Saint by Sierra Simone

Religion. Mental Health. Romance. Spicy. Queer. 

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 415

Started: 16 December 2022

Finished: 17 December 2022

Summary:

    Five years ago, Aiden suddenly left his boyfriend Elijah and joined a monastery. Now Elijah, engaged to another man, decides to visit at the monastery Aiden to see him one last time. Yet despite the monumental split in their lives, both men realize that they are still in love. Yet Aiden knows he can't leave the brotherhood--it means too much to him. So instead he decides to go on a trip, visiting three distant European monasteries to try to find a place where he can fully immersed in his religion. But then he gets the news: Elijah, working on a new article, is going with him. 

Thoughts:

    Again, Sierra Simone wowed me with her modern and compassionate perspective on religion. I am usually very skeptical toward Christianity but something about Simone's ability to equate prayer and love is really impressive. The understanding of monastic culture and acknowledgment of the beauty in spirituality despite the flawed culture of religion was lovely. I did notice that the pronouns used for God weren't capitalized ("him" not "Him"), and I wonder why Simone made that choice, but I can't complain about her progressive thoughts on religion as a whole, and I have high hopes for the rest of the her books.

Words:

    Breviary (n) a book containing the service for each day, to be recited by those in orders of the Roman Catholic Church

    Dross (n) something regarded as worthless; rubbish

    Vigils (n) the eve of a festival or holy day as an occasion of religious observance

    Lectio Divina (n) a contemplative way of reading the Bible

    Inveigling (v) persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery 

    Clerestory (n) the windows in the clerestory of a church

    Compline (n) a service of eventing prayers forming part of the Divine office of the Western Christian Church, traditionally said or chanted before retiring for the night.

    Decanted (v) gradually pour from one container into another

    Cilice (n) a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair wore close to the skin, It is used by members of various Christian traditions as a self-imposed means of repentance.

    Dandling (v) move (a baby or young child) up and down in a playful or affectionate way

    Heterodox (adj) not conforming with accepted or orthodox standards or beliefs

    Accreted (adj) give credit to (someone) for something 

    Ossifies (v) turn into bone or bony tissue