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Proof of Angels
From the critically acclaimed author of Proof of Heaven comes an unforgettable novel about hope, renewal, and the gift of angels among us—friends, family, lovers . . . and even mystical others—sure to touch your heart
Sean Magee is a firefighter—a hero who risks his own life to save others, running into dangerous situations few have the courage to dare. While fighting a horrific blaze, Sean becomes trapped by flames and is nearly overcome by smoke. Just when it seems that all is lost, he’s led to a window—by what he swears is divine intervention. And then he jumps . . .
. . . into a new life. For years, Sean has shut down his feelings, existing in a state of emotional numbness. Coming through that fire, he knows that he can no longer be that man whose his heart is closed to the world. But before he can face his future, he must confront his past and everyone in it: the family, the friends, the woman—and the love—he carelessly left behind.
Sean Magee is a firefighter—a hero who risks his own life to save others, running into dangerous situations few have the courage to dare. While fighting a horrific blaze, Sean becomes trapped by flames and is nearly overcome by smoke. Just when it seems that all is lost, he’s led to a window—by what he swears is divine intervention. And then he jumps . . .
. . . into a new life. For years, Sean has shut down his feelings, existing in a state of emotional numbness. Coming through that fire, he knows that he can no longer be that man whose his heart is closed to the world. But before he can face his future, he must confront his past and everyone in it: the family, the friends, the woman—and the love—he carelessly left behind.
277 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2014
12 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Mary Curran Hackett
4 books40 followersMary Curran Hackett is the mother of two children and is married to Greg Hackett. She received an MA in English Literature from the University of Nebraska and a BA from the University Honors Program at Catholic University in Washington, DC. Born and raised in Danbury, CT, she has traveled extensively and lived in various places throughout the U.S., but her favorite place in the world is home with her kids, husband, and her stacks of books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 19, 2014
When I finished this wonderful, uplifting novel, I did something I only do with some very, very special books: I hugged it to my chest, overwhelmed with happiness. That might elicit some eye rolling, but that's how I honestly felt. This book touched me very deep inside, and I love it when an author is able to do that. It takes some remarkable literary skill to elicit this kind of response from a reader.
Now I desperately want to see the movie, because Proof of Angels certainly has a very cinematic feel to it. The plot slowly develops over the course of a year, and in that period of time, the reader feels as if an entire lifetime has been lived.
This is such a beautifully written, character-driven novel! I know and love them all, but especially Sean Magee, the central character. Unfortunately, he doesn't think he's anything special, and has been running away from himself for a long time. It's only after the fire that almost takes his life that he begins to discover the wealth of feeling inside himself. It's only then, when he sees the light that leads him to a window, that he finally admits to himself what a mistake he made in leaving Chiara, the love of his life. Right then and there, he promises to find her, to tell her how much he loves her.
The supporting cast -- for that is the way I think of them -- are just as wonderful as Sean. There's James, his fellow firefighter with the big heart, and preference for Thai food, Libby, the special dog trainer, who finds love in the midst of her own recovery from drug use, and Tom, the slightly cynical physical trainer Sean's brother-in-law, a prominent cardiologist, hires for him.
Hackett does a great job of immersing the reader in the everyday lives of all her characters. James had been Sean's friend for a long time, but Libby and Tom come into his life because of the accident. The four of them develop a very special friendship, becoming more like family than friends. Hackett explores their inner worlds with sensitivity and detailed empathy. There are no major 'action scenes', as this is not that type of novel; instead, this is a loving, detailed examination of each character, of how their unique life circumstances have made them who they are. In the process, they learn to give support to each other. As Sean receives physical as well as emotional support from his friends, they in turn receive emotional support from him. All four friends give each other lessons of the heart.
The title of this novel doesn't refer exclusively to the winged, supernatural variety of angel, as I had originally thought, but to earth angels, as well. Certainly Sean has been lucky enough to have three of them, while they, in turn, have also been lucky to have him as their own earth angel. Thus, the novel points to the various ways in which each one of us can be an angel in someone else's life.
Another great character -- and the fourth angel -- is Chief, the special dog Libby has trained to help Sean during his recovery process. Through his devotion to Sean, Chief becomes very special to the reader, as well. He's actually based on a real dog of the same name, owned by the author.
As the novel develops, Sean never loses sight of his goal. His whole reason for recuperating from his injuries is to travel to Italy so as to make amends to Chiara. Every small victory in his physical therapy brings him that much closer to the goal. Incurable romantic that I am, I cheered him on all the way!
The part of the book where Chiara appears is a pure delight. Hackett takes her readers to Florence, Italy, and the subtle allusion to "Romeo and Juliet" was not lost on me. The city is breathtakingly beautiful, with all of its historically important buildings, its light.....Here's a specially compelling passage describing Sean's reaction as he enters the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, for the second time in his life: "The vast open space filled with light and people made him feel that he was intimately connected to the divine architect, and all the men who'd made it, too, who worked for centuries to build the structure. It took thousands of men and women to build the structure, brick by brick, and none of them knew the lives they'd touch. Invisible to him now, the spirits of those people reached out and touched Sean as he walked. He just knew it."
I'm sure everyone knows by now what happens in Florence, and here's where I do have a minor complaint; the reunion between Chiara and Sean feels a bit too rushed. I would have wanted this part of the novel to last longer, as the two lovers get reacquainted with each other. They had been apart for eleven years, after all. But the novel's enchantment is to be found not only in its climax, but in the journey leading up to it. On the way to Italy, we have encountered some very special people who are angels to each other, who help each other to slay their private dragons because these have become their own dragons, too.
This is a novel not only of love, hope, and redemption, but of light, as well -- inner as well as outer light, and each reinforces the other.
To say that this novel has already become unforgettable to me is to affirm its transcendent beauty. Indeed, it is to affirm that there really are angels -- and they are where we least expect to find them.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog, A NIGHT’S DREAM OF BOOKS.
http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com
Now I desperately want to see the movie, because Proof of Angels certainly has a very cinematic feel to it. The plot slowly develops over the course of a year, and in that period of time, the reader feels as if an entire lifetime has been lived.
This is such a beautifully written, character-driven novel! I know and love them all, but especially Sean Magee, the central character. Unfortunately, he doesn't think he's anything special, and has been running away from himself for a long time. It's only after the fire that almost takes his life that he begins to discover the wealth of feeling inside himself. It's only then, when he sees the light that leads him to a window, that he finally admits to himself what a mistake he made in leaving Chiara, the love of his life. Right then and there, he promises to find her, to tell her how much he loves her.
The supporting cast -- for that is the way I think of them -- are just as wonderful as Sean. There's James, his fellow firefighter with the big heart, and preference for Thai food, Libby, the special dog trainer, who finds love in the midst of her own recovery from drug use, and Tom, the slightly cynical physical trainer Sean's brother-in-law, a prominent cardiologist, hires for him.
Hackett does a great job of immersing the reader in the everyday lives of all her characters. James had been Sean's friend for a long time, but Libby and Tom come into his life because of the accident. The four of them develop a very special friendship, becoming more like family than friends. Hackett explores their inner worlds with sensitivity and detailed empathy. There are no major 'action scenes', as this is not that type of novel; instead, this is a loving, detailed examination of each character, of how their unique life circumstances have made them who they are. In the process, they learn to give support to each other. As Sean receives physical as well as emotional support from his friends, they in turn receive emotional support from him. All four friends give each other lessons of the heart.
The title of this novel doesn't refer exclusively to the winged, supernatural variety of angel, as I had originally thought, but to earth angels, as well. Certainly Sean has been lucky enough to have three of them, while they, in turn, have also been lucky to have him as their own earth angel. Thus, the novel points to the various ways in which each one of us can be an angel in someone else's life.
