Review: What Does Faith Ask of Us?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 22, 2013
How does one have faith and the discipline to rise each morning in the dark, climb a cliff and sing? How does one believe it will bring peace and harmony to her people? How lonely is it to carry this out every day, to know you can never have a partner, never marry, never have love? If it were you, would you question its efficacy and your role?Into this world the heroine, Aria, one day loses focus and breaks her song. That is the beginning of the end of the world as she knew it. Coupled with her godfather's secret dreams that scare him, and a meeting with a strange boy who is the antithesis of everything she believes, Aria is left to wander alone in her faith and her understanding of her world.This is a story of faith and love that transcends the daily work of a songstress or of the servant of the evil one. It asks questions of faith which go beyond their every day experiences. It also  asks what can/will one do when faced with tragedy, corruption, and the possibility that everything you knew was wrong? As I read the story, I found myself asking:Why would a village depend on one young girl to bring them peace and prosperity?When only one person must remain faithful for an entire people, what is the motivation for the rest to be good in their every day encounters?How difficult it must be to grow up with the expectation that it is only your song which keeps everyone alive and healthy?What happens when you fail, as all imperfect beings do fail from time to time? Is there ever forgiveness for such a failure, and is that forgiveness limited only to those who have consistently struggled to be good?These questions of faith and struggle in the story are the same ones most of us face. It is not unusual to ask why a weak, imperfect being would be asked to carry out such a difficult task.  Told like a long parable, the juxtaposition and similarities of good and evil, weak and strong, and faith and forgiveness are all a part of this sweet story writ on a larger fantasy canvas.My only trouble with it is that the ending and resolution came too quickly and easily. I believe it could have been 10-20 pages longer in order to make the ending unfold in as beautiful a way as the rest of the book was written.An ebook copy was provided to Maggie's Meanderings for an Honest Reivew