Little Faith (Butler) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
[A] tender and perceptive novel.… An open-minded inquiry into the nature of religious belief, in both its zealous and low-key forms.… Little Faith is [Butler’s] best so far, unafraid of sentiment yet free of the kitsch.
Wall Street Journal


[Peopled with] regular folks, behind whose plain-spoken reserve and dry humor beats the heart of the country, at once practical and passionate, poetic and earthbound.… Butler is very good at getting… the routines and rituals as subtly infused with personal history as with the changing of the seasons.
Minneapolis Star Tribune


Butler’s prose is very much a reflection of his characters, particularly Lyle—simple but not austere, forthright yet reverent. And he pragmatically poses questions of faith through his characters.… The story's pace begins slowly but steadily builds to a climactic ending. Readers may love or hate where and how Butler chooses to end the story, but there is no doubt their reaction will be informed by their own faith.
USA Today


★ [B]reathtaking yet devastating…. Butler weaves questions surrounding faith, regret, and whether it’s possible to love unconditionally.… Secondary plots, including Lyle’s friend Hoot’s slow decline from cancer, Shiloh’s adoption story, and Peg and Lyle’s early courtship, are brief but equally resonant. This is storytelling at its finest.
Publishers Weekly


★ A beautifully realized meditation on the nature of parenting and living in a perplexing (and often cruel) world. Enthusiastically recommended for parents and fans of literary fiction.
Library Journal


Exploring the complexities of faith and family, Butler… also tackles the power and pitfalls of devout Christianity.… Butler’s sense of place, which lets seasonal shifts and harvest cycles, propel the novel forward. Little Faith is quietly and deeply moving.
Booklist


The novel is like a favorite flannel shirt, relaxed and comfortable, well-crafted even as it deals with issues of life and death, faith and doubt.… Though the plot builds toward a dramatic climax, it ends with more of a quiet epiphany.
Kirkus Reviews