Two Statues

by Brian Kennelly

Buck Washington moved to the quiet shores of Edisto Island, South Carolina to retire and live out his life in peace. But on the first morning in his new beach shack, he is awoken at sunrise by the sounds of his neighbor--a man as old as he is--playing a violin in a chair before the waves. When the same thing happens each morning thereafter, Buck seeks to find the reasons behind the ritual. What he discovers will lead him on an unexpected adventure to help a friend with a broken heart. A thousand miles away in Massachusetts, Father Peter Moore is on the verge of leaving the priesthood. But before he can abandon his vocation, he is ordered by his superiors to investigate the authenticity of a potential miracle . . . or warning. His journey takes him to the coasts of Rhode Island, where a statue of the Virgin Mary is said to be radiating extreme levels of heat. In Two Statues, first-time novelist Brian Kennelly has penned a tale of family, forgiveness and adventure that will absorb you as you rush through its pages, and stay with you long after the last one is turned.

251 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2012

Reviews

[Trisha Niermeyer Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you can’t take the heat, get out of the sanctuary? It would seem so in this beautifully written novel about love, devotion, betrayal, friendship, honesty, healing, and Divine Providence. Two statues of the Blessed Mother are burning up. The townspeople, priests, and bishops would like to know what’s going on and why. Two priests are sent to investigate.

Is there any connection between the two statues in different states giving off so much heat that the churches have to be closed?

Four men go to great lengths to find the answers to the perplexing phenomenon and along the way discover some remarkable things about the true nature of God.

A priest/professor having a crisis of faith and questioning the goodness of God must revisit the pain of his troubled past in order to move forward and decide what he will do in the future. His best priest/professor friend urges him to seek the Truth in hopes it will get him back on track.

An elderly gentleman who retires to a quiet house on the beach to live out his days honoring his dearly departed wife is haunted by a secret that won’t let him rest. He befriends his next door neighbor who helps him try to put his worries of the past to rest.

The pace of this novel felt right. I was definitely intrigued and wanted to keep reading. The mark of a really interesting book is being able to figure out where things are headed and still being so engaged that you can’t wait to see how the solution you know has just got to happen will play out in black and white.

For a number of reasons, Two Statues struck a chord with me. The connection to loved ones lost and the bond between new friends found are palpable and quite powerful in this novel. In the end, it brought me to tears and a sense of resolution that only comes from the miraculous results of God at work in and through people to remind us of His Love.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read with interesting characters. Plot was kind of predictable but nonetheless worthwhile. human struggles are not the cole property of lay people, nor is holiness the sole property of religious. Redemption is for everyone, salvation is for those that love the Lord, follow His tenets and loves his neighbor. This book has all of that.

[Amanda Lauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me immediately! I read it in one day, it was nearly impossible to put down. The story of the two statues of the Blessed Mother in different parishes heating up to incredibly high temperatures and the reason for this phenomena was so intriguing. The book is very well written. This would make a fantastic movie!

[porchreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could Not put it down. had to read in one sitting

[Ian Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thrilling book. Not only does it keep you interested all the way but it is extremely moving in many places. It is deep too, touching on many difficult issues: the problem of pain; the responsibility of God, the importance of each of us and of our words and actions and even our attitudes in the grand scheme of things, provoking the reader to serious reflection, and gently suggesting answers too. This is a wonderful piece of work, careful, wise, and thoroughly recommended.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted to read this story as it was written by a Catholic author and the Catholic faith of the characters played a major role in this story. This novels tells the story of four men whose lives are intertwined but only come to that realization in the miracle of the Two Statues. Although predictable in many ways, the story was one of faith, hope, questioning and miracles that I enjoyed reading over the space of two days. Can see myself coming back to this somewhere down the road.

[Joyce Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very touching

I enjoyed the story and the way that the lives of all the characters were intertwined. It demonstrates the power of love and the need to have faith in God.

[Erin Cupp · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can I possibly describe this book? Is it a pair of buddy-cop dramas, woven together with mystical threads? Is it a mystery story where the dramatic irony only manages to increase with each sentence, drawing the reader inexorably into a wilderness of miracles? Is it an adventure story, bringing our four main characters up and down the eastern seaboard in search of answers both practical and otherworldly? Is it a story of forgiveness alone or of reconciliation?

How can I possibly describe this novel? I don’t honestly feel like I can. The best description this reader can give, however, is “five stars.” Thank you, St. Benedict Press, for taking a chance on a novel like this. It’s fiction like this that breathes credibility as well as humanity into the good doctrine promoted in your nonfiction. You took a chance, and I’m hoping it pays off for you… so you can afford to take more chances on great Catholic fiction like *Two Statues.*

[Boo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!!!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and interesting read. Good effort for a first novel.