Another great character -- and the fourth angel -- is Chief, the special dog Libby has trained to help Sean during his recovery process. Through his devotion to Sean, Chief becomes very special to the reader, as well. He's actually based on a real dog of the same name, owned by the author.
As the novel develops, Sean never loses sight of his goal. His whole reason for recuperating from his injuries is to travel to Italy so as to make amends to Chiara. Every small victory in his physical therapy brings him that much closer to the goal. Incurable romantic that I am, I cheered him on all the way!
The part of the book where Chiara appears is a pure delight. Hackett takes her readers to Florence, Italy, and the subtle allusion to "Romeo and Juliet" was not lost on me. The city is breathtakingly beautiful, with all of its historically important buildings, its light.....Here's a specially compelling passage describing Sean's reaction as he enters the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, for the second time in his life: "The vast open space filled with light and people made him feel that he was intimately connected to the divine architect, and all the men who'd made it, too, who worked for centuries to build the structure. It took thousands of men and women to build the structure, brick by brick, and none of them knew the lives they'd touch. Invisible to him now, the spirits of those people reached out and touched Sean as he walked. He just knew it."
I'm sure everyone knows by now what happens in Florence, and here's where I do have a minor complaint; the reunion between Chiara and Sean feels a bit too rushed. I would have wanted this part of the novel to last longer, as the two lovers get reacquainted with each other. They had been apart for eleven years, after all. But the novel's enchantment is to be found not only in its climax, but in the journey leading up to it. On the way to Italy, we have encountered some very special people who are angels to each other, who help each other to slay their private dragons because these have become their own dragons, too.
This is a novel not only of love, hope, and redemption, but of light, as well -- inner as well as outer light, and each reinforces the other.
To say that this novel has already become unforgettable to me is to affirm its transcendent beauty. Indeed, it is to affirm that there really are angels -- and they are where we least expect to find them.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog, A NIGHT’S DREAM OF BOOKS.
http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com
February 17, 2018
I did manage to finish this book but didn't really like anyone but James. There was way too much bad language, drugs and alcohol. It was a very strange book as most books about angels don't have such bad language and the language over all seemed pointless to me.
September 21, 2018
This book was just what I needed to be reading while on an emotional family history journey. It was simple but powerful.
February 3, 2015
This is definitely a "feel good" novel that could be considered "sappy."
What I liked about the novel:
I enjoyed the beginning and how Sean was granted a second chance at life. I loved the part in the book where Sean, a self proclaimed loner, suddenly has friends that always seem to be showing up to hang out with him. I enjoyed the candid conversations between the characters when they let down their masks and were real with one another. Some of those conversations struck a personal chord with me. I thoroughly enjoyed these "learning moments" throughout the book. I liked how the author brought God into the book without the book becoming overly religious.
What I didn't like about the novel: I didn't like the fact that the book was pretty boring overall. Also some of the characters personal problems and actions seemed too coincidental. The author seemed to ramble on and on about certain topics like how one event effects all others, how we all matter and how destiny brought all these friends together at this time. Also, all these characters seemed like they were an expert on each others lives. This made the novel overly sappy for my tastes.
I received this novel for free from LibraryThing through their Early Reviewers giveaway.
What I liked about the novel:
I enjoyed the beginning and how Sean was granted a second chance at life. I loved the part in the book where Sean, a self proclaimed loner, suddenly has friends that always seem to be showing up to hang out with him. I enjoyed the candid conversations between the characters when they let down their masks and were real with one another. Some of those conversations struck a personal chord with me. I thoroughly enjoyed these "learning moments" throughout the book. I liked how the author brought God into the book without the book becoming overly religious.
What I didn't like about the novel: I didn't like the fact that the book was pretty boring overall. Also some of the characters personal problems and actions seemed too coincidental. The author seemed to ramble on and on about certain topics like how one event effects all others, how we all matter and how destiny brought all these friends together at this time. Also, all these characters seemed like they were an expert on each others lives. This made the novel overly sappy for my tastes.
I received this novel for free from LibraryThing through their Early Reviewers giveaway.
December 2, 2014
I don't know if words can adequately express the beauty of this book. It is a book of second chances and of rebuilding.
The story involves Sean, a firefighter who nearly dies in the line of duty, but something, "an angel" led him to a window, where he jumped to safety, but not without consequences. He is broken and burned and has a long road to recovery.
It is through that recovery that we meet some "earth angels" that help Sean in his journey of healing, Libby and Chief, the dog trainer and Sean's service dog, and Tom the nurse that cares for him when he returns to his home.
Like Sean, these characters all have their own problems. Some are just as broken as Sean too, but together they seem to find their way to healing.
There's a little bit of a love story here as well, and not just with Sean.
The ending is just a little too perfect for me. The book spends over 230 pages on Sean's accident and recovery, but his trip to Italy was only 30 pages. It felt rushed, and the issue with his old love was resolved a little to quickly. This is the only gripe I have with this beautiful book.
Proof of Angels is a book that will bring tears to you eyes and it will make you feel good for having read it.
The story involves Sean, a firefighter who nearly dies in the line of duty, but something, "an angel" led him to a window, where he jumped to safety, but not without consequences. He is broken and burned and has a long road to recovery.
It is through that recovery that we meet some "earth angels" that help Sean in his journey of healing, Libby and Chief, the dog trainer and Sean's service dog, and Tom the nurse that cares for him when he returns to his home.
Like Sean, these characters all have their own problems. Some are just as broken as Sean too, but together they seem to find their way to healing.
There's a little bit of a love story here as well, and not just with Sean.
The ending is just a little too perfect for me. The book spends over 230 pages on Sean's accident and recovery, but his trip to Italy was only 30 pages. It felt rushed, and the issue with his old love was resolved a little to quickly. This is the only gripe I have with this beautiful book.
Proof of Angels is a book that will bring tears to you eyes and it will make you feel good for having read it.
August 6, 2016
For me this was a really good book to curl up with. In every sense...from the smell of the pages, to the feel of the paper, the font, the story's pacing,,,and finally the story, this book brought back vivid memories of what I recall of great novels.
The writing is patient, slow...perfect for settling into the lives of Sean, his sister, his nephew, brother-in-law and others listed on a list he'd been keeping. Yes, I could see where the story was heading, but I enjoyed the smooth ride getting there. Fantastic job!
The writing is patient, slow...perfect for settling into the lives of Sean, his sister, his nephew, brother-in-law and others listed on a list he'd been keeping. Yes, I could see where the story was heading, but I enjoyed the smooth ride getting there. Fantastic job!
May 18, 2017
PROOF OF ANGELS starts off with a bang. Literally. Sean Magee, a firefighter, is trapped in a huge blaze on the third floor of a house. As he rips open the wall, there’s an explosion that knocks him clear across the room causing him to become unconscious. When he finally comes to, he struggles to regain his strength but has no sense of direction in this thick, black smoke-filled room.
Sean fears that he has no time left. But before he gives in, he utters the following: “If you get me out of this…if you help me outta here…I promise I’ll be better. I’ll be a better man. A better brother. A better friend. I’ll even…I’ll even do that thing I said I was gonna do, but never did…I’ll do anything…Just get me the hell outta…” He prays and can only think of one person --- Chiara Montanari. In that moment, the smoke begins to “curl away,” and a magnetic force pulls him to the window. He thinks he sees an angel and follows the light to the window. Once he breaks the pane with his ax, he jumps.Sean sustains massive injuries to his head and spine, and his femur bones snap in both of his legs. It’s a miracle he’s still alive. He’s put in an induced coma for two weeks so the swelling to his brain will heal, and he’ll need several surgeries to reset his back and legs. The hard work is yet to come --- the many months of physical therapy he will have to endure so he can walk again. He’s all alone, except for his friend, James.
