Woman of God

by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro, Thérèse Plummer (Reading)

St. Peter's Square, Rome. White smoke signals that a new Pope has been chosen.Is it possible that the new Pope...is a woman?The world is watching as massive crowds gather in Rome, waiting for news of a new pope, one who promises to be unlike any other in history. It's a turning point that may change the Church forever. Some followers are ecstatic that the movement reinvigorating the Church is about to reach the Vatican, but the leading candidate has made a legion of powerful enemies who aren't afraid to kill for their cause. Faith has never come easy for Brigid Fitzgerald. From her difficult childhood with drug-addled parents to her career as a doctor healing the wounded in Sudan to a series of trials that test her beliefs at every turn, Brigid's convictions and callings have made her the target of all those who fear that the Church has lost its way--dangerous adversaries who abhor challenges to tradition. Locked in a deadly, high-stakes battle with forces determined to undermine everything she believes in, Brigid must convert her enemies to her cause before she loses her faith...and her life.Spanning the globe--from the drug dens, high-powered law firms, and churches of Boston to the horrific brutality of a civil war in the Sudanese desert to the beauty, violence, and spiritual enlightenment of the Holy Land--Woman of God is an epic, thrilling tale of perseverance, love, trust and nothing less than what it means to live in a fallen world.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Thriller, Religion, Book Club, Adult Fiction

Audiobook

First published September 26, 2016

About the author

Official US Site
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JIMMY Patterson Books
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James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0 out of 5 stars -- A test of faith. A HUGE test.

OK this woman had it so much worse than Job of the Bible. At first it was hard to see her go through the tragedies, but then it got to be WAY TOO MUCH. I often get suckered in to requesting a book based on the synopsis, but sometimes the actual story is nothing like what was written in the publicity materials. As it is here.

I thought this novel was going to be about a woman Pope. NOT. So ignore the blurb. This is about a woman doctor, a humanitarian from KIND HANDS (an NGO), who goes to South Sudan to a hospital outpost to care for the victims injured in a bloody civil war there. The tide of hopelessness overwhelms the workers and all the intentions to do good works is futile in the face of murderous outlaw gangs, marauders, and the Gray Army. This militia has only one objective -- to kill everyone. Dr. Brigid Fitzgerald is dedicated and fiercely protective of her patients and her colleagues. But she is no match for the Gray Army leader, Colonel Dage Zuberi -- the king of atrocities. Death and more deaths...

In between her stints at the outpost hospital in Sudan, Brigid deals with personal relationships, love and marriage. She has trials and more trials as she questions her faith in God and her religion. She has visions. She and her husband start a church that is an offshoot of Roman Catholicism and they become the targets of some powerful enemies, including those in the hierarchy of the church. She becomes one of the first female "priests" and that causes further problems. Will her adversaries get the best of her as at each point her faith is tested?

I was totally disappointed in this novel and don't recommend it. Sure it's interesting for me as a Catholic to imagine a female priest and possible Pope, but despite the religious overtones, the novel never fulfilled my expectations. I felt let down by the continual drama and bad luck for Brigid. I never really connected with her character. Her "visions" left me in a state of disbelief. I had to struggle through to the end and deal with my disappointment of let down expectations. I rarely read Patterson anymore, and now, again, I know why.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and Edelweiss for the e-book ARC to review.

[Rachel Nicole Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

*5/5 STARS* (If I could rate this even higher, I would)

