review: Blind Side of the Heart is without a doubt the best book I have read in a long time. And I'm pretty hard to please. I felt as if I personally knew Father Jack and Maggie, which is a tribute to Michael C. White. It takes a rare talent for an author to make the characters seem so alive. I even found myself crying more than once. Although I suspected Maggie's true feelings for Father almost from the beginning, that was okay. It kept me wondering: will she or won't she declare herself to him? This book, while about a horrible crime, was really more about love and loyalty. The ending was very refreshing as well. It was much more true to life than in most books in which all the loose ends are neatly tied up. I'm going to read A Brother's Blood next and will look forward to more books by this author.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and Thought Provoking
Review: I enjoyed The Blind Side of the Heart and the characters within. How many of us are confronted with terrible, gut-wrenching "secrets" (even if they are rumors) about someone we love; we most often turn to our "blind side of the heart", which is what Maggie does in this novel. Maggie is a wonderfully written character and I liked her immediately. She finds herself confronted with circumstances that, at first, she finds unthinkable, but as the story unfolds she has those little nagging doubts and a lot of "what if's" ~~~ The reader must dig into their own minds and hearts and decide what they believe to be true. I finished the book two days ago, and I'm still not sure what I believe. It will be something to ponder for some time to come. That is why I believe it would make an excellent discussion for any book group!! At times, the author got just a little too "wordy" for my taste or I would have given the book 5 stars. It is definitely worth reading and I plan on reading more by this author.

Rating:
Summary: Makes for an Interesting Discussion
Review: I enjoyed The Blind Side of the Heart and the characters within. How many of us are confronted with terrible, gut-wrenching "secrets" (even if they are rumors) about someone we love; we most often turn to our "blind side of the heart", which is what Maggie does in this novel. Maggie is a wonderfully written character and I liked her immediately. She finds herself confronted with circumstances that, at first, she finds unthinkable, but as the story unfolds she has those little nagging doubts and a lot of "what if's" ~~~ The reader must dig into their own minds and hearts and decide what they believe to be true. I finished the book two days ago, and I'm still not sure what I believe. It will be something to ponder for some time to come. That is why I believe it would make an excellent discussion for any book group!! At times, the author got just a little too "wordy" for my taste or I would have given the book 5 stars. It is definitely worth reading and I plan on reading more by this author.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: Maggie "Ma" Quinn has had her share of trouble and grief. Irish born, poor, and fatherless, she struggles through her life living hand-to-mouth. Her mother, a devout Catholic and of very ill-health, is never available enough to show Maggie the ways of life, leaving Maggie to fend for herself. Unfortunately for Maggie, she takes after her father in character--he, a wild-eyed drunk who is killed one bleak night when he stumbles into the path of a passing lorry. Maggie remembers him as given to short bouts of heartbreaking tenderness when he wasn't passed out in a pub somewhere. Though she tries to please her Mother by being the "good little Catholic girl", her reckless side wins out again and again. Inevitably, she finds herself pregnant at sixteen and "deep in her cups", just like her Father. The birth of her son, Eion, doesn't change her much, though it does give her pause more than once to consider the consequences of her actions...to no avail. In one fateful moment, she goes against her better judgement and leaves her then 3-year-old boy alone for a quick afternoon romp with a man who has been flirting with her for months. Eion wanders into a pond and drowns. This, and the death of her Mother shortly thereafter, sends Maggie into the darkest time her soul could endure...a vicious, downward spiral. Trying to escape from her personal guilt and torment, and her loss of faith in God, she travels to America. She succumbs to her demons anyway, unsuccessfully attempting suicide. Awaking in a hospital bed, disoriented and confused, she meets Father Jack Devlin, who sits vigil by her bedside. Thus begins Maggie's redemption...and Father Jack's eventual downfall. Father Jack becomes Maggie's saving grace, taking her in and turning her life around. Father Jack is known for taking in "stray souls" and giving them a second chance at life. Eventually, these good-samaritan gestures come back on him and bite him when one of his former altar boys makes allegations that involve sexual abuse...and which leads to rumours of murder. The wages of unconditional loyalty and passion, truth and deception are all cleverly woven into a rich, warm tapestry of a story by Michael C. White. Detailing every delicate nuance of the human heart during times of strife and conflict, White tells a sometimes disturbing, often beautiful tale of lives caught up in events beyond their control. At the center is Maggie whose loyalty and faith in love seem to come from "The Blind Side of the Heart". An excellent moral story that draws you in and holds you, long after the last page is turned. Read it!

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and compelling
Review: This is a beautifully written novel. White's writing in the female voice is completely convincing, and he catches the lilt of Ireland in the cadence of Maggie's words. It is a beautifully drawn character study that touches on not just theological and sexual issues, but the situation of human loneliness. Beyond this, it is difficult to write about "The Blindness Of The Heart," without revealing too many details readers need to get through to arrive at what they might think. I do feel that almost everyone will have a different take on the situation once having finished the novel. It would be interesting to examine conclusions and how they were arrived at, and the reasons White might have had for writing the story as he did. But his story is well worth reading, and economic in its detail, enabling White to examine many different issues and perspectives without any verbosity. As I said when I reviewed "Felicia's Journey" here earlier, I am a bit outcome conscious. 'Blind Side' is not as elusive as 'Felicia', but readers even more resolution oriented than I may be put off by White's refusal to wrap things up neatly.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and Thought Provoking
Review: This is a fantastic book, well written, with wonderful characters and a slowly unfolding story that challenges you to determine the truth. Maggie, the main character, is a flawed, big hearted, loyal woman whom I loved from the beginning. She is pushed to confront doubts about Father Jack, her employer and friend of 18 years, and the man she credits with saving her life, as he is charged with child sexual abuse and murder. The gathering speed of the runnaway train of public opinion that turns the reputation of a priest against his own interests is facinating. This book is never pat or easy, but very engaging.

Rating:
Summary: Conclusion missed the target
Review: Too many loose ends left me pondering why the quick, explosive yet puzzling conclusion, especially after Maggie had explained and remonstrated for 95% of the book. Perhaps I'm too sentimental but I wished that the author had given her the sobriety to round the corner clearly in one direction or the other. Not that everything has to be tied up, but here there are too many accusers, both criminal and law-enforcing, mean-spirited and ruthless,that simply stroll away without explanation. While the pedestrian wrap-up simplified everything, there still remained an exasperation and melancholy, instead of the reward for a loyal,loving,indomitable spirit. How about a sequel?