by Betty White
First published 2002
Father Joseph Maher stares into the darkness that has become his world since 1993. The priest who once guided his congregation through their spiritual struggles now battles his own demons. Depression weighs on him like a stone. The desire to continue living slips away day by day. His ministry feels impossible without sight. The familiar rituals of parish life become foreign obstacles. But his friends refuse to let him surrender. They surround him with patience and love. Slowly, they help him discover new ways to serve his community. Father Maher learns to navigate both physical darkness and the shadows in his soul. He finds strength to continue his calling until his death in 1998. This story reveals how human connection can restore purpose when everything seems lost.
Genres: fiction, drama, christian-fiction, 20th-century, mental-illness, faith, disability
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, redemption, second-chance
Period: 1993, 1998
104 pages · Paperback · Booksurge Publishing
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness, suicide