Book Notes: Close to the Soul

Barb Szyszkiewicz reviews a novel that sheds light on the need to support women in crisis pregnancies.

Could a summer read set in the late 1950s through early 1960s shed light on a topic of current national debate? Surprisingly, yes. Mary Jo Thayer's debut novel, Close to the Soul, released in May by Full Quiver Publishing, is the story of a young woman from a devout Catholic family whose own dreams (as well as her parents' dreams for her) are shattered after a sexual assault at a high-school event.

This novel's publication couldn't be better timed. As a high-school valedictorian basks in her 15 minutes of fame for her support of unlimited abortion rights in her home state, noting, "I am terrified that if I am raped, then my hopes and aspirations and dreams and efforts for my future will no longer matter," we need to affirm to our teens and young adults that abortion is not the solution it's made out to be.

This is exactly the aim of Close to the Soul. Carolyn Fandel's story is proof that while unplanned pregnancies -- even pregnancies that are the result of sexual assault -- do change the course and direction of women's lives, they need not ruin women's lives. With support and sacrifice, women can still achieve their dreams -- or they can channel their abilities and energies into realizing new and different dreams, beyond their own expectations.

In Close to the Soul, Carolyn is blessed with the support of her parents, siblings, and extended family. She discovers that not every woman in her situation has that family support as a resource, but she also discovers that support is out there and that she can help make it available. A friend's confession shocks Carolyn with the revelation that some parents not only don't support their unexpectedly pregnant daughters, but force them to abort their unborn children. This spurs Carolyn to want to help women in crisis pregnancies. Their futures do matter, and while their futures might not look like what they'd originally planned, that doesn't mean their futures are any less worthwhile.

Close to the Soul can lead to much-needed conversations between mothers and daughters, grandmothers and granddaughters, aunts and nieces, and among friends as women ponder ways they can support each other rather than rushing toward expedient solutions with devastating consequences.

Copyright 2021 Barb Szyszkiewicz
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