Confessions of a Reader

After reading "Confessions of a Closet Catholic" I must admit I enjoyed the story very much. I thought the language was rich and engaging, the subject matter interesting and characters creative. As I read the story I focused on Justine's growth and self discovery. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of this 11 year old child's views on family and faith changed throughout the story. But after some probing from a few of my peers I thought maybe this is because I am neither Jewish or Catholic, and I was able to enjoy the text as a fun and simple story of a young girl uncovering her faith and finding herself in the process. The story discussed some difficult themes regarding religion, faith instruction and some difficult family dynamics. It was easy as an outsider of both faiths to see this story as another self-discovery style text. I found her closet confessions both amusing and informative. It was fun listening in on a confession (even if it were in the closet and to a teddy bear). The story looked at a function of what many children face, questioning the purpose of their own faith and what it means to believe in one faith versus another. Although, it is important to remember (as in all literature) that the images presented are just an interpretation of different facts and beliefs by the author. And as such, should be allowed the freedom to experiment with different themes and ideas. I wouldn't say that the story was purposely offensive but I can see why some may have that impression.