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We Sinners
This stunning debut novel—drawn from the author's own life experience—tells the moving story of a family of eleven in the American Midwest, bound together and torn apart by their faith The Rovaniemis and their nine children belong to a deeply traditional church (no drinking, no dancing, no TV) in modern-day Michigan. A normal family in many ways, the Rovaniemis struggle wi...more
ebook, 208 pages
Published
August 21st 2012
by Henry Holt and Co.
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Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: This stunning debut novel—drawn from the author's own life experience—tells the moving story of a family of eleven in the American Midwest, bound together and torn apart by their faith.
The Rovaniemis and their nine children belong to a deeply traditional church (no drinking, no dancing, no TV) in modern-day Michigan. A normal family in many ways, the Rovaniemis struggle with sibling rivalry, parental expectations, and forming their own unique identities in...more
The Publisher Says: This stunning debut novel—drawn from the author's own life experience—tells the moving story of a family of eleven in the American Midwest, bound together and torn apart by their faith.
The Rovaniemis and their nine children belong to a deeply traditional church (no drinking, no dancing, no TV) in modern-day Michigan. A normal family in many ways, the Rovaniemis struggle with sibling rivalry, parental expectations, and forming their own unique identities in...more
"How come you never talk about it?" He said. "Your church."
"It's just that insanity is so dull. Nothing to say."
Jonas Chan and Uppu Rovaniemi page 154 (paperback/ARC)
I am still processing this book as I write this review.
It is a disjointed story of a disjointed family... a deeply religious family of deep and simple faith.
Some may find Pylvainen's work offensive and offending because it is not a sugar-coat... no, a simplistic view
of faith. It is an honest and revealing look at "a" family of fait...more
"It's just that insanity is so dull. Nothing to say."
Jonas Chan and Uppu Rovaniemi page 154 (paperback/ARC)
I am still processing this book as I write this review.
It is a disjointed story of a disjointed family... a deeply religious family of deep and simple faith.
Some may find Pylvainen's work offensive and offending because it is not a sugar-coat... no, a simplistic view
of faith. It is an honest and revealing look at "a" family of fait...more
I really enjoyed We Sinners. It's the story of a family in the Midwest, The Rovaniemis, who belong to a deeply deeply traditional Lutheran church and the impact their religion and faith (or lack thereof) has on each family member. The story is told through a series of vignettes; each chapter is centered around one of the 11 family members (mom and dad plus 9 kids) and the book dips in and out of different times in their lives. It's a quiet, lovely book, with fantastic writing and something that...more
I liked the premise of the book -- nine children in a religious family grapple with living authentically, whether that be in their fundamentalist church (where there father is pastor, and invokes his children's sins in his sermons) or outside of it. There is no choosing, and leaving usually means leaving the family.
What the author captured was the crippling feeling that came with that choice. The children agonize over their choices, even when they know they've made the right one. Even the childr...more
What the author captured was the crippling feeling that came with that choice. The children agonize over their choices, even when they know they've made the right one. Even the childr...more
I was interested in this book because it is about a large religious family where some of the children fell away from the church and some of the children stayed with the church.
I come from such a family and I am always interested in hearing about others experiences in this matter.
In this instance, the religion is one I've never heard of before; it is an offshoot of the Lutheran Church called Laestadian.
The parents in the family tried to be as understanding as possible with their children who fel...more
I come from such a family and I am always interested in hearing about others experiences in this matter.
In this instance, the religion is one I've never heard of before; it is an offshoot of the Lutheran Church called Laestadian.
