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Sycamore Drive
It's 1955. Eisenhower is President and the Cold War is at its height, yet life on Sycamore Drive in the mid-sized city of Riverport, Illinois seems idyllic and sweet.
Much of the neighborhood's social life centers on St. Mary's Catholic Church, its parish school and a group of families that have known each other for generations. But then the revelation of inappropriate interactions with some of the altar boys at the church comes to light. Suddenly, they and their parents are at the center of the emerging sex abuse scandal, a drama that was unimaginable at the time. After all, the priest was seen as God's representative on earth; the Church was believed to be incapable of harboring evil itself.
And so a story known to us all these years later began to play out, featuring the power and influence of the Catholic Church, the belief that an abuser could be safely reassigned after being sent off to be cured, and then the Church's unparalleled effort to protect herself
The strange and unanticipated interaction between two families on Sycamore Drive provides the setting for the beginning of this story. It then grows to reveal a brilliant but eccentric neighbor, a courageous teacher at the school, a young priest who dares to look at signs that others ignore, and, of course, the clergy and church leaders who are either na�ve or extremely irresponsible - or both.
Much of the neighborhood's social life centers on St. Mary's Catholic Church, its parish school and a group of families that have known each other for generations. But then the revelation of inappropriate interactions with some of the altar boys at the church comes to light. Suddenly, they and their parents are at the center of the emerging sex abuse scandal, a drama that was unimaginable at the time. After all, the priest was seen as God's representative on earth; the Church was believed to be incapable of harboring evil itself.
And so a story known to us all these years later began to play out, featuring the power and influence of the Catholic Church, the belief that an abuser could be safely reassigned after being sent off to be cured, and then the Church's unparalleled effort to protect herself
The strange and unanticipated interaction between two families on Sycamore Drive provides the setting for the beginning of this story. It then grows to reveal a brilliant but eccentric neighbor, a courageous teacher at the school, a young priest who dares to look at signs that others ignore, and, of course, the clergy and church leaders who are either na�ve or extremely irresponsible - or both.
190 pages, Paperback
Published April 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 11, 2020
Probably most people are aware of the scandal in the Catholic Church that was brought to light in the past few years regarding pedophile priests, but how many were aware of these situations in the 1950’s, and if so, how many people did anything to expose them?
Sycamore Drive is a tale of one such priest and what happens when his perversion is discovered by a fellow priest. The book delves into how the Catholic Church tried to distance themselves from the offenses both by sweeping them under the rug and sweeping the offender to new locations, still within the accessibility of children. An unusual young man, a conscientious priest, and a few distraught and angry parents try to bring the offender to justice, but are continuously blocked in some way by the church.
The story is told well enough, but throughout I kept thinking there was going to be more to the story, especially regarding Norman, a highly intelligent and somewhat reclusive young man who helps bring the indiscretions to the forefront. I applauded the actions of the priest who tried without ceasing to make the church aware of the seriousness of the situation, but I also kept wondering why no one reported this to the police. Surely, someone on the police force had the same sense of decency and moral outrage that only a few people in the story seemed to have.
The book ended well enough, but again, I felt there was something missing. The ending read as more of a school book report instead of finishing with an engaging finality. There was no deep dig into anything; the story was as glossed over as much as the crime was glossed over by the church.
Even with these faults, I still found the book interesting and it helped me pass an afternoon.
3 stars
Sycamore Drive is a tale of one such priest and what happens when his perversion is discovered by a fellow priest. The book delves into how the Catholic Church tried to distance themselves from the offenses both by sweeping them under the rug and sweeping the offender to new locations, still within the accessibility of children. An unusual young man, a conscientious priest, and a few distraught and angry parents try to bring the offender to justice, but are continuously blocked in some way by the church.
The story is told well enough, but throughout I kept thinking there was going to be more to the story, especially regarding Norman, a highly intelligent and somewhat reclusive young man who helps bring the indiscretions to the forefront. I applauded the actions of the priest who tried without ceasing to make the church aware of the seriousness of the situation, but I also kept wondering why no one reported this to the police. Surely, someone on the police force had the same sense of decency and moral outrage that only a few people in the story seemed to have.
