Publisher: Hillside Press
Agape is the second book in a trilogy about Episcopal priest
Beth Kelly and her partner Nicole Thera, who sees herself as a spiritual
person, but not a believer in religion as Beth practices it. Beth has taken a sabbatical from her position
with a church to work as a chaplain in a hospital. She is struggling to regain the closeness she
once felt to her god. Nikki is trying to
rebuild her business after it was destroyed by a fire. The main issue in the book is whether two
people who have such different views can find a way to communicate and
co-exist.
This book is unique because it deals with the tensions that
exist in a relationship when the partners have such different visions of religion. It could be said that Aspuro y Gonzalez makes
the story more complicated by having the couple be lesbians, except that their
lesbianism never really plays a part in the discussion. These are not women who are battling a
church. They are trying to find a way to
bring their ideas together as much as possible to make their lives work. Beth’s beliefs shape every part of her life
and it is a struggle for her that Nikki will not share her feelings. Nikki isn’t an atheist. Quite the contrary since she is an avid
student of all theological texts. She
takes a more universal view of religion and god though and cannot share Beth’s
total surrender to her own vision. Nikki
doesn’t want to share Beth with God, but she realizes she has no choice if
wants to live with a woman she truly loves.
The interesting aspect of this book is that it doesn’t
follow the traditional formula of romances, but deals with a very real issue
that confronts many couples. There’s
never any doubt that Beth and Nikki love each other, but their lives are
founded on basic and fundamental differences.
Any relationship requires compromises in order for it to work, but some
compromises are bigger than others.
These women have to struggle to find a faith in each other that can provide
a foundation strong enough to support their differences. This is a battle that often doesn’t end
successfully for the people involved.
Religion, or the lack of it, is a very personal and
emotional topic for most people. It takes
great confidence for an author to tackle it as honestly as Aspuro y Gonzalez
does. She takes the reader on a journey
with her characters. Beth and Nikki don’t
preach at each other. Each of them has
questions about her own beliefs, but she stands by her basic position. This is not a story where once partner
suddenly renounces what she has said and accepts the other’s values. By open and honest discussion they search for
the common ideas that bind them together.
Where they end up may not be what the reader expects.
Agape is a thoughtful book, but the story is told basically as
a romance. A reader doesn’t have to be
concerned about being bogged down in theological discussions, but she may find
herself weighing her own beliefs while she enjoys the story. It’s an easy book to read, but not for
someone who is looking for the simple romances that are so popular.
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