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Review
'Highly entertaining…At heart, this very funny, very engaging novel poses a question that seems all too pertinent in our Manichean times – why are we afraid of doubts and the mess that is human existence? And why, oh why, does there have to be a goddam answer to everything?' The Times
'An expectedly serious, fair-minded and humane look at a lonely woman and a searching man. It is surprising and unusually loving towards its characters. Perrotta is especially good on that thorniest of questions, why Americans are so drawn to evangelical Christianity.' Patrick Ness, Guardian
‘Told with wisdom, wit and warmth.’ Daily Mail
‘This understated, relevant read from the champion of states-side suburbia brings fresh insight into the battle between the two greatest forces in contemporary America.’ Observer
‘An entertaining page-turner that deftly avoids cliches and stereotypes. Fans of Perrotta will relish this sharp, witty satire.’ Waterstone’s Books Quarterly
‘A tart, tongue-in-cheek exploration of religious righteousness and sexual mores.’ Jodi Picoult, Red magazine
'”The Abstinence Teacher” entertainingly exposes the risible disparity between America's unconquerable Puritanism and its still less conquerable wellsprings of sexual desire.' Arena
‘Engaging, entertaining account of modern day America.’ Sunday Tribune
Praise for his previous books:
‘Suspenseful, ruefully funny and ultimately generous… an American Chekhov whose characters even at their most ridiculous seem blessed and ennobled by a luminous human aura.’ New York Times
‘Perrotta is like an American Nick Hornby: companionable and humane, lighthearted and surprisingly touching.’ Newsweek
‘Unalloyed reading pleasure…most readers will probably end up standing at the footlights, hooting for an encore.’ The New York Times
Product Description
A sharp, funny and beautifully observed satire about the disturbing influence of the Christian right from one of America’s most cherished authors.
Ruth Ramsey went too far. She hadn't noticed the changing climate. A Sex Ed teacher ‘championing’ oral sex!? Not now, not in this America…
Cherished by her high school pupils as someone who'd tell it straight, after one innocent classroom indiscretion Ruth suddenly finds the curriculum she has taught for nigh on 15 years worryingly out of vogue. As the scandal flares up and attracts the unwelcome eye of the local evangelical Church, the appeasing high-school principal forces her into advocating a pro-abstinence agenda in the classroom that is at odds with all conventional wisdom. But jaded though she is by her recent divorce and fruitless search for a new love, Ruth is determined that the values she grew up with will not be sacrificed to Puritanism.
It is a syllabus change which should be considered a victory by Tim Mason – recovering addict, local football coach and recent convert to the same plaintiff Church – but his new found faith is constantly put to the test by the temptations of his former life. When he makes the gesture of leading his football team in prayer after a hard-fought victory, in which Ruth's daughter Maggie starred, he manages not only to incur the wrathful attention of her mother, but to cement his position as the star evangelist of his church – an office he is none too sure about occupying.
Scathing, witty and brilliantly observed,‘The Abstinence Teacher' is a cutting portrayal of modern America and the influence of the Christian right from the acclaimed, bestselling author of 'Election' and 'Little Children'.
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Customer Reviews
I couldn't put 'The Abstinence Teacher' down. It's written with a light touch which in no way detracts from the seriousness of the subject. This is the first of Tom Perotta's books I have read. It certainly wont be the last.
I can't recomend this book enough, I hope you enjoy it as much as me!
In an interview the author said that he was alarmed by the strength of the evangelical vote in the election of George W Bush, and the influence that this secular group of people has over politics in America.
Tom Perrotta has localised the Christian Right in the form of "The Tabernacle", a small church in the town of Stonewood Heights who gather their forces in an attack against a forward thinking sexual health teacher and the liberal ideology as a whole.
Perrotta also spoke of feeling a little embarrassed by his "not really knowing this Christian force that is so dominant in his home country. As a result of this, rather admiringly, the author does not simply point the finger at the extremist Christians in his book, rather, he employs time effectively, providing the reader with in depth anecdotes and analysis of the character's past, showing what may have led them to this way of thinking and how easily it is for people to be swept up by religious rhetoric.
As the book deals with a rather heavy, controversial subject matter, it is a relief that Perrotta balances it out with good humour. I found myself laughing out loud at some points in the book and appreciated how every time I picked it back up I could slip right back in to the story. It is a very easy read. I enjoyed most of the characters in this book, especially the female protagonist, and even enjoyed the more annoying characters such as JoAnn Marlow, whom I loved to hate.
I can't think of any real qualms I had with this title, but a book really has to knock the air from my lungs to get five stars.
Overall, I found this book to be pleasurable, funny and thought-provoking.
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