Hello friends! If you have been following the blog for a little bit you would know that I don’t pick up books that will be deeply rooted in religion. I don’t mind made-up religions in Fantasy but it can be hard to put oneself in the shoes of a believer when one does not believe the same things. However, that said, one of the ways to understand another point of view and to experience new perspectives, is to intentionally put yourself in those shoes and think through the situations. Revival Season by Monica West is one such for me. I am not Christian but this story about a young girl questioning her beliefs and emerging out of the shadow of her family was hard to put down and I want to share about it with you. Take a look at the synopsis and content notes below.
Every summer, fifteen-year-old Miriam Horton and her family pack themselves tight in their old minivan and travel through small southern towns for revival season: the time when Miriam’s father—one of the South’s most famous preachers—holds massive healing services for people desperate to be cured of ailments and disease. This summer, the revival season doesn’t go as planned, and after one service in which Reverend Horton’s healing powers are tested like never before, Miriam witnesses a shocking act of violence that shakes her belief in her father—and in her faith.
When the Hortons return home, Miriam’s confusion only grows as she discovers she might have the power to heal—even though her father and the church have always made it clear that such power is denied to women. Over the course of the next year, Miriam must decide between her faith, her family, and her newfound power that might be able to save others, but, if discovered by her father, could destroy Miriam.
Celebrating both feminism and faith, Revival Season is a story of spiritual awakening and disillusionment in a Southern, black, Evangelical community. Monica West’s transporting coming-of-age novel explores complicated family and what it means to live among the community of the faithful.
Content Notes: Depiction of stillbirth, child and domestic abuse, self-harm, and depression.
Thoughts on Revival Season
Revival Season by Monica West was a binge read for me. Though the story is about a Baptist preacher and his family (a lifestyle I am not familiar with), I found the setting quite informative.
Mariam and her family do a circuit around the US during the summer. Her dad is a renowned preacher and healer and thousands of people come to get his blessings and be healed. However, he seems to be losing his powers and is spiralling into a dark place as a result. This was a hard book to read at times with the physical and mental trauma experienced by the characters.
Miriam, as a teenager, is a great protagonist – even though she has grown up with certain customs and rules, she is not afraid to question them. Her thoughts made this an engaging narrative about a girl learning her place in the world and trusting her instincts.
On Healing
The revival circuit is all about healing people, giving them divine care through Miriam’s father – he is the instrument of God through which they can attain health again. One of the embarrassments for the family is that their youngest child has cerebral palsy. Miriam’s father has tried healing her before but it has not turned out to be successful. When Miriam discovers her powers, she starts to feel like she can do that healing for her sister. Through her trials and tribulations as well as her interactions with people, she has an important lesson ahead of her.
Not everything needs healing – some people are perfect as they are, no matter what society chooses to label them. Just because someone does not look or behave like what we think as ‘normal’ does not mean that they need fixing. We are all individuals at the end of the day and the paths we take, the life we have is our own, not to be lived by anyone else’s standards.
This reminder about healing takes me to my point about growing up.
On Growing Up
As we get older, another lesson that we learn is that as much as our parents in particular, and society in general, might have hopes and dreams for us, it does not mean we have to follow them. Miriam knows that when her dad finds out about her healing powers, he will not be happy. He will ban her from using these powers because somewhere it is written that women cannot heal. But she realizes that it is her choice to exercise these powers. He cannot take them away from her which means whether she chooses to use them or all, it is her path to choose and her mistakes to make.
I read this book a few weeks ago and between then and now, I have had time to think about what my parents might think is best for me and where I am at. They came from the best place and speak from their own experience but none of us are exactly like our parents. Even if we were, with advancements in technology and the decades of difference between generations, we would still not be the same and have the same outlook on life on everything.
Miriam learns this lesson with her father at an early age. She starts off as being invisible to her father. It is no surprise that her sensitiveness to people’s needs and emotions leads her to develop her healing powers – she is just connected to people in a very special way. Her confusion around her mom’s choices speaks to a child processing her parents’ actions and figuring out what to do about them when she does not agree. She finds herself in terrible situations, watches her mother struggle with depression and becomes the surrogate mom her baby brother needs. Through her experiences and these situations, she is able to ask herself whether she really wants to live this way.
Reading Experience Summary
This is a dear book to me because it was such a different world than what I usually read. I felt that the characters were very well written. Watching the downfall of a parent and seeing another one in complete denial is a lot to live with and portray properly in a book. This may be Young Adult but it is a dark coming of age book. Thought provoking and wise Revival Season has a lot to offer if you pick it up. For a debut book, it is very well written.
Will you pick up this book?
Instructions for Dancing is available in stores. Be sure to check your local library and order it through there to help this book reach more readers.
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
About the Author
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Monica received her B.A. from Duke University, her M.A. from New York University, and her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she was a Rona Jaffe Graduate Fellow. She received a fellowship from Kimbilio Fiction, and she will be a Hedgebrook Writer in Residence in 2021. Revival Season is her first novel. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, her website and Goodreads.
Many thanks to the publisher Simon and Schuster for providing me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks for hanging out with me today!Next post is the launch of a new series with indie authors so stay tuned! If you are looking for more book recommendations, head to the Book Review Index! 🙂
Cover image: Cover Photo on Unsplash
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