Cathleen, Sean’s sister, is married to Dr. Gaspar Basu, a surgeon. They have one son together, and Cathleen is due to have twins any day now. She had another son, Colm, from her first husband. A very sick boy who had seven cardiac arrests in seven years, Colm longed to be a part of his biological father’s life, but his dad never came for him. Sean raised the boy as if he were his own, but when Colm passed away, he blamed himself for this tragic turn of events and couldn’t forgive himself.
Sean is a loner and always has been. He runs away from everyone, including his family, and the only thing that brings him comfort is his drinking. He’s a broken man who believes that being independent and strong means being alone. He lives far away from his family in Los Angeles, and Cathleen is always worried about him. Author Mary Curran Hackett does a wonderful job of making the reader feel Sean’s pain and how much he has suffered by his loneliness.
Realizing just how alone he is in the hospital, Sean breaks down and calls his brother-in-law. He tells Gaspar that he’s a changed man since the accident and needs to make things right with his family and Chiara, from whom he ran away many years ago. Gaspar ultimately helps by setting up Sean’s healthcare needs for the next several months as he realizes Sean must heal and be able to walk in order to make the trip to Italy, where Chiara currently lives.
Sean had been in the seminary in Italy, thinking it was his calling. He and Chiara were young --- only 19 when they first met and fell in love, which reminded me of the ’80s movie The Thornbirds. He decided to leave the seminary because he loved her so much, but his drinking wrecked their relationship. He visited a priest, who advised him to leave their relationship permanently, which he did, without even saying goodbye to her.
It’s been 11 years since Sean left, but Chiara has always been on his mind. Since his accident, he thinks about what he said to the angel --- to explain and say he’s sorry. But the healing must begin, and he has to walk again. His physical therapy is grueling, but Tom, his therapist; Libby, who trains working dogs and generously gives one to him; and his friend, James, all get him through the next several months. Hackett delves more into his relationships with Tom, Libby and James than he does Sean and Chiara’s actual reunion. I would have preferred reading less of the former and much more of the latter.
Sometimes people deserve a second chance. “Promises matter, people matter, second chances matter.” Hackett and I believe that there are people in our lives who are our angels who help us, and there are Divine angels --- our protectors and guides. She touches upon the fact that life is truly about love and relationships, and with the help of our angels --- whether human or Divine --- we will get to the exact spot we need to be.
Sean fears that he has no time left. But before he gives in, he utters the following: “If you get me out of this…if you help me outta here…I promise I’ll be better. I’ll be a better man. A better brother. A better friend. I’ll even…I’ll even do that thing I said I was gonna do, but never did…I’ll do anything…Just get me the hell outta…” He prays and can only think of one person --- Chiara Montanari. In that moment, the smoke begins to “curl away,” and a magnetic force pulls him to the window. He thinks he sees an angel and follows the light to the window. Once he breaks the pane with his ax, he jumps.Sean sustains massive injuries to his head and spine, and his femur bones snap in both of his legs. It’s a miracle he’s still alive. He’s put in an induced coma for two weeks so the swelling to his brain will heal, and he’ll need several surgeries to reset his back and legs. The hard work is yet to come --- the many months of physical therapy he will have to endure so he can walk again. He’s all alone, except for his friend, James.
Cathleen, Sean’s sister, is married to Dr. Gaspar Basu, a surgeon. They have one son together, and Cathleen is due to have twins any day now. She had another son, Colm, from her first husband. A very sick boy who had seven cardiac arrests in seven years, Colm longed to be a part of his biological father’s life, but his dad never came for him. Sean raised the boy as if he were his own, but when Colm passed away, he blamed himself for this tragic turn of events and couldn’t forgive himself.
Sean is a loner and always has been. He runs away from everyone, including his family, and the only thing that brings him comfort is his drinking. He’s a broken man who believes that being independent and strong means being alone. He lives far away from his family in Los Angeles, and Cathleen is always worried about him. Author Mary Curran Hackett does a wonderful job of making the reader feel Sean’s pain and how much he has suffered by his loneliness.
Realizing just how alone he is in the hospital, Sean breaks down and calls his brother-in-law. He tells Gaspar that he’s a changed man since the accident and needs to make things right with his family and Chiara, from whom he ran away many years ago. Gaspar ultimately helps by setting up Sean’s healthcare needs for the next several months as he realizes Sean must heal and be able to walk in order to make the trip to Italy, where Chiara currently lives.
Sean had been in the seminary in Italy, thinking it was his calling. He and Chiara were young --- only 19 when they first met and fell in love, which reminded me of the ’80s movie The Thornbirds. He decided to leave the seminary because he loved her so much, but his drinking wrecked their relationship. He visited a priest, who advised him to leave their relationship permanently, which he did, without even saying goodbye to her.
It’s been 11 years since Sean left, but Chiara has always been on his mind. Since his accident, he thinks about what he said to the angel --- to explain and say he’s sorry. But the healing must begin, and he has to walk again. His physical therapy is grueling, but Tom, his therapist; Libby, who trains working dogs and generously gives one to him; and his friend, James, all get him through the next several months. Hackett delves more into his relationships with Tom, Libby and James than he does Sean and Chiara’s actual reunion. I would have preferred reading less of the former and much more of the latter.
Sometimes people deserve a second chance. “Promises matter, people matter, second chances matter.” Hackett and I believe that there are people in our lives who are our angels who help us, and there are Divine angels --- our protectors and guides. She touches upon the fact that life is truly about love and relationships, and with the help of our angels --- whether human or Divine --- we will get to the exact spot we need to be.
September 2, 2019
Sean Mcgee promises God he will be a better man and right some of his wrongs to people he has hurt in the past if he survives a horrific fire. He is shown the way out of a burning building by what he perceives as an Angel. Sean does indeed survive and over a long and painful recovery becomes friends with several others who are all trying to recover from their own addictions, be it work, food or drugs. I felt the story was a bit too sappy for my taste but it did have a good message, that life is not just a bunch of disconnected events and people. There are reasons things happen the way they do and that we have to trust that knowledge even if we don't understand it. I also liked the message that we are all Angels for each other. Nice sentiment. Recommended for a light, uplifting read.
March 2, 2018
Wonderful Sequel to The Proof of Heaven
When I read a book, I read for enjoyment and, hopefully, some type of enlightenment. That’s what I base how many stars a book gets on, not the structure or the irony or the other literary devices. Both The Proof of Heaven and The Proof of Angels gave me enjoyment and enlightenment (so much so that I wanted to take notes) and I will recommend these books to all my reader friends. This book focused on Sean, the brother of Cathleen and the Uncle of Colm (pronounced Colum). He was an alcoholic, an agnostic, and an angry man. It’s a perfect follow up to the unanswered questions from the first book. Read them both.
When I read a book, I read for enjoyment and, hopefully, some type of enlightenment. That’s what I base how many stars a book gets on, not the structure or the irony or the other literary devices. Both The Proof of Heaven and The Proof of Angels gave me enjoyment and enlightenment (so much so that I wanted to take notes) and I will recommend these books to all my reader friends. This book focused on Sean, the brother of Cathleen and the Uncle of Colm (pronounced Colum). He was an alcoholic, an agnostic, and an angry man. It’s a perfect follow up to the unanswered questions from the first book. Read them both.
May 12, 2017
You do not have to read the first book, "Proof of Heaven" to follow this book since the author does a good job of filling you in. Sean finds himself about to die in a fire, until an angel helps him. Still, he has a long recovery but realizes he has to make something right. The tale becomes a web. life is "not just a random stream of coincidences." "We can't discount the miraculous in the mundane."
February 26, 2020
This story is an amazing story that goes beyond the realm of inspiration. I loved reading it and connecting the dots to see that everything and everyone has a reason here on earth, we all could use that reminder at times. Mary Curran Hackett is an incredible writer who gives you feelings from different perspectives. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and did not want it to end.
January 7, 2019
There are angels among us...we just have to believe and see.
April 16, 2020
Enjoyed this book.