Woman of God by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro is nothing short of amazing. I began this book with high expectations and ready to read an unexpected story because it seemed like nothing James Patterson has ever released before. I'm happy to report that my expectations were exceeded by a long shot. Brigid Fitzgerald has left a lasting impression on me and is now one of my top favorite female characters in a novel of ALL TIME. I am a registered nurse and working at a clinic or hospital is nothing compared to the way she sacrificed herself and put her life in danger in South Sudan to care for people that were so unfortunate to be in that land of war and surrounded by so much strife. I related to Brigid on so many levels because she had such deep care and love for the people she cared for and no matter the situation, she was always trying to save a life. I also relate to her because of her faith. She lost SO many people in this story that along the way I was even asking, "How is Brigid going to make it through this?"
I lost my uncle, papa and great grandma in 2008, all three months apart. My uncle was 35, my papa was 57 and my great grandma was 79. They were what I consider to be my "very close," family members. When I lost them I lost a part of me. I still search for those pieces that are missing deep within my soul. I've only made it through with the help of God. Without Him, His peace and strength He gave me and my family, I wouldn't be here today. The day I watched my papa take his last breath as we were all gathered around his bed and holding on to him was the day I decided I had to do something. I didn't want his life to be a life that didn't inspire something, I didn't want his legacy to die in vain. I decided I would become a nurse that day. I held on to that and at the age of 21 I graduated nursing school with honors.
I've lost so many people that I've grown close to. My best friend and partner through nursing school was killed in a head-on collision three weeks after our nursing school graduation. I know what it's like to feel the world collapsing in around you. Brigid Fitzgerald's character made me feel that maybe I'm not so alone in the questions and the struggles I faced in losing my loved ones. Every time I take care of a patient, I image them being my papa, grandma, uncle or my best friend. And every time a family member needs comforting after the death of a loved one, I want to be there to hold them and let them know that I've been there and I know what it's like to lose someone so dear and close to you.
Brigid Fitzgerald's story of life, love, loss, faith, forgiveness, and destiny touched my life in ways that I never thought a book could. This will forever be one of my favorite books of all time. James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have forever touched my life through this novel. Thank you for the amazing story that you've written and thank you for sharing it with the world. I am so thankful to have been chosen as one of the lucky recipients of an ARC of this book before it's release in September 2016. This book has touched my heart, my life, and my faith. Thank you, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro for this.


Sincerely,
Rachel

[Jill McGill · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have given us another solid hit with Woman of God! This is definitely not the typical James Patterson novel with all the mystery and crime. This is an inspiring story about one woman whose faith has been tested over and over again. It's about tragedy, love, hope and learning how to overcome it all through faith. Often through our darkest times is when our faith is being tested, you can either hold on to it or lose faith altogether.

A well-written and inspiring story that I highly recommend!

[Dianne Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

In all honesty, this is one of the best books I've ever read. The female protagonist's tenacious pursuit of faith amidst extreme adversities (literally one after the next) moved me to tears, which doesn't usually happen from fictional characters. I've not met a braver female character than Brigid Fitzgerald.
That said, as a conservative reader, I did not connect with about ten percent of the book that focused on criticizing the Catholic Church's outdated practices; the idea of modernizing the Church, in a way that required watered down ethics, seemed incongruous with 90% of the book that I connected with so fervently.
Even so, I still give this book 5 stars, because from beginning to end, I was deeply engaged as a reader. The character development was great. The pacing was perfect, and by perfect, I mean fast-- which is to be expected from Patterson. The circular nature which connected the beginning to the ending gave this book a literary feel, which I appreciated. The attention to detail was incredible; in some ways, I felt like I was actually in Sudan, Rome, and Boston.
Most readers, especially moms, will find deep encouragement and renewed perspective from Brigid's ability to hang on to her faith, even as her world falls apart.
*Thanks to Mr. Patterson's assistant for my complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Patterson-Paetro partnership returns with a one-off novel that seeks to explore faith, religion, and the strength in both that one woman possesses in the modern world. Brigid Fitzgerald has been working in South Sudan, serving as a doctor and trauma surgeon in a war-torn corner of the country. After the medical facility is attacked by guerillas, many are slaughtered, including the local priest and Brigid's mentor. As she struggles to come to terms with this, Brigid, too, is attacked and left for dead. She sees a collection of visions and is left to wonder if she is communicating with God. Brigid wakes in an Amsterdam hospital and learns that she has been brought back from death and from thereon in has an odd and strengthened communication with God, from visions to complete conversations. As Brigid's life progresses, she continues to have a strong connection to God and uses this relationship to shape the lives of those around her. Tragedy offsets triumph and Brigid learns that God's decisions are not always pleasant, though there is surely a larger plan to which she is not always privy. After forging a friendship with Father James Aubrey, they weather a scandalous event and find that the Roman Catholic Church remains rooted in its archaic ways. Platonic ties soon turn romantic and Brigid works with Aubrey to create the Jesus Mary and Joseph (JMJ) Movement; a church seeking to modernise some Roman Catholic views as they relate to worship and those who are welcome in the flock. Of course, traditionalists rage against such blasphemy, though Brigid and Aubrey refuse to stop preaching. After a blessed marriage and birth of a daughter Aubrey and Brigid face yet more tragedy, enough to turn anyone from God. Brigid is now head of a movement, one that seeks compassion and openness, while there are still those out there seeking to rid the world of her proselytising. The rumbles of the JMJ Movement continue, with churches popping up all over the world, and leads to an audience with His Holiness, Pope Gregory XVII. What follows is a powerful narrative that turns the foundations of modern Catholicism on its head. An interesting read for those with open minds and seeking to explore the parameters of individual faith.

