Waiting on Wednesday

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel. In her third novel, acclaimed author Sara Zarr examines the coexistence of affliction and hope, and what happens when everything you thought you believed---about God, about your family, about yourself---is transformed

My wanting this book: While I still don't know why it always seems that the father is the minister and not the mother, this book really caught my attention. It seems like a really nice medium between the books that have the 'religion can do no wrong' idea and the ones that have the complete opposite approach where everyone and everything with religion is just wrong, wrong, wrong. I would really like to see how this story is told and how the family-and Sam--progress though the novel. (And not only because I grew up around pastors ;))

This one's out October 01, 2009.