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.
... tender and perceptive ... better still is Mr. Butler’s sensitive exploration into the condition of being old, which demands a radical change in the way one loves ... Little Faith is [Butler's] best so far, unafraid of sentiment yet free of the kitsch that colored his earlier depictions of the region
At once practical and passionate, poetic and earthbound ... Butler is very good at getting the pattern of Lyle’s days and the rhythm of his thoughts, the routines and rituals as subtly infused with personal history as with the changing of the seasons, the habits of a rural town, the quality of work, and the accommodations of a long, happy marriage. And so, when the crisis comes, the moment is as real as it is shocking.
Exploring the complexities of faith and family, Butler also tackles the power and pitfalls of devout Christianity. Fans of Richard Russo and Jan Karon will appreciate Butler’s sense of place, which lets seasonal shifts and harvest cycles propel the novel forward. Little Faith is quietly and deeply moving.
In a polarized world, Nickolas Butler’s third novel, Little Faith, offers a touching portrait of people working to heal divisions ... Natural rhythms bind [the book's juxtaposing elements], as the novel is organized by the year’s seasons, and their abiding serenity accompanies the many tensions. The book’s conclusion is as enigmatic as its title. Little Faith might be diminutive, but it’s far from fragile.
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 slow 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.
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 that Lyle somehow takes in stride ... Though the plot builds toward a dramatic climax, it ends with more of a quiet epiphany ... The novelist loves this land and these characters, with their enduring values amid a way of life that seems to be dying.
Breathtaking yet devastating ... Butler weaves questions surrounding faith, regret, and whether it’s possible to love unconditionally into every page of this potent book. 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.
