The Trouble with Sister Francis by Matt Coyne is set in 1980’s England and may be the best reviewed book I ever come across. I'm curious to see if it lives up to these lofty expectations.
This is the story of four boyhood friends, Richie,
Bennett, Kenny and Stan. When the book begins, they are full of anticipation
for their upcoming summer vacation.
After some adolescent male hijinks, the young men reluctantly
join the newly revived boys’ club at the local Catholic church to escape the
bullies in their neighborhood. However, when they get to the club house, they
find it is in shambles. This is when they formally meet Sister Francis, who by
using blackmail, strikes a deal with them to fix up the place. Sister’s ethics could
be in question at this point, but I know she's an honorable woman since Richie,
as the narrator, describes her as being the best person he's ever known.
Actually, Sister Francis is an unorthodox nun, who is dedicated
to the success of the boys’ club and is well thought of in her community.
However, there are times in the story when she seems cold and uncaring, with
very little personality – not what I was expecting – or perhaps there's a good
reason she appears this way. It’s also revealed that Sister has a secret past.
At the end of each chapter there are random journal
entries from the 1930s and 40s that seemingly have nothing to do with the main narrative.
From these pages, we learn about the journal’s author, Reggie, time as a
teenage evacuee from London during World War II. A beautiful love story
eventually emerges here. I'm guessing that there must somehow be a connection
between Reggie and the 4 boys, Sister Francis or the boys’ club – maybe all of
them.
Eventually, Sister Francis asks Richie to sort through some
boxes of club memorabilia that are piled up in her office. While unpacking the
items, Richie finds Reggie’s journal. This will lead him down a path where he
discovers some old family history.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I shared the same enthusiasm
for this book that is express in those reviews mentioned earlier. It wasn’t
until the later chapters that I found myself more involved with the story. The
more I read, the deeper I became invested. There isn’t necessarily a dramatic plot twist
that got me there. It was more gradual than that. In the end, I found a
meaningful story that left me wanting more from this author.
On a completely different note, to honor the
extraordinary life of Dolly Parton, please consider donating the Imagination
Library. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of
reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five. Home - Donate to Dolly
Parton's Imagination Library
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