Once Was Lost
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...
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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.
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Format: hardcover
ISBN:
9780316036047 (0316036048)
Publish date: October 1st 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages no: 217
Edition language: English
I am a big fan of Sara Zarr’s work (see: Story of a Girl and How To Save a Life), particularly the quiet emotion that permeates her strong, character-driven stories. Once Was Lost is no exception. For a novel that deals with questions of faith, Zarr approaches the subject matter with accessibility a...
I have enjoyed Sara Zarr's writing and stories in the past (such as The Lucy Variations), so when I saw this in a used bookstore I was quick to snag it.This isn't a very long book - 210 pages, I think - but there is a lot going on within those 210 pages. Almost too much, I think. Sam is the daughte...
While Zarr may have missed the mark for me on the religious aspect of this book, she does well at portraying what it is like to have someone suffering from addiction in the family. It’s mostly in the little moments, where Sam is remembering things like helping her mother put on her lipstick before ...
The more I read by Sara Zarr, the more I think I understand her and the more I begin to appreciate what it is she does. She doesn't take sides, she isn't emotionally manipulative, she releases a whole bunch of complex characters that aren't typically likeable and allows the reader to receive them ho...
I like the open and honest treatment of religion, which is sympathetic without being sentimental. [June 2011]