January 22, 2015
There might be a couple of reasons for such a low rating. For starters, I just finished an amazingly well-written novel and when I picked this one up the words felt blah in comparison. Second, when I read the back jacket I was under the impression that when he leapt from the fire..."into a new life..." I thought this was a time-travel book.
All that aside, this book was dreadful. I never truly understood Sean...he seemed to morph and change in and out of character from beginning to the end. I just happen to hate books that have their main characters "change" so drastically from who they really are to suddenly this guy who has all the answers, all the advice, all the knowledge of what life really means - and boy does Sean go about telling EVERYONE what he knows and believes. I just never got a picture of Sean - the troubled firefighter, the terrible brother, the mean uncle bit...and the big ole reason he has to go to Italy - give me a break.
The secondary characters were all flat to me. The big burly PT with a wife who felt he worked too much and doesn't want to share his feelings, yawn. The predictable Libby. And I couldn't tell if James was just this overeating, undereducated putz or if he was a surfing Californian - I guess I couldn't get a feel for him either. Oh, and the BIL/BF Gaspar...his entire presence felt unnecessary. And the unresolved feelings I had towards how Sean never did communicate (and yet even Lucia he had "words of wisdom" for) with his poor sister! I was hoping for at least some resolution between brother and sister and that never came. Even in the end he still didn't even bother to visit them in NY before rushing off to Italy to make amends with some lost love. Please.
I don't need a perfectly happy ending in the books I read but I do like to know a little bit of what happens next and I didn't get that from this book. Did Sean stay in Italy with Chiara? What did he end up doing? And how did a firefighter (now on a pension, no less) afford such a trip? What is he planning on doing with his life with his options apparently so limited? He just continued to feel like a whiny pain in the ass, even in the end. I could buy the whole "angel" angle at the end with his nephew if it didn't feel pushed on me to wrap up that storyline so Sean could close that chapter and move on now with Chiara.
But my real issue with this book is plot. All these people did was TALK. OMG, I wanted them all to SHUT UP already. Way, way, way TOO MANY conversations and the book almost went sailing through the room when even the Italian taxi driver had "advice". My god, enough with all these conversations and telling each other what they think the others "need to hear". Sean went QUICKLY from this loner, depressed man who couldn't even talk to his BIL/BF to this all-knowing advice junkie in a matter of a hundred pages. I never got a feel for where the story took place, there was no real plot other than Sean's quick move from loner to having dinner with friends and flying to Italy. And the conversations themselves sounded unreal. The constant use of people's name in conversation - I realize the author's attempt to keep the people straight - but we aren't talking dozens of characters, the use of those tags in EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION was unnecessary and annoying. I think if the author read this book aloud she would have noticed how silly and unnatural those conversations really were.
And when you are hoping that Chiara would get up from that table and walk away and leave Sean to go back to America like the annoying man he is - well, you know you don't have the book perhaps you hoped you had. I was irritated that Chiara would so willingly and openly accept Sean back after 11 years - and I hate when books make everything SO convenient. I mean, really, this woman has no husband and no children - and how easy for Sean to just step right in and pick up where they left off.
Okay, I'm going to stop now because I could go on and on. There was very little redeeming about this book.
All that aside, this book was dreadful. I never truly understood Sean...he seemed to morph and change in and out of character from beginning to the end. I just happen to hate books that have their main characters "change" so drastically from who they really are to suddenly this guy who has all the answers, all the advice, all the knowledge of what life really means - and boy does Sean go about telling EVERYONE what he knows and believes. I just never got a picture of Sean - the troubled firefighter, the terrible brother, the mean uncle bit...and the big ole reason he has to go to Italy - give me a break.
The secondary characters were all flat to me. The big burly PT with a wife who felt he worked too much and doesn't want to share his feelings, yawn. The predictable Libby. And I couldn't tell if James was just this overeating, undereducated putz or if he was a surfing Californian - I guess I couldn't get a feel for him either. Oh, and the BIL/BF Gaspar...his entire presence felt unnecessary. And the unresolved feelings I had towards how Sean never did communicate (and yet even Lucia he had "words of wisdom" for) with his poor sister! I was hoping for at least some resolution between brother and sister and that never came. Even in the end he still didn't even bother to visit them in NY before rushing off to Italy to make amends with some lost love. Please.
I don't need a perfectly happy ending in the books I read but I do like to know a little bit of what happens next and I didn't get that from this book. Did Sean stay in Italy with Chiara? What did he end up doing? And how did a firefighter (now on a pension, no less) afford such a trip? What is he planning on doing with his life with his options apparently so limited? He just continued to feel like a whiny pain in the ass, even in the end. I could buy the whole "angel" angle at the end with his nephew if it didn't feel pushed on me to wrap up that storyline so Sean could close that chapter and move on now with Chiara.
But my real issue with this book is plot. All these people did was TALK. OMG, I wanted them all to SHUT UP already. Way, way, way TOO MANY conversations and the book almost went sailing through the room when even the Italian taxi driver had "advice". My god, enough with all these conversations and telling each other what they think the others "need to hear". Sean went QUICKLY from this loner, depressed man who couldn't even talk to his BIL/BF to this all-knowing advice junkie in a matter of a hundred pages. I never got a feel for where the story took place, there was no real plot other than Sean's quick move from loner to having dinner with friends and flying to Italy. And the conversations themselves sounded unreal. The constant use of people's name in conversation - I realize the author's attempt to keep the people straight - but we aren't talking dozens of characters, the use of those tags in EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION was unnecessary and annoying. I think if the author read this book aloud she would have noticed how silly and unnatural those conversations really were.
And when you are hoping that Chiara would get up from that table and walk away and leave Sean to go back to America like the annoying man he is - well, you know you don't have the book perhaps you hoped you had. I was irritated that Chiara would so willingly and openly accept Sean back after 11 years - and I hate when books make everything SO convenient. I mean, really, this woman has no husband and no children - and how easy for Sean to just step right in and pick up where they left off.
Okay, I'm going to stop now because I could go on and on. There was very little redeeming about this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2017
I just couldn't get into this one, but somehow managed to persevere to the end. I think maybe it was a sequel though that wasn't clear. I still don't know if Colm had died or recovered ...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2014
"Life is not just a bunch of disconnected events and people. It's not just a random stream of coincidences. There are reasons, and we may not know them or recognize them and we may not understand them, but we have to trust that there are reasons beyond us, because I've seen it work out enough. It doesn't mean we will all live forever. It doesn't mean bad things won't happen or we won't feel sad sometimes, but it does mean that we can't discount the miraculous in the mundane." (209).
Firefight Sean Magee never believed in angels before even as he watched his nephew Colm die after numerous attempts to try and save him from his heart defect. As Colm slowly passed from this world to the next, Sean knew that despite all the claims Colm had that heaven was real, he still doubted. He doubted until he saw what he believed was an angel at Colm's side that night. He wouldn't remember it was the very same until Sean found himself trapped in a burning building. Unable to locate his way out in the black smoke, Sean uttered a prayer to God that if he saved him, he would spend the rest of his life being a better man, and just like that the angel appeared to lead him to the third floor window. Sean's only issue was jump from this height or risk being burned further from the flames following him out.
So he jumped, not knowing if he would die in the process or be forever crippled and unable to walk. When he woke up, he was neither. Against all the odds, Sean lived even though it would take months of rehabilitation to restore his shattered legs and back and recover from the burns. Now as he spends time thinking about how he can make good on his promises, he can't help but wonder if angels are real or if he was just imagining that had happened. He would eventually discover that" the secret to happiness is not wanting. It's not getting what you've always hoped for or imagined. It's managing your expectations." (275). Perhaps, just perhaps, there are angels after all in the unlikeliest of places, just when we need them the most.
