Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow

by Terri Campion

Vatican II has just been implemented, the Age of Aquarius is about to dawn and Cassie Crawford is struggling to catch up with the world around her, grow comfortable in her own skin and avoid an eternity in hell. ‘Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow,' a novel in thirteen linked and separate stories is a depiction of 1960s–1970s suburban America, seen through the eyes of a developing young girl, narrated by the adult looking back. Sexuality, clergy abuse, puberty, repression, morality, mortality and other themes are explored through the events and everyday lives of the people of Cloverdale.

Genres: Fiction

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2024

Reviews

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Mary McCarthy before her, Terri Campion guides us through a Catholic girlhood. Described as a novel but reading more like a brilliantly observed memoir, Campion's view is both vivid and fascinating. She expertly evokes place (A Pennsylvania suburb) and time (the 1960s) as she takes on the mystery of nuns, the cast-iron authority of priests, and her confounding relationships with parents, siblings, and friends. Always questioning everything as she paints her scenes with exquisite insight and description. Of a classmate she notes: "Gertrude's mop of straw-colored hair looked like she cut it while watching TV." A classroom that acknowledges Christmas with one black and white picture of the nativity: "The sole appearance of festive color was the red thumbtack holding it up." Of her revered older sister, she writes: "She should have come with instructions." She captures the individuality of all the nuns that populate her education even though at first glance, "They looked like they were attached to each other." If you were not raised Catholic you could not find a better introduction into this exotic world and if you were, I suspect you will find an awful lot to relate to. Either way, you're in for a treat.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie Crawford stands on the windowsill ledge of her bedroom, enraptured by a cloud. She wonders how much better things would be if she could ditch school, the nuns, and her boring subjects, then die and become a saint.

Below, pleading with her to abandon her precarious perch, are her frantic mother and an assortment of neighbors from her Cloverdale, PA, parish. But Cassie has her own timetable and her own purpose for everything she says and does, and in due time, decides to stick around for a while.

Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow, Terri Campion’s debut novel, follows Cassie from grade school to young adulthood, as she questions and challenges her oppressive Catholic environment and navigates life on her own term, determined to find her own way.

With humor, pathos and razor-sharp observation, Campion tells a compelling story with a universal theme that transcends the confines of any particular religion, race, or creed. Compulsively readable, poignant, relevant.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have long heard my parents' and grandparents' stories about attending catholic school as children, which definitely piqued my interest in the setting of the incisive collection of stories in Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow. But you needn't have attended catholic school, or even heard about it, to appreciate the universal challenges of growing up: navigating your relationship to school, teachers, siblings, parents, strangers and friends. What I especially enjoy about the author's writing style is the way she makes observations while inviting the reader to draw his or her own conclusions in equal measure. It is what she says, but also what she does not say that makes her writing so powerful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Terri Campion in the future!

[Karen Adamo-Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down! I was pulled in and swept away in the flow of Terri Campion’s nakedly honest prose and extraordinary story telling. I didn’t want Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow to end! She has masterly infused humor in the depths of painful truths in Cassie Crawford’s journey of self-discovery, and in doing so has created a most holistic coming of age first novel. This book has earned a seat on the shelf near the historically classic bildungsroman’s of our time. It’s a must read whether you did or did not attend parochial school. It’s guaranteed to make you laugh and cry at the same time, and long for more of Ms. Campion’s captivating writing.

[Marilynn Mollica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary funny because it's all so vividly real

The characters, the situations, and the nuns, oh, the nuns... If you were raised in a Catholic school, this book will give you nightmares again. I always said being taught by nuns was like being raised by wolves and Terri tells some stories that I swore were mine! She gave MS goose bumps. I knew her parents, her neighbors, her priests, the other students, all so familiar, but my sister is sweeter than Patty! If you're Catholic, this is a trip down memory lane (or a rabbit hole). If you're not Catholic, this is really what it's alk about. Coming of age in guilt and fear. I loved this book!

[Mila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book! It's a quick and super entertaining read. Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow brilliantly captures the mystery, humor, and angst of a young teenage girl coming to terms with her body and her catholic upbringing in 13 linked stories that take place through the 1960s and 70s. Especially enjoyed "My First Kiss" and "Who Art in Heaven". Pick this up for a fun spring/summer read that transports you back to a simpler time, as seen through the eyes of our whip smart, insecure protagonist.

[Kathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel reads like a memoir of a girl named Cassie and her childhood growing up Catholic and particularly her experience in Catholic school with various strange nuns as teachers. It begins very entertainingly, with lots of humor tinged with sadness. Then, just as Cassie is experiencing a rather delayed puberty, it ends abruptly. An attached epilogue leaps into the present time, with a very disturbing and disconnected twist to the whole thing. The book ended up being rather disappointing despite a strong start.

[Anna C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous read! Funny, poignant…this book resonated with me on so many levels, being a formerly Catholic girl who grew up in the 70s/80s. It was fun to be reminded of a time when we couldn’t find the answers to life’s mysteries on Google or Tik Tok. I’d put this fictional memoir right up there with Paul Feig’s “Kick Me”, Augusten Burroughs’ “Running with Scissors,” or Robert Dugonis “The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell.” Put it in your summer reading list. Loved it!

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to have been a Catholic school kid to enjoy these stories. There is enough coming-of-age universal experience here for everyone. Since I was in Catholic school from kindergarten through Grade 12, I completely identified with Terri's stories. I admire her wit and talent for depicting the experiences with such authenticity, humor, and emotion. Well written. With each story, one of my classrooms, teachers, or classmates vividly came to mind. What memories! Fast, enjoyable, funny.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd book that reminded me of growing up Catholic, even though I never went to a Catholic School. I was friends with people who went to Our Lady of Sorrows, but I did not live in Pennsylvania. The book loses focus. It is more about growing up in a family with a group of siblings. The Catholic School becomes unimportant.