Miss Sally’s Son

Leigh Ann Roman reviews a Catholic novel by physician Thomas Curry. 

Miss Sally’s Son 

By Thomas Curry

Published by Ignatius Press

The driving force in Miss Sally’s Son by Thomas Curry is the search by a young man for meaning in life. But you don’t have to be young to enjoy this book.

Main character Jack Benton grew up as the son of a strong and devoutly Catholic single mother. He succeeded in college and the corporate world, but his life is strangely empty. The unexpected and unexplained death of his mother, Sally, places Jack on a course to uncover facts about his father’s past that require him to face questions about the Catholic faith that he had abandoned as an adult.

The more than 300-page book follows Jack from his corporate legal job in Berlin to the quiet, small town of Williamsburg, Virginia, where his mother worked as a restaurant proprietor for decades. The contrast between the warmth of the community that he had grown up in with the corporate world in Berlin could not be more stark.

It is a homecoming to which may can relate, especially those who have traded small-town life for a big-city career. But Jack’s homecoming has an interesting twist that keeps the pages turning. Not only is Jack trying to determine the cause of his mother’s unexplained passing, he also discovers a letter than contains shocking details about his father who was a famous person in the Catholic world, but whom Jack never knew.

As he works to unravel both mysteries, Jack also begins to realize there is much more to life than the materialistic path he has been on. He even starts to allow himself to fall in love.

Who Will Enjoy This Book?

Without spoiling the plot, I can say that this book will appeal to readers of all ages because it has many strong characters in addition to Jack, including the friends who helped his mother run the Miss Sally and Friends restaurant. It is realistic fiction that seems to be set in the modern day.

While the plot keeps the reader interested, the book also contains theological themes that will satisfy those who seek more depth in their literary fiction. This appears to be a first novel for semi-retired physician Thomas Curry, and it is a satisfying read.

In Curry’s acknowledgements, he notes, “My goal in writing has always been evangelization, believing that fiction speaks to a different ear than serious theology.”

I agree with that assessment, and I think his novel carries both the story and the theology effectively. Kudos to Ignatius Press for publishing an engaging novel filled with relatable characters, solid theology, and an interesting story line.

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Copyright 2026 Leigh Ann Roman
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