I received Proof of Angels by Mary Curran Hackett compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own unless otherwise notated. I loved this novel, especially after being familiar with Sean Magee where readers were introduced to him in Proof of Heaven. This is his story, "about finding second chances, about failure and forgiveness, about doubt and faith, and about all the angels who touch us along the way. The ones who might just bump into us long enough to nudge us on our way and the ones who stay in our lives forever and guide us indefatigably toward the light."(24). I give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and truly believe that there are angels around us, and some happen to be the people we need in our lives who are inspired and encouraged to help make us all better people. There is also Reading Group Discussion Questions at the conclusion of this novel.
Firefight Sean Magee never believed in angels before even as he watched his nephew Colm die after numerous attempts to try and save him from his heart defect. As Colm slowly passed from this world to the next, Sean knew that despite all the claims Colm had that heaven was real, he still doubted. He doubted until he saw what he believed was an angel at Colm's side that night. He wouldn't remember it was the very same until Sean found himself trapped in a burning building. Unable to locate his way out in the black smoke, Sean uttered a prayer to God that if he saved him, he would spend the rest of his life being a better man, and just like that the angel appeared to lead him to the third floor window. Sean's only issue was jump from this height or risk being burned further from the flames following him out.
So he jumped, not knowing if he would die in the process or be forever crippled and unable to walk. When he woke up, he was neither. Against all the odds, Sean lived even though it would take months of rehabilitation to restore his shattered legs and back and recover from the burns. Now as he spends time thinking about how he can make good on his promises, he can't help but wonder if angels are real or if he was just imagining that had happened. He would eventually discover that" the secret to happiness is not wanting. It's not getting what you've always hoped for or imagined. It's managing your expectations." (275). Perhaps, just perhaps, there are angels after all in the unlikeliest of places, just when we need them the most.
I received Proof of Angels by Mary Curran Hackett compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own unless otherwise notated. I loved this novel, especially after being familiar with Sean Magee where readers were introduced to him in Proof of Heaven. This is his story, "about finding second chances, about failure and forgiveness, about doubt and faith, and about all the angels who touch us along the way. The ones who might just bump into us long enough to nudge us on our way and the ones who stay in our lives forever and guide us indefatigably toward the light."(24). I give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and truly believe that there are angels around us, and some happen to be the people we need in our lives who are inspired and encouraged to help make us all better people. There is also Reading Group Discussion Questions at the conclusion of this novel.
January 2, 2016
Note: As a tour host selected by TLC virtual book tours, I received a complimentary copy from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are completely honest and completely my own. Please also note that any quotations used here are from an advanced, uncorrected review copy.
Proof of Angels is the story of a firefighter named Sean Magee. He grew up in New York city, but moved to Los Angeles to get away from the pain of his past. While fighting a fire, something happens, and Sean makes a promise to God. After the fire, Sean’s life changes. Again. Now he has to keep his promise. He has to be a better man. Now he must come to terms with his past—all the things he has run away from. And it’s not going to be easy. But he has been given a second chance, and he’s not going to mess it up.
Sean’s family life has not been easy. He lost both his parents too young, and then his nephew, who was like a son to him. In the past he’d turned to alcohol to make the pain go away. Now that he’d given up that vice, he threw himself into his work:
“For as long as Sean could remember, his life had been bookended by these two desires: fire and God. The former he believed he’d inherited from his father, a firefighter like him, and the latter from his mother, a devout Irish Catholic. … He thought, however irrationally, that being close to fire, close to a higher power, that he would somehow find his way to them both again.”
While fighting a fire, Sean gets trapped and badly burned. Through what he believes to be the guidance of an angel, he finds his way out. He, however, must jump from a three storey window to be free of the flames. It’s through the help of his friends that he begins the road to recovery. It’s a reciprocal arrangement: They help him, and he, in turn—with his newly positive outlook—helps them too.
In the first half of the book, Sean’s thoughts and conversations are uplifting—as I think they are meant to be. However, as the story goes on, the conversations and relationships seem to remain on that same level. Instead of using those key relationships to show us how Sean’s experience has changed his life, the author continually tells us, and that soon becomes tiresome. Even halfway through the book I didn’t feel like I knew the characters. I felt like I knew about them from being told about them, but I never felt like I got to experience anything with them. My knowledge of them felt superficial at best, making it difficult to connect with them and feel invested in their stories.
Read more on my blog here: http://www.fuelledbyfiction.com/2014/...
Proof of Angels is the story of a firefighter named Sean Magee. He grew up in New York city, but moved to Los Angeles to get away from the pain of his past. While fighting a fire, something happens, and Sean makes a promise to God. After the fire, Sean’s life changes. Again. Now he has to keep his promise. He has to be a better man. Now he must come to terms with his past—all the things he has run away from. And it’s not going to be easy. But he has been given a second chance, and he’s not going to mess it up.
Sean’s family life has not been easy. He lost both his parents too young, and then his nephew, who was like a son to him. In the past he’d turned to alcohol to make the pain go away. Now that he’d given up that vice, he threw himself into his work:
“For as long as Sean could remember, his life had been bookended by these two desires: fire and God. The former he believed he’d inherited from his father, a firefighter like him, and the latter from his mother, a devout Irish Catholic. … He thought, however irrationally, that being close to fire, close to a higher power, that he would somehow find his way to them both again.”
While fighting a fire, Sean gets trapped and badly burned. Through what he believes to be the guidance of an angel, he finds his way out. He, however, must jump from a three storey window to be free of the flames. It’s through the help of his friends that he begins the road to recovery. It’s a reciprocal arrangement: They help him, and he, in turn—with his newly positive outlook—helps them too.
In the first half of the book, Sean’s thoughts and conversations are uplifting—as I think they are meant to be. However, as the story goes on, the conversations and relationships seem to remain on that same level. Instead of using those key relationships to show us how Sean’s experience has changed his life, the author continually tells us, and that soon becomes tiresome. Even halfway through the book I didn’t feel like I knew the characters. I felt like I knew about them from being told about them, but I never felt like I got to experience anything with them. My knowledge of them felt superficial at best, making it difficult to connect with them and feel invested in their stories.
Read more on my blog here: http://www.fuelledbyfiction.com/2014/...
February 23, 2016
Proof of Angels, Mary Curran Hackett’s follow up to Proof of Heaven, focuses on Sean Magee as the main character, and his story begins with an explosion. He is a firefighter inside a house which is thought to be completely extinguished, when it blows up, and then he prays that he should find his way to the window to escape. He sees an angel, jumps out the window, and survives.
The catch for Sean is that as he struggles to find his way out, he bargains that if he lives, he will return to Italy, to the woman he left eleven years ago without even letting her know that he was leaving.
But before Sean can make his way to Italy, he must recover. His legs are broken and his skin badly damaged. In the process of recovering, he is assisted by his firefighter buddy, a dog trainer, and his physical therapist. Together, they forge a bond that helps Sean to recover more than just his mobility.
From the beginning, Proof of Angels is melodramatic and shallow. With all the suffering the book claims that Sean endures, the reader is not given a chance to go through it with him. The writing is explanatory and simplistic. Heaven forbid we might have to struggle to figure out what a character is feeling or thinking—better for the writer to just tell us.
Writing this review, I feel a tinge of guilt critiquing the juvenile style of the writing. In Curran Hackett’s reader’s guide, she tells the very difficult story of the her life as her first book was published and as she commenced work on the second. She even writes of how painful it was to read negative reviews from bloggers and people on Amazon. But her brief story is so much better than any of the writing in the novel. As she unfolds the terror of her daughter having an undiagnosed mass in her lungs and her husband being diagnosed with stage three melanoma, her fear is palpable. Her answer to the last interviewer question is by far the best writing in the book. Not sure I would go so far as to say reading the rest of the book made reading the last section worth it, but, damn, that woman can write. What I don’t understand is why she does not use the same unflinching, honest style in her fiction. Why must she make alcoholism sound cheery? Why must she make food addiction sound like just a little distraction from life? And the trauma of living through what Sean lived through—no big deal. Baffled. Just baffled. But the writing at the end of the book, when the novel is done and paid for, that is some good writing. I hope that Curran Hackett learns to write with the same honesty in her fiction that she writers in her non-fiction. Then, sign me up.
