As a devout atheist, something happened to Sara Miles when she wandered into St. Gregory Episcopal Church in San Francisco and took part in her first communion. The bread and the wine transformed her and she begin learning about what it meant to “become the bread.” Having fed people as a kitchen worker and cook, she took the "feed my sheep" commandment literally and translated it into a food pantry at St. Gregory's, even challenging the priests’ ideas of what it means to be a Christian. Take This Bread is an inspiring story told from an unlikely follower.
The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose was a much better read then I was expecting. Kevin was a kid (only 19 when he started writing the book) when he transfered from Brown University to Liberty University, headed by Jerry Fallwell, to get an undercover look at the evangelical movement at one of the most conservative colleges in the country. It is a surprisingly balanced look at the people, beliefs, community, and teachings that take place at Liberty. And the writing is very good for one so young. I highly recommend for an enjoyable and informative read.
Stewart O’Nan’s novel, West of Sunset, is the heartbreaking story of F.Scott Fitzgerald and what becomes of him after his huge success with The Great Gatsby. This F. Scott goes off to Hollywood deeply in debt, battling alcoholism, trying to make enough money to keep Zelda in a mental institution back East and Scottie in school. Lots of pressure to stay on the straight and narrow and not screw up, not an easy thing for F. Scott as he finds a new love and continues his binges. Definitely a sympathetic view of Fitzgerald. The book includes lots of great stuff about the big players in Hollywood in the 1930s. I love Stewart O'Nan’s novels.
