Review: 4.5 stars
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 13, 2012
#Possible spoilers in review#The Time of the Singing is a deeply complex book, certainly not a m/m version of The Thorn Birds, as I originally thought when reading the blurb. It details the sometimes torturous life of Israfel Vacek, a priest who is also gay. He joined the priesthood in an effort to turn away from his homosexual leanings, and his faith is tested when one Nate Mulligan enters his life. Will he give it all up for love or take the safe path in what he considers his only road to salvation?I am going to be completely honest here, I had a very hard time rating The Time of the Singing. On one hand, it is an incredibly written and well-plotted novel whose words leap from the page; but on the other hand, it has a protagonist priest (Raf) who sleeps with a seventeen year old boy (Nate) in his parish. While Nate is no blushing innocent, it still felt like an imbalance of power in the beginning of their relationship no matter how many times Raf tried to push Nate away. While some of this was alleviated by the fact it is Nate doing most of the seducing, it still was a controversial storyline to me.However, in the end I was won over by Raf's struggles and Nate's strong determination to be loved, no matter the consequences. Louise Blaydon was able to write an impressive novel on a topic that might be considered risqué and write it amazingly well. Recommended.Dark Divas Reviews