The catch for Sean is that as he struggles to find his way out, he bargains that if he lives, he will return to Italy, to the woman he left eleven years ago without even letting her know that he was leaving.
But before Sean can make his way to Italy, he must recover. His legs are broken and his skin badly damaged. In the process of recovering, he is assisted by his firefighter buddy, a dog trainer, and his physical therapist. Together, they forge a bond that helps Sean to recover more than just his mobility.
From the beginning, Proof of Angels is melodramatic and shallow. With all the suffering the book claims that Sean endures, the reader is not given a chance to go through it with him. The writing is explanatory and simplistic. Heaven forbid we might have to struggle to figure out what a character is feeling or thinking—better for the writer to just tell us.
Writing this review, I feel a tinge of guilt critiquing the juvenile style of the writing. In Curran Hackett’s reader’s guide, she tells the very difficult story of the her life as her first book was published and as she commenced work on the second. She even writes of how painful it was to read negative reviews from bloggers and people on Amazon. But her brief story is so much better than any of the writing in the novel. As she unfolds the terror of her daughter having an undiagnosed mass in her lungs and her husband being diagnosed with stage three melanoma, her fear is palpable. Her answer to the last interviewer question is by far the best writing in the book. Not sure I would go so far as to say reading the rest of the book made reading the last section worth it, but, damn, that woman can write. What I don’t understand is why she does not use the same unflinching, honest style in her fiction. Why must she make alcoholism sound cheery? Why must she make food addiction sound like just a little distraction from life? And the trauma of living through what Sean lived through—no big deal. Baffled. Just baffled. But the writing at the end of the book, when the novel is done and paid for, that is some good writing. I hope that Curran Hackett learns to write with the same honesty in her fiction that she writers in her non-fiction. Then, sign me up.
November 15, 2014
Proof of Angels was ok, but not great. I don't think I'm going to be telling friends & coworkers that they need to go read this now. It's kind of a genre-defying book, too. The title mentions angels, and the plot is set up when the main character, Sean, prays in a moment of distress, but then there's cursing and none of the characters go to church. There's also no extramarital sex, so I guess it's "clean" in that department. Sometimes the characters talk to each other about redemption and all, but I don't really remember hardly any mention of God.
The plot itself would make a fantastic Lifetime or Christian movie. Remember that movie Fireproof from 2004? Proof of Angels also stars a firefighter! Sean is a tough guy who has built up walls in his life to protect himself from getting hurt. He ran from NYC to LA after the death of a beloved nephew and took up firefighting and surfing. While in a burning building, he calls out to God to save him, sees an angel, is saved, and sees the whole experience as a second chance to make things right with a girl he hurt over a decade before.
The book has everything you'd expect in this type of book: multiple characters who have overcome addictions or past sins to get where they are today. Romances. Everyone gets redeemed. This isn't terrible; it's the perfect "comfort" read. Like mac'n'cheese for your brain. And I did get a few warm fuzzies when Sean is able to overcome great odds to get to certain achievements.
In fact, Proof of Angels may be just a little too comfortable. Mary Curran Hackett doesn't seem to trust us readers to "get it." There is a lot of telling over showing. The characters will have long conversations that feel totally unnatural in order to convey feelings or relay past events. Or there would be a long passage where Sean would "reflect" on things in order to convey feelings.
Overall, I give the book 2 of 5 stars. On Goodreads, this is "it was ok." I didn't struggle to get through it. It was a solid novel. It just wasn't my book. It was a little too cushy and predictable.
The plot itself would make a fantastic Lifetime or Christian movie. Remember that movie Fireproof from 2004? Proof of Angels also stars a firefighter! Sean is a tough guy who has built up walls in his life to protect himself from getting hurt. He ran from NYC to LA after the death of a beloved nephew and took up firefighting and surfing. While in a burning building, he calls out to God to save him, sees an angel, is saved, and sees the whole experience as a second chance to make things right with a girl he hurt over a decade before.
The book has everything you'd expect in this type of book: multiple characters who have overcome addictions or past sins to get where they are today. Romances. Everyone gets redeemed. This isn't terrible; it's the perfect "comfort" read. Like mac'n'cheese for your brain. And I did get a few warm fuzzies when Sean is able to overcome great odds to get to certain achievements.
In fact, Proof of Angels may be just a little too comfortable. Mary Curran Hackett doesn't seem to trust us readers to "get it." There is a lot of telling over showing. The characters will have long conversations that feel totally unnatural in order to convey feelings or relay past events. Or there would be a long passage where Sean would "reflect" on things in order to convey feelings.
Overall, I give the book 2 of 5 stars. On Goodreads, this is "it was ok." I didn't struggle to get through it. It was a solid novel. It just wasn't my book. It was a little too cushy and predictable.
October 18, 2014
Firefighter Sean Magee is trapped on the third floor of a burning house. The smoke is thick, filling the space with a black curtain through which he cannot see. Certain he is on the verge of perishing, he breathes the promises of desperation: ”I’ll be better . . . a better man . . . a better brother . . . a better friend . . . I’ll even do that thing I was gonna do but didn’t.”
It seems to Sean that the smoke parts, revealing a straight path and a bright, all-encompassing light that leads him to the window he has been so desperately seeking, providing him with an escape from the blazing fire.
It would be easy to say Sean remembered his desperate promise, became a better man, and “did the thing he was gonna do.” But nothing is ever that simple, even if you believe an angel led you to safety when all hope seemed lost.
Sean struggles to recover from the massive injuries that result from his third-floor leap to escape the fire. Will his admission of feeling “broken” for a long time help him find the inner strength he now needs to heal physically and emotionally? Will that hastily-made promise be forgotten as he faces the challenges of recovery?
Recuperation is a difficult process, consuming almost a year of Sean’s life. Rehabilitation and physical therapy define its arduous path; as he struggles for physical healing, he finds himself on a journey of inner discovery. Along the way his life is touched by several people, leading him to a deeper understanding of himself and of things that truly matter.
Although the reader can easily predict how “Proof of Angels” will end, the ending is not the message of the story. Rather, it’s the understanding that angels are all around us, part of our everyday lives, an insight just waiting to be discovered. It’s the realization that promises, people, and second chances are vitally important and are, in fact, the things that matter most of all.
A quick, easy read, “Proof of Angels” will make your heart smile.
Highly recommended.
It seems to Sean that the smoke parts, revealing a straight path and a bright, all-encompassing light that leads him to the window he has been so desperately seeking, providing him with an escape from the blazing fire.
It would be easy to say Sean remembered his desperate promise, became a better man, and “did the thing he was gonna do.” But nothing is ever that simple, even if you believe an angel led you to safety when all hope seemed lost.
Sean struggles to recover from the massive injuries that result from his third-floor leap to escape the fire. Will his admission of feeling “broken” for a long time help him find the inner strength he now needs to heal physically and emotionally? Will that hastily-made promise be forgotten as he faces the challenges of recovery?
Recuperation is a difficult process, consuming almost a year of Sean’s life. Rehabilitation and physical therapy define its arduous path; as he struggles for physical healing, he finds himself on a journey of inner discovery. Along the way his life is touched by several people, leading him to a deeper understanding of himself and of things that truly matter.
Although the reader can easily predict how “Proof of Angels” will end, the ending is not the message of the story. Rather, it’s the understanding that angels are all around us, part of our everyday lives, an insight just waiting to be discovered. It’s the realization that promises, people, and second chances are vitally important and are, in fact, the things that matter most of all.
