by Jodi Picoult
First published 2009
Seven-year-old Faith White starts experiencing religious visions just as her mother Mariah discovers her husband's affair and files for divorce. When Faith begins showing stigmata and claims to speak with God, word spreads quickly through their small New England town. Believers flock to witness what they see as miracles, while skeptics demand scientific explanation. Faith's estranged father Colin, an atheist, fights for custody and challenges the visions in court. Mariah finds herself torn between protecting her daughter and questioning whether Faith's experiences are real divine encounters or symptoms of psychological trauma from the family's collapse. As media attention intensifies and the custody battle escalates, both parents must confront their own beliefs about faith, love, and what they're willing to sacrifice for their child. The story explores how a family crisis can either destroy relationships or reveal unexpected truths about the bonds that hold people together.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: custody-battle, estranged-family, religious-visions
Setting: New England
Period: Contemporary
512 pages · Kindle Edition · HarperCollins e-books