The premise of the novel is surely grounded in something other than most Patterson fans might expect. While crime and legal dramas have filled bookshelves, there is a softer and more wholesome story found within the pages of this novel. What Patterson and Paetro seek to offer the reader is an exploration of one woman's faith and struggles that surround it, while also examining the delight that can come from such a connection. One might also say that the authors are depicting Brigid as a modern-day Job, testing her faith with innumerable hurdles as the chapters progress. While the argument towards strength of faith is key, there is also a strong undertone that remains highly critical of the Roman Catholic Church and its principles. All this develops and digresses throughout, complete with a Conclave that emerges with Brigid on the lips of many cardinals. Putting aside the ignored rules and regulations surrounding this, the soft and dramatic events leading up to this are meant to touch the heart of the reader, while pushing them towards hoping that Brigid can shepherd in change. Using a plethora of strong characters, the authors develop a strong protagonist that sees the story take many twists before its ultimate set of revelations. While the story is strong for its messaging, I found it hokey and even melodramatic in spots, with a narrative that gets gushy and eve smarmy. However, it does what it seeks to do, push women and the Church to the forefront, while also allowing the fairer sex to hold the reins during numerous crises of faith. For that, Patterson and Paetro cannot be faulted. Well-crafted for those who want a break from Patterson's tepid writing, which exemplifies that Paetro is able to save yet another story from ruin.

Kudos, Mr. Patterson and Madam Paetro for this book that touches the heart and soul of many. While I was not moved to speak out, I enjoyed some of the less than subtle attacks on the Holy See's arcane views.

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Tammy Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

This poor woman has more tragedies in her life than Job! Just totally over the top and unbelievable. Reading the blurb made me think this was going to be a book about a woman pope - NOT. Another odd religious book by Patterson.

[Greg · Rating 1 out of 5]

"They had captured a hundred and twenty-nine children. They castrated the boys and left them to bleed to death. They had gang-raped the little girls before killing them. Little boys who had been unable to run were roped together, and their throats had been slit," so writes Patterson/Paetro on page 119 of this, a torture porn book sold under the pretense of a woman finding faith. And even worse, far more torturous, scenes have appeared in earlier pages. Okay, now, about the writing itself, get this: "I don't work for you, Dr. Whitehead. I go where I'm needed. And if you don't like it, you can go to hell." Okay, hilariously bad writing: without the torture porn elements, this book could have been at best a satire on....say...Twilight. Book closed for good at page 119.