A quick, easy read, “Proof of Angels” will make your heart smile.
Highly recommended.
December 15, 2014
Originally posted at http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com...
Proof of Angels by Mary Curran Hackett is a moving story about the angels in our lives and second chances. Our main character Sean Magee is a firefighter who becomes trapped in a burning building. Just as he is sure he’ll be taking his last breath he is led to a window by what he is later sure is an angel and he just jumps. Despite severe burns and injuries he survives.
The whole experience causes Sean to take a closer look at himself and how he has been living his life. He’s just been existing in his life not really living and now that he’s been given another chance at life he wants to change that. To do that though he has to look to his past and deal with all the issues that caused him to withdraw from his life in the first place. Issues like the family he’s run from as well as make amends to the one woman he’s always loved and never forgotten.
Sean is one of those characters that is easy to connect with because he’s looking for the same thing a lot of us are … the meaning of our lives and what we ultimately want from it. Despite his issues he’s a pretty wise guy. One of my favorite quotes from the book came from Sean…
‘… sometimes miracles happen. Great stuff happens out of the garbage of everyday life. Like seeing a dog surf or being in the right place at the right time so that you can actually save a life. Or admitting, just admitting once that life is more than just work, it’s about the people in it.’ (from eBook copy)
Words well said. Too often we don’t see all the little things in our lives that are really good. Many times we don’t take the chances we should whether it be in forgiveness or love. This novel really brings that to light. Second chances are meant to be taken and life is meant to be lived fully. Above all keep yourself open to the angels that touch your life!
Recommended for fiction lovers! I really enjoyed this one!
Proof of Angels by Mary Curran Hackett is a moving story about the angels in our lives and second chances. Our main character Sean Magee is a firefighter who becomes trapped in a burning building. Just as he is sure he’ll be taking his last breath he is led to a window by what he is later sure is an angel and he just jumps. Despite severe burns and injuries he survives.
The whole experience causes Sean to take a closer look at himself and how he has been living his life. He’s just been existing in his life not really living and now that he’s been given another chance at life he wants to change that. To do that though he has to look to his past and deal with all the issues that caused him to withdraw from his life in the first place. Issues like the family he’s run from as well as make amends to the one woman he’s always loved and never forgotten.
Sean is one of those characters that is easy to connect with because he’s looking for the same thing a lot of us are … the meaning of our lives and what we ultimately want from it. Despite his issues he’s a pretty wise guy. One of my favorite quotes from the book came from Sean…
‘… sometimes miracles happen. Great stuff happens out of the garbage of everyday life. Like seeing a dog surf or being in the right place at the right time so that you can actually save a life. Or admitting, just admitting once that life is more than just work, it’s about the people in it.’ (from eBook copy)
Words well said. Too often we don’t see all the little things in our lives that are really good. Many times we don’t take the chances we should whether it be in forgiveness or love. This novel really brings that to light. Second chances are meant to be taken and life is meant to be lived fully. Above all keep yourself open to the angels that touch your life!
Recommended for fiction lovers! I really enjoyed this one!
January 12, 2016
3.75Stars
Sexual Content: Subtle
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content: Mild
Violent Content: Minimal
This was an unusual book for me since I do not usually select over religious books. But I have to say for something that I classify as Christian literature, this book has lessons in it that everyone can relate to. The central figure is a firefighter Sean Magee who works in Los Angeles. Not the most appealing character, Sean is an alcoholic and not above misleading and deceiving those close to him. Not your husband or father of the year award candidate, but that all changes when he is caught in a house fire.
Seemingly without a way out and facing certain death, Sean is saved by divine intervention. An angel guides Sean to jump out of a window and Sean feels that this angel saved his life. He is now determined to change his life and become a better person. He actually manages to see this through, which may be the most surprising fact about the book itself. I expected some kind of heroic journey that failed miserably at times, only to pick it up again and try again, succeeding in the end with the one big goal that Sean may have set himself.
But the author creates a believable book by showing that even a lost soul like Sean can turn his life around and be focused on being a better person. He retraces his past life and tries to make good. He has a long list of people that Sean has hurt in the past and now slowly turns his life around one broken promise at a time. To me, the book seemed like an interesting read. I am not sure that I would have needed the whole aspect of an angel in the actual rescue and not simply a firefighter who has a near death experience and feels that he wants to make changes to his life. The aspect of faith is not too overt in this book, which is good, and the author manages to tie the faith aspect in with the rest of the story in a way that seems like a natural aspect of the story.
-- EVA
November 17, 2014
Sean Magee survives a near-death experience thanks to an angel's guidance. After, he's determined to right the wrongs of his past and overcome his demons and drug and alcohol abuse.
To fix his future he must face his past and the people he hurt along the way, especially a former love. Can a broken man find his way to healing?
There are so many moments in this book that hit me in the gut. We've all made promises to be a better person (e.g., just let me live through this pain, and I'll make changes) after a painful event; Sean actually follows through. Horrible injuries--he's a firefighter who had to just life by jumping three stories from an exploding building--create a man who recognizes he's broken and the only way to heal is to seek out those who suffered because of it.
I loved his journey, especially his dealings with friends and his sister--her pain was a very touching part of Sean's past pains. I wished more had been done with the angel story line and how angels affect us all, and I thought the reunion with his past love--a driving force of the story--was rushed in the end. I wanted to savor more Sean's incredible journey and renewed belief in something bigger than himself.
Overall, I recommend this book. It's a heartwarming, and heartbreaking, journey of a man. One that reminds us there really are angels out there.
Note:I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.
To fix his future he must face his past and the people he hurt along the way, especially a former love. Can a broken man find his way to healing?
There are so many moments in this book that hit me in the gut. We've all made promises to be a better person (e.g., just let me live through this pain, and I'll make changes) after a painful event; Sean actually follows through. Horrible injuries--he's a firefighter who had to just life by jumping three stories from an exploding building--create a man who recognizes he's broken and the only way to heal is to seek out those who suffered because of it.
I loved his journey, especially his dealings with friends and his sister--her pain was a very touching part of Sean's past pains. I wished more had been done with the angel story line and how angels affect us all, and I thought the reunion with his past love--a driving force of the story--was rushed in the end. I wanted to savor more Sean's incredible journey and renewed belief in something bigger than himself.
Overall, I recommend this book. It's a heartwarming, and heartbreaking, journey of a man. One that reminds us there really are angels out there.
Note:I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.
October 2, 2014
As Sean, the protagonist, comes face-face with death, he prays to God that, if he survives, he will be a better man and right a certain wrong. Immedately an angel appears and guides him to safety. Sean survives, and, during his recovery from his brush with death, he makes a small circle of friends who each are struggling with his and her own demons. This small group of friends became Sean's angels on his path to recovery, redemption, and moving on. He realised that, although their problems were different than his, everyone deserves a second chance and a shoulder to lean on. Convinced that he must keep the promise he made to God, the reader had a good idea where and how the story would end.
This book should have inspired me and even led to shedded tears. But it didn't. For me too much of it was cliched, subplots resolved too tidily, and the story overall predictable. I suppose I prefer more complexity. The dialogue was also old-fashioned, some sounding as if it could have come directly from the mouths of characters on shows like "Leave It To Beaver" rather than real people today.
Having said that, I think the author was effective in conveying the morals of the story. I just prefer more subtility and perhaps a little less sentimentality.
I received this book as Library Thing Early Reviewer, but that did not influence my review.
This book should have inspired me and even led to shedded tears. But it didn't. For me too much of it was cliched, subplots resolved too tidily, and the story overall predictable. I suppose I prefer more complexity. The dialogue was also old-fashioned, some sounding as if it could have come directly from the mouths of characters on shows like "Leave It To Beaver" rather than real people today.
Having said that, I think the author was effective in conveying the morals of the story. I just prefer more subtility and perhaps a little less sentimentality.