The parents in the family tried to be as understanding as possible with their children who fel...more
Others reviewers tell what it is about. The issue of the book is well expressed by the father speaking to the inquiring teenage, (and I paraphase): We don't have to do any of these things. We live in the grace of the Lord and because of that, we don't want to do the things that the world does. Obviously, members of his family do want the things of the world. Entry into the church is simple confession to a church member and hearing absolution: "You are saved by the grace and blood Jesus Christ."...more
A short and quite interesting look at a Finnish-American family in Minnesota who belong to a very fundamentalist sect of the Lutheran church. Each chapter is from a different family members's perspective, and there are plenty to choose from (parents and nine children) but the time moves ahead in large jumps also, so it felt a little disjointed. The last chapter was a total mystery to me as it was some historical bit that had little connection to the main story, and if it hadn't been there I woul...more
The Rovaniemi family, Warren and Pirjo and their nine children, belong to a fundamentalist Finnish Lutheran sect called Laestradianism (I was a Lutheran for most of my life and I'd never heard of it). It's a very conservative culture that forbids drinking, dancing, TV, and contraception. On the plus side, the family is secure in their love for one another and the tenet of their faith that anyone can forgive sins. Confession and forgiveness were almost daily rituals.
Each chapter of the book is wr...more
Each chapter of the book is wr...more
We Sinners
By
Hanna Pylvainen
My" in a nutshell" summary...
A very religious family has tons of issues. Too many children, not enough money, no TV and some of them are losing faith. The religion is an odd extreme one. They are Finnish and have unusual Finnish names and often speak Finnish.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Wow...and I thought being Catholic and following certain rules was difficult at times. Reading this book for me was sort of like watching a bit of a train wreck. Just because...more
By
Hanna Pylvainen
My" in a nutshell" summary...
A very religious family has tons of issues. Too many children, not enough money, no TV and some of them are losing faith. The religion is an odd extreme one. They are Finnish and have unusual Finnish names and often speak Finnish.
My thoughts after reading this book...
Wow...and I thought being Catholic and following certain rules was difficult at times. Reading this book for me was sort of like watching a bit of a train wreck. Just because...more
We Sinners takes a family of nine, heavily embroiled in a severe form of Finnish Lutheranism that sets the children apart from anyone who isn't from the church, and spends about a chapter on each child as they grow up and have their own families.
I realize that to most people, the religion in this family will be startling. It felt very familiar to me - the conversation Brita has with the boy at school about how she can't go to dances? I can't even say how many times I had that as a teenager, and...more
I realize that to most people, the religion in this family will be startling. It felt very familiar to me - the conversation Brita has with the boy at school about how she can't go to dances? I can't even say how many times I had that as a teenager, and...more
This book was okay. It was certainly interesting to read about this family, who belong to the Finnish fundamentlist religion Laestadianism. The family's nine children grapple with living within a church that forbids alcohol, television, and movies. Those who choose to live are faced with leaving behind their whole family and community. The author does a good job of telling their stories. I was worried because of the title that there would be more theology, but these are just touching family stor...more
Aug 13, 2012
Alicia
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012-books-read,
2012-reviews
This book was frustrating for me. I wanted to really love it, but I found the time jumps and characters changes to sporadic for me.
There were a lot of characters to keep up with, and each chapter featured a different child. Not only did each chapter have a different point of view, but the timing between chapters was confusing. It often seemed that so much time had passed that I had no idea what was going on.
The first chapter was really great, and I was optimistic after reading that chapter. Chap...more
There were a lot of characters to keep up with, and each chapter featured a different child. Not only did each chapter have a different point of view, but the timing between chapters was confusing. It often seemed that so much time had passed that I had no idea what was going on.
