Proof of Heaven

by Mary Curran-Hackett
Hennepin County Library paperback 291 pages
genre: realistic fiction

A friend recommended a *different* book by this title, but I was curious about this, so I got it. The story centers around Colm (pronounced "coll-um" like the architectural feature) and his mother Cathleen. Colm has a mysterious illness which causes him to die - literally - and the many emergencies which have brought him back to life have made Cathleen desperate for a miracle cure. Her brother Sean, a firefighter, vacillates between being the strong male figure Colm needs and an escapist alcoholic. For the most part, I liked the story. It raises a lot of questions about family and faith. Dr. Basu was my favorite character.

page 91 - "Throughout her life the battle between what her mind was capable of knowing and what her heart was capable of feeling waged on. She admired people who knew for sure whether they did or didn't believe in God or in heaven. She was drawn to Monsignor because he had such confidence in his own opinions." The Monsignor is not a very flattering character, especially in opposition to Sean's disbelief, but I like the character's observation about certainty.

page 135 - "As she sang, she tried to remember the last time she had done such a thing. Mothers can never know the last time they will rock their children to sleep, sing them a final lullaby, pick them up and carry them on their hips, or even bathe them, she thought. Babies grow into children without notice. They grow out of such habits without mention, without mourning their passing or loss. No one ever seems to remember the last times." How true! As parents, we are so eager for the next phase of growing up . . . and so quick to forget the old phase. I miss cuddling a sleepy boy.

chapter 32 - I wasn't sure what to expect, but this wasn't it. It made me want to know more about Pierce's story. The ending wasn't really satisfactory to me.