|
|
|
 |
(Click here, or on image for a full sized view). “Father Greeley has given great attention to the role
imagination in the life of faith. What he is
doing is re-evangelizing the imagination, using fiction to address the faith and the
mysteries of the faith. That’s an
extraordinary significant project.” A master
storyteller." |
Keep in touch... Locally, and Globally!  Check out Andrew M. Greeley's Columns for the Chicago SunTimes' Daily Southtown. |
Greeley’s irrepressible and fiercely liberal
O’Malley family carries on lustily in this sixth chronicle of their adventures.
Charles (usually Chuck, often Chucky, and even Chucky Ducky, none of which names he
objects to) is a former foreign ambassador under Jack Kennedy, a Ph.D. in economics and a
world-famous photographer. Rosemarie, his wife, is a recovered alcoholic, now a successful
New Yorker writer, but more important to her, a mom and grandma. Trading chapters, they
describe their busy life in Rome in the late 1970s, where Chuck’s role is to
photograph the new pope. In 1978, there were three popes: Paul VI died; his successor,
John Paul I, also expired, after only a brief period; and John Paul II, the first
non-Italian pope in centuries, was elected. Greeley’s knowledge of the intrigues and
suspense behind the elections produces a graphic firsthand account (he is the author of
the nonfiction book The Making of the Popes 1978). After the election, Chuck’s career
as a photographer (he refers to himself modestly as a "fast-talking punk from the
West Side of Chicago who takes pictures") comes to the fore, as the Art Institute
gives him a major show. The show is a success (despite—or because of—the scandal
caused by an innocently revealing photo of Rosemarie), but Chuck is assailed by
self-doubt, then nearly dies of pneumonia. In a sentimental but poignant scene, a serene,
perhaps heavenly lady visits Chuck and reassures him that he is a good man. This is more
comfort food for Catholics, though newcomers to the series may be taken aback by Chuck and
Rosemarie’s mildly explicit lovemaking. Greeley, a Roman
Catholic priest, is also one of this country's most popular writers of light-romance
novels. His books are usually sagas, each one detailing the lives of one or another of the
fictional Irish American families that Greeley's fans have come to know and love. In his
current series, he chronicles the O'Malleys of Chicago, an irrepressible Irish American
clan. Previous novels in the O'Malley saga follow the family from World War II through the
1960; in this installation, Charles "Chucky" O'Malley and his spirited family
face the 1970s. Here we find Chucky approaching 50 and stuck in a vicious midlife and
spiritual crisis. While O'Malley can count his blessings--an adoring wife, an amazing sex
life, a prestigious career, and a large, happy family--he still feels unfulfilled. In
addition, he is no longer able to take comfort in his faith. As a photographer of some
importance, O'Malley travels the world snapping historical photos and searching for his
own happiness. However, it is in his loving family and his devoted wife that he ultimately
finds what he has been looking for. In typical Greeley style, this novel is a bit on the
corny side; however he has many fans who consume his novels like candy. "A
truly well-crafted read. The O’Malleys are a wonderful Irish family, full of good
humor and love, against the backdrop of a very trying era in American history." “Nobody has ever left the church because of an Andrew Greeley novel,
but many have been attracted back to it by him.”
FATHER ANDREW M GREELEY
divides his time between teaching at
|
||