The book ended well enough, but again, I felt there was something missing. The ending read as more of a school book report instead of finishing with an engaging finality. There was no deep dig into anything; the story was as glossed over as much as the crime was glossed over by the church.
Even with these faults, I still found the book interesting and it helped me pass an afternoon.
3 stars
May 10, 2020
( received complementary copy for review ) Small town drama scandal set in the 1950's .. what is there not to like? My only negative was that for me, I found it ended way too soon! Could easily see this becoming the start of a series. Left wanting much more after reading the last page.
March 19, 2020
I got Sycamore Drive: A Novel by Charles Michael Casper, form NetGalley for a fair and honest review.
Sycamore Drive: a Novel, tells the story of the abuse of boys by a Catholic priests, in Boston U.S.A, in the 1950’s, during the time, Eisenhower was President. It was also the time when people looked up towards organisations. Into this world we meat Norman the son of a devout Protestant who befriends Sarah the daughter in a devout Catholic family this leads Norman to convert and becomes involved with a farther Watson and some one high in the church who is also an abuser.
The story is told in such away that when both minor and major, what ever the characters did, both positive and a negative, it was totally within their individual personality that the Charles Michael Casper, had described. The only weakness in the story was the ending, normally I like a story to leave some loose ends at the end however this left two much to the imagination, all though this is a minor point and it should in no way distract from the book.
Sycamore Drive: a Novel is the first time when reading a book, that the words are written in such a way that it made me want to chuck it across the room, (and I use an e-reader) Not because it was bad but because it was so good and got me engrossed in the story.
So if you want to read a story that goes in to some way explaining how any organisations, not just the Catholic Church covered up Child Abuse for so long then Charles Michael Casper has written that book and it is called Sycamore Drive: a Novel
Sycamore Drive: a Novel, tells the story of the abuse of boys by a Catholic priests, in Boston U.S.A, in the 1950’s, during the time, Eisenhower was President. It was also the time when people looked up towards organisations. Into this world we meat Norman the son of a devout Protestant who befriends Sarah the daughter in a devout Catholic family this leads Norman to convert and becomes involved with a farther Watson and some one high in the church who is also an abuser.
The story is told in such away that when both minor and major, what ever the characters did, both positive and a negative, it was totally within their individual personality that the Charles Michael Casper, had described. The only weakness in the story was the ending, normally I like a story to leave some loose ends at the end however this left two much to the imagination, all though this is a minor point and it should in no way distract from the book.
Sycamore Drive: a Novel is the first time when reading a book, that the words are written in such a way that it made me want to chuck it across the room, (and I use an e-reader) Not because it was bad but because it was so good and got me engrossed in the story.
So if you want to read a story that goes in to some way explaining how any organisations, not just the Catholic Church covered up Child Abuse for so long then Charles Michael Casper has written that book and it is called Sycamore Drive: a Novel
March 13, 2020
Sycamore Drive: A Novel by Charles Michael Casper. In a fast paced and gripping story of small town life populated interesting and reliable characters, Mr. Casper gives us an astute observations of Catholic Church during the 1950s including it's mismanagement and cover up of pedophilia.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.
April 18, 2020
A powerful and timeless story. Set in a 1955 midwestern American city, this could (and did) happen throughout the country. Read it.
May 2, 2020
Sycamore Drive is well-written and fast paced. Set in the 1950's, it covers smaller town life and issues that occured with the Catholic church .. Thought provoking and insightful.
June 16, 2020
KIRKUS got it right!
"An unadorned but cumulatively powerful look at the previous generations' Catholicism. Casper neatly evokes the ingrained societal trust placed in a church that was often busy hiding abuses and shuttling predators from parish to parish rather than expelling them and handing them over to the police. Readers will feel conflicting emotions effectively." ~ Kirkus Reviews
"An unadorned but cumulatively powerful look at the previous generations' Catholicism. Casper neatly evokes the ingrained societal trust placed in a church that was often busy hiding abuses and shuttling predators from parish to parish rather than expelling them and handing them over to the police. Readers will feel conflicting emotions effectively." ~ Kirkus Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews