I was originally drawn by the subject of this book: a woman in the thrall of her Buddhist master. The author managed to make the story realistic and psychologically credible. I learned a lot about Buddhism while reading. ( )

A Long Time Coming of Age

Watch out for those holy men, those Catholic priests, those protestant ministers of all denominations, and those Buddhist masters, which might be an implicit secondary theme, the primary being finding your place in the world, of Blair Hurley’s debut novel. In it, a 32-year-old woman comes to grips with her life, spent as a rebellious Catholic teen and later as a devotee of a Buddhist master. He’s a master who will strike you less the holy man and more the controlling boyfriend who dominates Nicole Hennessy’s life for over 10 years, as she seeks to know her true self and gain enlightenment about the universe. Hers is a life of travail, alienation from her Boston Catholic family (except for her brother Paul, who admirably stands by her), existence on a shoestring, constant inner examination and frustration, and aloneness. She does, in spite of all this, or maybe because of it, find her calling in the wake of Catholic clergy scandal and its victims, one victim in particular. But, readers, though Hurley’s writing can be lyrical, steeped in Buddhist koans and poems, nonetheless it can feel like a trudge up a steep hill at times.

Nicole grows up in what appears a typical American family. Her family, notably her mother, are devoted Catholics. Nicole as a teen grows less so. As she matures, she feels lost, and the Catholic sexual abuse scandal confuses her, though it doesn’t diminish the devotion of her mother, who becomes truly distraught when the diocese begins shuddering churches, hers included, to settle financially with the victims of the abuse. She finds solace in Buddhism, which she reads on her own. Finally, Nicole, at 17, breaks with her family and spends a year on a quest to reach a monastery in Colorado, along with two boys, one troubled, the other larking but quietly in love with Nicole. The quest ends in tragedy and her parents bring her home. Another loss follows, and she finally turns to Zen Buddhism and the Master and tutelage in his Zendo.

This long episode of her life finds her living in poverty, striving to understand herself through Buddhist teachings, and forming a romantic relationship with the Master. The Master fully controls her and she becomes dependent upon him for maintaining her psychological health. Some readers will certainly find this relationship maddening, and wonder how Nicole cannot see how the Master has seduced her into an unhealthy relationship. Then, after she finally understands she must break with the Master, how he continually draws her back into his web, even using people around her to delve deeper into her consciousness and use the discoveries to manipulate her. She becomes a broken soul and she meets another broken soul, Sean. Along the way, people turn to her for help in their lives, revealing to her that she might have a calling in life, that perhaps the deprivation and pain were worthwhile, especially as related to Sean’s suffering, which, if you are patient as a Zen student, you’ll learn in the end.

No doubt many will relate to Nicole, especially if those who have been on their own rough journeys of self-discovery and searches for modicums of meaning in life. Here is a novel for you. Others might not enjoy the journey quite as much. ( )

A Long Time Coming of Age

Watch out for those holy men, those Catholic priests, those protestant ministers of all denominations, and those Buddhist masters, which might be an implicit secondary theme, the primary being finding your place in the world, of Blair Hurley’s debut novel. In it, a 32-year-old woman comes to grips with her life, spent as a rebellious Catholic teen and later as a devotee of a Buddhist master. He’s a master who will strike you less the holy man and more the controlling boyfriend who dominates Nicole Hennessy’s life for over 10 years, as she seeks to know her true self and gain enlightenment about the universe. Hers is a life of travail, alienation from her Boston Catholic family (except for her brother Paul, who admirably stands by her), existence on a shoestring, constant inner examination and frustration, and aloneness. She does, in spite of all this, or maybe because of it, find her calling in the wake of Catholic clergy scandal and its victims, one victim in particular. But, readers, though Hurley’s writing can be lyrical, steeped in Buddhist koans and poems, nonetheless it can feel like a trudge up a steep hill at times.

Nicole grows up in what appears a typical American family. Her family, notably her mother, are devoted Catholics. Nicole as a teen grows less so. As she matures, she feels lost, and the Catholic sexual abuse scandal confuses her, though it doesn’t diminish the devotion of her mother, who becomes truly distraught when the diocese begins shuddering churches, hers included, to settle financially with the victims of the abuse. She finds solace in Buddhism, which she reads on her own. Finally, Nicole, at 17, breaks with her family and spends a year on a quest to reach a monastery in Colorado, along with two boys, one troubled, the other larking but quietly in love with Nicole. The quest ends in tragedy and her parents bring her home. Another loss follows, and she finally turns to Zen Buddhism and the Master and tutelage in his Zendo.

This long episode of her life finds her living in poverty, striving to understand herself through Buddhist teachings, and forming a romantic relationship with the Master. The Master fully controls her and she becomes dependent upon him for maintaining her psychological health. Some readers will certainly find this relationship maddening, and wonder how Nicole cannot see how the Master has seduced her into an unhealthy relationship. Then, after she finally understands she must break with the Master, how he continually draws her back into his web, even using people around her to delve deeper into her consciousness and use the discoveries to manipulate her. She becomes a broken soul and she meets another broken soul, Sean. Along the way, people turn to her for help in their lives, revealing to her that she might have a calling in life, that perhaps the deprivation and pain were worthwhile, especially as related to Sean’s suffering, which, if you are patient as a Zen student, you’ll learn in the end.

No doubt many will relate to Nicole, especially if those who have been on their own rough journeys of self-discovery and searches for modicums of meaning in life. Here is a novel for you. Others might not enjoy the journey quite as much. ( )

This debut novel is an interesting exploration of faith, fidelity, and searching, and also the ways that religion wields power over both the faithful and the questioning. The protagonist, Nicole, has left the Catholic church in which she was raised for Buddhism—she's a convert, and has been studying under the same teacher for more than ten years. But the fact that she and her teacher also have a sexual relationship leads her to interrogate her own practices of faith and submission, particularly when held up to the reasons she broke from Catholicism. I liked the exploration of the issues here, and how Hurley framed the beauty and comfort to be found in both religions, although at times the controlling nature of both Nicole's family and her Buddhist master felt a little too cut-and-dried for the sake of easy comparison. Still, this was definitely worth reading—a thoughtful novel that isn't afraid to interrogate itself a bit. ( )

Somewhat slow story of a woman studying under, literally and figuratively, a Buddhist priest in Boston. The story comes and goes, past and present, delving into the circumstances that led her to her current day situation. The story was good but seemed slow. Maybe because I am unfamiliar with Zen Buddhism and there were many references, I found it slow. ( )