I received this book as Library Thing Early Reviewer, but that did not influence my review.
June 25, 2015
Let me preface this review by admitting that I know (and like very much) the author. So while I'm trying to remain objective, my review might reflect my relationship with the author.
I liked the author's first novel, Proof of Heaven, a bit better simply because the story was more complex and riveting. Yet I did like the main character of this novel, Sean, even when he was mentioned in the first book. So while I found the story of Proof of Angels less compelling than the story in Proof of Heaven, my connection with Sean made the book more powerful. No, you don't need to read Proof of Heaven before you read Proof of Angels, but you should anyway. Doing so will give you a stronger connection to Sean and a better sense of this author.
My only real criticisms of this book are that some of the dialogue sounds unnatural and the ending is too neat. The characters often call each other by name -- VERY often, as in almost every sentence. I don't find that people usually do that in real conversation. The book effectively built up to the ending, but I felt like it ended too neatly. Otherwise, the story is interesting, the characters are likable, and I found the story to be a quick read.
I liked the author's first novel, Proof of Heaven, a bit better simply because the story was more complex and riveting. Yet I did like the main character of this novel, Sean, even when he was mentioned in the first book. So while I found the story of Proof of Angels less compelling than the story in Proof of Heaven, my connection with Sean made the book more powerful. No, you don't need to read Proof of Heaven before you read Proof of Angels, but you should anyway. Doing so will give you a stronger connection to Sean and a better sense of this author.
My only real criticisms of this book are that some of the dialogue sounds unnatural and the ending is too neat. The characters often call each other by name -- VERY often, as in almost every sentence. I don't find that people usually do that in real conversation. The book effectively built up to the ending, but I felt like it ended too neatly. Otherwise, the story is interesting, the characters are likable, and I found the story to be a quick read.
August 1, 2016
I read this one because I heard the author speak at the Ohio Library Council Convention in 2015. I was so impressed with her candor and passion for the written word and reading that I just had to have more. This title, which is the author's second book, is about a firefighter (self-isolated and former alcoholic) who decides he must follow through on promises he made to himself and to others in the past after he survives being trapped in a burning building and just barely saves himself by following a mysterious light and literally jumping from a second story window to the ground below. Secondary characters are also on their own spiritual paths, and the loner is suddenly surrounded by friends. Chapters are heavily weighted with endless dialogue, but the theme of deep desire to improve oneself and the hard emotional work it takes to be a better person never grows old for me. The edition I read contained Q&A with the author at the back, and I found her personal tales and experiences perhaps more interesting than the story itself. This book is a tribute to anyone who's done hard time to overcome addiction, hardship, and severe physical impairment to attain even simple goals and walk in the sunshine again.
August 16, 2015
This review is also posted on Book by Book.
Upon reading the back-of-the-book blurb for Mary Curran Hackett’s Proof of Angels, I was intrigued to see how Sean Magee’s transformation would manifest after his life-changing accident. Though a bit predictable, his story was a satisfying and encouraging one to read. I really enjoyed the various characters and their interactions regarding the idea of angels, as they dealt with second chances, healing and redemption in the face of tragedy and addictions. Admittedly, reading Proof of Heaven first would help to better understand Sean’s past, but Proof of Angels is still an inviting and delightful read on its own. I think readers looking for a quick and easy contemporary read will be pleased to pick up this second novel from Hackett.
Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a copy of Proof of Angels and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions of the novel, click here.
Upon reading the back-of-the-book blurb for Mary Curran Hackett’s Proof of Angels, I was intrigued to see how Sean Magee’s transformation would manifest after his life-changing accident. Though a bit predictable, his story was a satisfying and encouraging one to read. I really enjoyed the various characters and their interactions regarding the idea of angels, as they dealt with second chances, healing and redemption in the face of tragedy and addictions. Admittedly, reading Proof of Heaven first would help to better understand Sean’s past, but Proof of Angels is still an inviting and delightful read on its own. I think readers looking for a quick and easy contemporary read will be pleased to pick up this second novel from Hackett.
Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a copy of Proof of Angels and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions of the novel, click here.
November 17, 2014
Will this book make you cry? Probably not, but it will touch your heart and move you to think about your life. Will this book make you believe in Angels? Maybe, I already believe in them but this book reiterated that even those who may not outright believe can still be touched by angels and made to believe.
When I started this book, I was so ready for a touching story, without all the fluff and goo. Proof of Angels is a touching story, but it also has some fluff and goo. It has romance, tender love, strength, and belief. It also has some strong males that think they know what they want and how to get there, until they don’t. I enjoyed how the men seemed to take the leads and show each other how to make their lives better and what was missing from their respective lives. The women were almost secondary characters in that they did not have huge parts in changing the story. They were still important and necessary to the story.
Whether you believe or not, this is a great book. I recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing read that will touch your heart.
When I started this book, I was so ready for a touching story, without all the fluff and goo. Proof of Angels is a touching story, but it also has some fluff and goo. It has romance, tender love, strength, and belief. It also has some strong males that think they know what they want and how to get there, until they don’t. I enjoyed how the men seemed to take the leads and show each other how to make their lives better and what was missing from their respective lives. The women were almost secondary characters in that they did not have huge parts in changing the story. They were still important and necessary to the story.
Whether you believe or not, this is a great book. I recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing read that will touch your heart.
November 12, 2014
I kind of have mixed feelings about Proof of Angels. It's a book about second chances after tragedy and figuring out what is really important in life. Sean survives a devastating fire and he vows to make a change in his life. As he rehabilitates, he is able to make peace with his past and move forward with is life. He also figures out along the way where the true angels exist. I liked that part of Sean's journey.
What I didn't care for was how Sean felt he had to change everyone else's life. I get that he has a new outlook on life, but I felt like it was a little preachy at times. The other thing that I was a bit disappointed in was the ending. Through the whole book he talks about wanting to go back to make amends with the love of his life. But then their reconciliation was so short and too neatly tied up. I felt a little cheated.
There is another book by this author called Proof of Heaven. It takes place before this one and deals with the death of Sean's nephew. I am interested in going back and reading what Sean was like before his accident. I definitely think you should give this book a shot. It has a great message that I think would benefit everyone.
What I didn't care for was how Sean felt he had to change everyone else's life. I get that he has a new outlook on life, but I felt like it was a little preachy at times. The other thing that I was a bit disappointed in was the ending. Through the whole book he talks about wanting to go back to make amends with the love of his life. But then their reconciliation was so short and too neatly tied up. I felt a little cheated.
There is another book by this author called Proof of Heaven. It takes place before this one and deals with the death of Sean's nephew. I am interested in going back and reading what Sean was like before his accident. I definitely think you should give this book a shot. It has a great message that I think would benefit everyone.
December 15, 2014
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Written from a man's point of view, Sean Magee is a firefighter who right at the beginning is faced with tragedy and decides to take this opportunity to turn his life into a second chance. He has things in his past that he wants to make right, but must get through both physical and emotional therapy to be able to successfully confront his things from the past.
As mentioned above, told from a male's point of view, I loved it. It was different and I liked different. Although weird to read from a male who would tend to get a little emotional at times, I appreciated reading it. I loved seeing the people that surrounded him during his tragedy and after and how he was able to help them heal in ways as they were helping him heal.
Written from a man's point of view, Sean Magee is a firefighter who right at the beginning is faced with tragedy and decides to take this opportunity to turn his life into a second chance. He has things in his past that he wants to make right, but must get through both physical and emotional therapy to be able to successfully confront his things from the past.
As mentioned above, told from a male's point of view, I loved it. It was different and I liked different. Although weird to read from a male who would tend to get a little emotional at times, I appreciated reading it. I loved seeing the people that surrounded him during his tragedy and after and how he was able to help them heal in ways as they were helping him heal.
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