Small Miracles - Anne Booth

Author: Anne Booth

Genre: General Fiction

Rating: 3.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: Not bad, not outstanding. Heartwarming, a bit over-the-top, funny, predictable, slow, interesting. Pretty much mixed feedback all the way. Will be a nice one-time read for those who like light fiction.

Story Synopsis:

1995. The order of the Sisters of Saint Philomena has just three nuns left - Sisters Margaret, Bridget and Cecilia. Their home needs repairs but they have no savings, no funds coming their way, and no new novices. 90 year old Sr. Cecilia has resorted to buying lottery tickets and is confident that her prayers will give them a win. To everyone’s surprise, (ahem… except for the readers – we know what’s to come), they do win a small jackpot one day. But this leads to a butterfly effect of events, which forms the rest of the plot.

Where the book worked for me:

🌹 I must admit, the biggest reason for my opting for this title was that I have read too many books bashing nuns for their rigid beliefs. (And rightfully so!) I wanted to try something that would be akin to the portrayal of nuns in ”Sister Act”, more humane and approachable, letting us know the person behind the habit. This book delivers on that count. The sisters in this book aren’t the typical judgemental or old-fashioned kinds (for the most part – 90 year old Sr. Cecilia is an exception, but she too is critical only in one instance), nor are they perfectly goody-goody. I loved the portrayal of the three religious.

🌹 I had assumed the sisters to be the focal point of the story. But there are many subplots woven around the convent and the lottery win, most of which are interesting. All the tracks tie up neatly at the end. Most of the secondary characters are also sketched well.

🌹 There is a little suspension of disbelief required, depending on your worldview of ‘miracles’. There are a series of small miracles, some of which seem like miracles, some are just serendipitous coincidences, and some are instances of a “pay it forward”. If you leave the logical part of your brain aside, it is easier to get into the groove of the story and enjoy it for what it is.

🌹 There are some funny moments in the narration, but the main theme of the story is of friendship, faith, trust, and hope.

🌹 To my absolute (and pleasant) surprise, there are queer characters in the book! The icing on the cake was that the sisters don’t judge them for their homosexuality. How refreshing! (Though I must also admit, it is a bit unrealistic. Most nuns I know won’t be as accepting…Sigh!)

🌹 For a story set around nuns, I did expect prayers and blind faith in God to be part of the plot. But most of this comes across as balanced and not fatalistic. The only thing that irked me was Sr. Margaret’s tendency to “talk to the Lord” after every few sentences. It was overdone.

Where the book could have worked better for me:

🌵 It is slow-paced and meanders through the multiple subplots and characters. You really need to keep your patience with it until you see how things come together.

🌵 It is tricky to remember the numerous characters, especially at the start.

🌵 Some minor plot points are left hanging.

🌵 Was it necessary to make George cry in almost every scene he is a part of? Sheesh.

🌵 I wasn’t GRIPPED by the story, if you know what I mean. I could keep the book aside even mid-chapter without a tinge of curiosity.

All in all, this was a sweet and heartwarming story. I didn’t hate anything but I wasn’t wowed by it. A feel-good, one-time read for those who like cosy fiction.

My thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the DRC of “Small Miracles”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.