The first chapter was really great, and I was optimistic after reading that chapter. Chap...more
This is a well-written debut novel that held my interest and had enjoyable characters. A friend recommended it and basically she had me at the title! I expected it to be set in Finland, but it is set in Michigan. It's about a family with nine children in a Finnish Christian sect, and each chapter tells a piece of the story of one of the characters, more or less going down the line of children as they come of age (though it's entirely in third person). It takes up one and only one real question....more
This was an intriguing first novel, but I thought it was a little rough around the edges, as if the chapters were not originally envisioned as a whole. I liked how time was marked by the voices of different family members. It created a rich family dynamic--as in, sometimes the people you know best are those you really don't know well at all. As each dealt with his or her faith, family, and the world beyond, they grew, and the other family members were forced to deal with these changes. This was...more
Rather extreme religious fundamentalism is ground on which the novel, We Sinners is built. Its a story of the Rovianiemi clan, a large family from Finland (nine siblings), who reside in the US and are members of a called ultra conservative religious sect called: Laestadianism, a branch of the Lutheran Church. Although the story is a work of fiction, the author was raised in a similar household as this family with its very strict rules. The norm is, no television, no popular music, no birth contr...more
4.5 stars
We Sinners tells the stories of the Rovaniemi family, which is no small feat when your nuclear unit tallies up to include nine children. This slender book is like a string of short stories, each consecutive tale told from the perspective of a different family member. Every individual struggles and thrives with their faith and relationships in a unique and believable way, completing a compassionate portrait of religion and the choice you have live your life with or without it.
While the...more
We Sinners tells the stories of the Rovaniemi family, which is no small feat when your nuclear unit tallies up to include nine children. This slender book is like a string of short stories, each consecutive tale told from the perspective of a different family member. Every individual struggles and thrives with their faith and relationships in a unique and believable way, completing a compassionate portrait of religion and the choice you have live your life with or without it.
While the...more
I liked the way Pylväinen organized this novel: how each chapter can stand alone as a short story, how the jumps in time happen within the turn of a page between chapters, and how the jump can be a few months, a few years, a decade. I thought that was neat, and it added a quality of really seeing the entire family history within the novel.
Still, a lot of the characters seemed to be flimsy to me. I'm big on character development, and I wish Pylväinen would have spent more time developing the inne...more
Still, a lot of the characters seemed to be flimsy to me. I'm big on character development, and I wish Pylväinen would have spent more time developing the inne...more
A quick read, and unlike other books I have read, I did not ever feel I was forcing myself to read it. The information was interesting and well written BUT it didn't hold together as a novel, nor did each story hold as a short story as there was never any resolution. But then, perhaps that is the nature of the beast: there perhaps is NO resolution to the issues facing those who are raised in a strict and repressive type of religion that is intent on maintaining the purity of their beliefs agains...more
This is a collection of linked stories involving a large Finnish family in the mid-West. They are part of a small, ultra-conservative Lutheran denomination--Laestadiansim--which I had not heard of before. (Looked it up on wikipedia and it does exist!) Coming from an similarly fundamentalist religious background, I find myself drawn to fiction with this type of setting. Roughly each child and parent is the focus of a particular chapter. (Note: I couldn't figure out the purpose of the final chapte...more
Many question the ending of this book. Up until the last chapter, the book discusses what the religion does or does not do for the family, and what the goals of the church (and it's rules) are for the followers. The last chapter discusses what problems the church is trying to fix in its followings in the 1800's in Finland. It provides a comparison so that readers can see how the religion has changed, how the followers have changed, and how religion changes for those who have immigrated. Think ab...more
A fabulous book written by a Mount Holyoke Alumna! Of course this may be a bias review because I too am a MHC Alumna! :0)
Seriously, this book was really good. Such an interesting topic, and Pylvainen does a fabulous job pulling you into her characters world. Each chapter is a different member of the family so it also reads as a compilation of short stories. You get to see how each member of the family feels about their situation and about members of their family.
What I wished for and was disappo...more
Seriously, this book was really good. Such an interesting topic, and Pylvainen does a fabulous job pulling you into her characters world. Each chapter is a different member of the family so it also reads as a compilation of short stories. You get to see how each member of the family feels about their situation and about members of their family.
What I wished for and was disappo...more
To tell you the truth, lately I’ve felt burned out on Sad Stories. While everyone was raving this summer about Light Between Oceans, I gave it a good-but-not-great rating, and most of that was honestly due to Sad Story Burnout.
I approached We Sinners with approbation. The blurb about the plot (an enormous---nine kids!---family who follow a fundamentalist religion) set off alarms in my head; you just know this is not going to be a happy tale.