[Suzanne the Bookaholic and Proud · Rating 5 out of 5]

(some spoilers!!)
WOW!!
Woman of God, is an extraodinary read, testing a person's faith through thick and thin, there were times when reading this and thinking, 'how can all this happen to one person', being a doctor in south Sudan at 'kind hearts' and seeing all of the death and destruction, to being shot, and technically declared dead, only, to come through it all and go back, to having to live through your husband and newborn child dying, (that literally broke me to pieces reading that, as I have kids), to questioning faith and then to survive a bomb, only to have another husband dying, and being shot at again.
Bridgit Fitzgerald is a Woman of God, through all that, and even her doubts about faith she still has it, and her belief of God visiting her and saying that she has a bigger purpose.
This was a interesting read as I am an atheist, and reading about things that happen and happening for a reason and that there is a plan for them, really opens your perspective towards religion.
I have read the Bible (couldn't marked 'read' on good reads lol).
I hoped that some people are not upset or angry about this book or review as it is based on opinions and everyone has there own, including beliefs.
if you have gotten this far in reading this I applaud you lol, thanks for reading it too x

[Suzzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just do not know how to rate or review this book. Hell, I do even know how I felt about this book. I did not get engrossed in the story but it was not a bad story. I think I just did not connect with it or the characters as much as I would have liked to. It is still a James Patterson book so it is far from bad, just did not feel this one. This is about vast changes within the Catholic church with the main character becoming a priest and even having her name in the hat for pope.

My quick and simple overall: yeah, I don’t know honestly. Some will like it, some will not, and then some will be left like me shrugging.

[Kara Neal · Rating 1 out of 5]

It seems like everyone is reading Patterson, and I like faith-based boos, so I added this to my library wishlist based on title and author alone. Honestly, if I had read the blurb, I'd likely have passed. Indeed, I wish I had. Admittedly, I am not Roman Catholic. As a Christian, I found this offensive at multiple points, particularly when so-called men and women of God who claim to serve him were sitting around the table mocking and laughing at Bible verses from the pens of Paul and Timothy. To me, that is Scripture. To the characters of this book and perhaps the authors, you can serve God and have Him even speak directly to you while mocking the parts of His Word that don't fit your personal so-called spirituality.

I kept reading mostly out of a personal quirk of preferring g to finish what I start. This is a jerky whirlwind with gaping wounds of underdevelopment, sensationalism, and one totally implausible page after another. Save your time and money. I want to be spiritually and mentally autoclaved after reading this.

[Tiffany PSquared · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was unlike the usual Patterson books I've read. It was suspense and mystery with a message. However, at the end of it, I was wondering if that overall message was really strong enough.

Brigid Fitzgerald seems to encounter difficult situations (to put it mildly) at almost every single juncture in her life: in her jobs, her relationships, and her faith. We watch as she struggles to maintain her faith in God throughout all her hardships and also as she finds new reasons to believe along the way.

Although the book is well-written and engaging, I often felt so in despair and traumatized by the effects of the events it depicted that it left me feeling less inspired and more... depressed.

And if I'm being honest, I was willing the book to end long before the final chapter.

[Jean West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an advance read of James Patterson's new book Woman of God. Completely different from any of my previous experiences with his books. I was enthralled with the concept of the book, the front story of the first woman considered for the position of Pope, but it was so much more than that. It follows Brigid Fitzgerald through life altering experiences that mold her into a deep spiritual relationship. The story explores her awareness of her personal relation with God, and makes one consider their own religious beliefs. I strongly recommend this book.

[Marcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm looking at the other ratings and wondering if I read the same book.
I didn't like Woman of God. I would not like it on a boat I would not like it with a goat.
It was a very silly story with absolutely no character development or descriptive language. I was unable to identify with any of the characters. The plot was melodramatic and soppy.
A female doctor, working in a war torn part of Sudan finds love. Loses love. Becomes part of an egalitarian pseudo Catholic Church and ultimately is a contender for Pope. Really?

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woman of God

This was an amazing book and certainly not what I was expecting. I have never read anything like this from James Patterson before and it was a breath of fresh air. I've always enjoyed the books that Maxine Paetro was the co author with James Patterson and I'm sure that she deserves most of the credit for this book. I'm going to look her up and give her books a read.

