Pity

by Tessa Lour

Alex Monet is a girl in her young twenties who has faced a number of hardships. After years of battling depression, she waves the ultimate white flag and takes her own life-or so she thinks. She opens her eyes and is startled to see her dead brother, Dominic, who tells her the attempt was unsuccessful. In the few short minutes before she is revived, Alex and Dominic visit the Garden of Eden where Adam's second wife lives with Jezebel and Bathsheba, take a boat ride with Moses, and go with Jesus to the tomb where he was laid. As more biblical characters share the true versions of their stories, Alex and Dominic realize how modern christianity has distorted these stories into harmful narratives-the narratives that pushed Alex to take her life in the first place.

370 pages, Hardcover

Published August 31, 2023

Reviews

[Heaven Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Monet has faced many hardships in her life. She turned to religion to cope with the death of her twin brother Dominic, only to be mocked and abused by the church members. She decides that she can’t handle the pain of living anymore, and she swallows a hand full of pills. She is greeted in the afterlife by her brother, who informs her that her attempt to take her life was unsuccessful. Together, they are introduced to Biblical characters such as Moses, Jezebel, and Eve, who finally are able to share the truth behind their stories. With each person they meet, Alex and Dominic discover the painful ways the church twisted these stories to cause pain.

I grew up in the Catholic Church. By time I hit high school, I felt out of place because my views did not align with what was being preached on Sundays. “Pity” by Tessa Lour manager to perfectly capture so many of the feelings I experienced during my time in the church. So much anger, confusion, resentment, and heartbreak. This was an incredibly validating experience for me.

“Pity” shines a new light on the Bible stories we thought we knew. I really enjoyed that it focused a lot on the maligned women of the Bible, as they have always been vilified and disproportionately punished for men’s’ sins.

I went through every single emotion possible on this journey. I often found myself reflecting on what I’d read so far, even when I wasn’t actively reading it. “Pity” plunged into my heart and soul and opened some old wounds. It was an amazing reading experience full of wonder, discovery, and emotion.

Thank you, Tessa, for sharing your story with us. It was incredibly moving, and you should be proud

[Kenzie Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautiful book that will make you laugh and cry

[Sarah Shipman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a gem. Tessa knows how to tell a story and how to develop characters so well. She had me in tears with this book. Will read anything this author puts out into the world.

[Alex Belzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

a hell of a read. easily the best biblical fiction i've come across. PITY has it all - electrifying commentary on the hypocrisy of contemporary religion, moments that bring me to the bleeding edge of heartwarming and gutwrenching, and overall an extremely well developed story which explores the spectrum of human emotion at the interface of life and death. I can't wait to see what's next from Tessa Lour.