It isn’t. But it isn’t just slopped-on, unremitting s...more
I approached We Sinners with approbation. The blurb about the plot (an enormous---nine kids!---family who follow a fundamentalist religion) set off alarms in my head; you just know this is not going to be a happy tale.
It isn’t. But it isn’t just slopped-on, unremitting s...more
This felt more like a collection osf short stories than a novel, each one about members of a family or nine kids, their minister father and belaboured mother. Their religion, a sect of extreme Lutheranism, greatly shapes their lives. Three or four of the kids grow up to leave the church. I heard this author interviewed on NPR, and read some good reviews of the book, but it did not hang together well for me. As each chapter started, I was grappling to figure out exactly which brother or sister wa...more
My two stars is actually quite generous. From the reviews and topic (fictionalized account of a large conservative Christian family and their struggles with faith and family), this book sounded very promising. It was hugely disapointing on so many levels. The chapters are each narrated by one of the family members, as are so many novels these days, which results in a very fragmented story with no real character development. The author also seems to completely gloss over an introduction or conclu...more
A story of a religious family, told in fragments and from varying perspectives over many years. This reads as "scenes from a life", rather than a coherent narrative with beginning and end points - and that is fine, I liked that actually. I understood something about these people without having been them. I knew people like them, parts of my life feel similar to this, and it resonated in places.
I said it is told in varying perspectives, and it is...but from a third person standpoint, so the tone...more
I said it is told in varying perspectives, and it is...but from a third person standpoint, so the tone...more
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Aug 25, 2012
Judy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anne, Chelsea, Gaeta, Jeanette, Sue & ?Mikki?
Recommended to Judy by:
Amazon
We Sinners: A Novel is a fictional account of a highly legalistic religious Finnish family, the Rovaniuems. From what I have read, the author draws heavily on her own background. The family consists of the preacher father, disorganized, stressed out mother and 9 children living in a four-bedroom home. I would not say the book is entertaining in a fun way or a humorous way, however, Pylvainen captures the essence of what it is like to live in a legalistic home perfectly. You feel the tension, ina...more
"He was magnetic, that was the word. He was the kind of person who walked down the street and you didn't want to like him but you had to. You wanted to be close to him, for the same reason you went to museums or sat on beaches, simply to be done staring at the ugly things, to put them from your mind for an afternoon or an evening. It was why no one had crushes on her. She was the reminder of how hard the world was; it was in her face, the unfairness of life."
Hanna Pylvainen, author of We Sinners...more
Hanna Pylvainen, author of We Sinners...more
I wanted to like this book, but it was really just too disjointed to produce much depth. Characters were dropped, plot threads went unresolved, and some of the characters blended into one another. Because of the structure of the story (each chapter was essentially a short story with a different narrator), this book was less like a journey with the characters than an earnest attempt to drive a car with manual transmission, jerking and stalling as I made my way to the grocery store.
Actually, when...more
Actually, when...more
I would not have read this without book club. That said, I'm ambivalent about having spent time with the book.
The different narrator eacj chapter concept certainly gave a diverse perspective of living in and out of a very fundamentalist Lutheran sect. However, because none of the timelines overlapped, you didn't get a true sense of alternate perspectives because the subject matter was different in each chapter.
It was interesting to draw the parallels with my own religious upbringing and later d...more
The different narrator eacj chapter concept certainly gave a diverse perspective of living in and out of a very fundamentalist Lutheran sect. However, because none of the timelines overlapped, you didn't get a true sense of alternate perspectives because the subject matter was different in each chapter.
It was interesting to draw the parallels with my own religious upbringing and later d...more
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Hanna Pylväinen graduated summa cum laude from Mount Holyoke College and received her MFA from the University of Michigan, where she was also a postgraduate Zell Fellow. She is the recipient of residencies at The MacDowell Colony and Yaddo, and a fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachussetts. She is from suburban Detroit.
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Dec 10, 2012 02:42pm
Dec 10, 2012 02:49pm