Our Lady of the Lost and Found: A Novel of Mary, Faith, and Friendship
by Diane Schoemperlen
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 165)
Read in January, 2006
I first read this three summers ago while chaperoning a mission trip to Kentucky, and it could not have been more timely. This winter I decided to reread it since I found myself in need of a little perspective once again. In this fantastic novel, the narrator is a published and respected author who is visited by the Virgin Mary; the novel is the narrator's tale of the visitation, and she punctuates it with well-researched references to historical Marian devotion and apparitions. It is, all at on...more
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Having been raised Catholic, I can't recall any church lesson about Jesus, Mary, or any holy person that didn't make them sound tiresome, dour, and/or pedantic. That's why I enjoy books that focus on the humanity of these figures. This is one of my favorite books; a simple story about a woman writer who walks into her living room one day and finds the Virgin Mary standing there with a suitcase. Mary explains that she's exhausted and needs a short vacation and requests to use the narrator's gu...more
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recommended to Laura by:
Andrew
recommends it for: anyone especially any woman
recommends it for: anyone especially any woman
The observations and lifestyle of the narrator/writer of this book was my main interest in reading Our Lady of the Lost and Found. I was attracted to this character as 'a writer' (a lifetime goal of my own) and found her ongoing observations about life in general and about Mary as a divine visitor both appealing and enlightening. In addition as a student of theology I was grateful for all of the historical accounts of the Marian apparitions that have over the years provided support and str...more
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Read in April, 2007
It is hard to write about Mary ("the" Mary to us good Catholics) in the present day without being disrespectful, but the author does a great job. Mary visits an rather agnostic single woman for a vacation, and the woman learns to accept what she does not understand. The book contains many stories of Mary throughout history, and then adds this new twist of her interaction in today's world. Cuteness is avoided (except for some wet Nikes after saving a child in the creek miracle) and the ...more
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Read in December, 2007
I couldn't get through this book. There are two reasons for this: the first being I am getting my PhD in Mariology and do not need or want a history of apparitions (this has never interested me anyway) or need to know the basics of Catholic faith (this book completely ignores the Orthodox tradition's experience with Mary); the second being that the book is written in a jumble of supposedly creative non-fiction. Did this happen to the writer, or is it entirely fiction? Was it a giant excuse for a...more
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Read in July, 2007
I'm always interested in books about the BVM. This one felt flat. It included a lot of history that was not well integrated into the overall plot, and the overall plot was not much -- Mary visits an ordinary woman, a writer, and the writer then writes this book about the experience. There was a lot of caginess about the author's life -- hints about some big secret or terrible past that was never revealed.
The premise is interesting as a creative nonfiction idea. The intro reveals that t...more
The premise is interesting as a creative nonfiction idea. The intro reveals that t...more
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Read in January, 2006
recommended to Amanda by:
found in a bookstore while browsing
I am always impressed when an author can instill a sense of quiet in his or her work--which works to this particular novel's advantage since Mary needs a "break from it all", and a place to relax and do some laundry. Having gone to a Catholic school (although Presbyterian), I really loved being reminded of the holiness of everyday things. Mary was a real woman in this book, but the retelling of various of her appearances throughout the years also seemed humanized as a result. I find...more
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recommends it for:
anyone, regardless of personal beliefs
A deceptively simple story about a seemingly unremarkable woman and her brush with the miraculous. This book is both funny and poignant. It is as much a meditation on the nature of solitude and friendship amongst women as it is an exploration of the divine. The prose is crisp and deliberate. I ended the novel with the same sense of satisfied contemplation I typically receive from a hot cup of tea.
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
someone with more patience than me
I've had this book on my "to-read" list for a long time. Its premise is cute. When it started I thought it was charming and that I would really enjoy it. I tried it on audio-books. Then, it starts quoting long passages of the bible and other texts that for me did not add anything to the book. I gave up after disc one and just a few minutes of disc two.
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
people interested in Mary or the saints
This was an interesting read, but different than what I expected. I thought there would be more of the interaction between the narrator and Mary. Instead, it was more a run-down of various saints and people who had witnessed Marian apparitions. The beginning was engaging, but the end fizzled a bit in my opinion. Still, a good read.
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Read in January, 2006
I learned so much about Marian Apparitions then I would have expected. This was an affectionate introspective journey. I felt so comfortable with the characters and just thought if I had that opportunity to meet her like that I would have drawn her a hot bath and made her a nice comfort meal.
Damn the woman is and should be tired!
Damn the woman is and should be tired!
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
people who want to know about Mary
I had a mixed reaction to this book. I enjoyed reading about Marian apparitions through the years, and reading about saints. I enjoyed an image of Mary as just another human - but a little bit more, too.
But I found the narrator's story lacking. I kept waiting for it to begin, even as I read the last sentence.
But I found the narrator's story lacking. I kept waiting for it to begin, even as I read the last sentence.
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This book is delightful. The basic situation is presented with humor, whimsy and respect. The author explores all sorts of things besides the Virgin Mary, including physics and poetry. Just when you begin to get tired of whatever it is, she switches to something else, keeping you both entertained and enlightened.
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Read in April, 2007
I enjoyed it... to a degree. It was a slow read, but I learned quite a bit of Marian history from it, so if nothing else I got that out of the experience.
As a side note, some asshole who'd checked the book out previously wrote in it, which may have hampered my enjoyment. I hate that.
As a side note, some asshole who'd checked the book out previously wrote in it, which may have hampered my enjoyment. I hate that.
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Read in July, 2008
A very creative, different and interesting book. I find it very hard to believe that the author is not a Catholic. There is such a strong thread of Catholic "culture" woven into the novel. The concept of Mary "visiting" a human for a week and eating, shopping, using an ATM is a very fun one.
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There are several threads to follow through Our Lady... the story(s) of Mary, the narrator's exploration of philosophy and physics -- but what kept me reading was the discussion of the process of writing fiction. I'd like to gather just those pieces together for a focused read.
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As a Catholic, I loved this book. It has so many stories of visions of Mary and miracles associated with her. I gave the book to my Mom to read and she has actually gone to see some of these statues since the book. It is a very uplifting book and calming book.
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Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
all women who love Mary
One of my favorite books. This fictional account of Mary coming to stay with a woman writer for a vacation from her Heavenly duties is well researched. It includes a bibliography of Mary visitations that is invaluable. Thank you, Diane, for writing this book!
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Read in January, 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The premise is very clever, can you imagine the Virgin Mary showing up on your doorstep in need of a rest? That is exactly what happens. The story is mixed in with a lot of history, which I didn't mind one bit.
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i found that i just didn't like this mary. she said snippy things about people behind their backs. also, the pages and pages of regurgitated "lives of the saints" material made me want to regurgitate.
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