[thewanderingjew · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Woman of God, James Patterson, Maxine Paetro, authors; Therese Plummer, narrator
While I found the book interesting because of the content, which was partly about volunteering one’s time and working in the South Sudan to help those less fortunate, I found Brigid Fitzgerald to be a totally implausible character. The authors overplayed their hands by portraying her innocence and potential godliness without giving her real substance in that regard. I found her experiences of falling in and out of love so frequently, each time expressing disbelief about being loved,, highly implausible. They made her seem shallow. As far as her being chosen by G-d to be a conduit, it seemed totally far-fetched. She never seemed to rise to that level of saintliness, and she had no real attachment to religion in any truly religious sense for most of her life. She believed in her faith, but she rarely practiced it. Still, as human beings go, she did have a Mother Theresa aspect to her. She sacrificed her life for others, placed herself in grave danger knowing full well she might be killed, and she chose to do this over having a lucrative medical practice. She was highly trained and very capable, but she was more dedicated to caring for others and more loyal to her friends than she was to her church or the making of money. She remained dedicated to the friends, patients and friends she made during the years she worked in Africa.

The book begins 20 years in the future with an attempt on Brigid Fitzgerald’s life in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It then moves to the present day where she is found at a place called Kind Hands, in the South Sudan. She is young, unmarried, childless, and she is working in a dangerous place where medical facilities are almost always poorly equipped and also poorly defended from attacks by brutal, hostile gangs. There she falls in love with Colin who is killed because of her foolishness. They are in the middle of a terrible attack, with bullets coming at them from all sides, when she insists he help her in a futile attempt to evacuate a mortally wounded man, although there are thousands of other wounded, dying and dead all around her. During the attempt, a bullet finds Colin who is then mortally wounded. She herself sustains devastating wounds. After a long recovery, she goes to a close friend in Italy, and begins to work again. She meets another man, Karl Lenz. He is much older than she is, but they fall in love and have a child. They live in Berlin and are wonderfully happy. Both the child and father die suddenly when he suffers a heart attack, falls down a flight of steps and gravely injures the child in the process. After the death of both, she returns to South Sudan and helps to capture the brutal leader of the Gray Army which is a wild, roaming militia. Colonel Dage Zuberi is responsible for the brutal death of many in the South Sudan, and she is given credit for bringing him down.

After recovering from that harrowing experience, she begins to work with Prism, a drug rehab center. There she meets a priest accused of improper conduct with a student, a male student. The church refuses to back him up, but she believes in him and engages a lawyer. Eventually, after his acquittal, James leaves the church and begins a new movement called JMJ. The Jesus, Mary and Joseph movement is dedicated to more openness and freedom. Women can be ordained, members of the clergy may marry. They believe that Jesus would have welcomed that idea. James and Brigit decide to marry and they build a JMJ church where James officiates. When James professed his love for her, Brigid was once again surprised that someone loved her. She then suddenly realized that she was also in love with him. They have a child, Gilly, and their church thrives. However, the Catholic Church threatens James with excommunication and worse. They will paint him as a pervert unless they stop the movement. As the JMJ church grows and gains more followers, some in the church hierarchy grow even angrier. When James dies suddenly from an aneurism, Brigid once again suffers a loss and rails against G-d, questioning why he seems to grant her happiness only to take it away. Why would G-d do that? When Brigid is ordained, she begins to perform services in their church. Occasionally, she believes that G-d is communicating with her. This is a constant theme in the book.
Is Brigid’s uncanny ability to communicate with G-d after suffering a head injury real? She wonders if this is really happening to her or if she is imagining it. She wonders about it, even as the reader is wondering with her. Why would G-d communicate with her, and what would G-d’s message to her mean? When she was suddenly summoned to the Vatican, she wondered why the Pope would summon her. Their conversation is even more bizarre than the rest of the book. They both have the same kinds of conversations with G-d.

When the idea of a woman Pope in introduced, one truly has to suspend disbelief, and even then, it is hard to believe it. The story lines simply feel completely implausible, and the path from Brigit’s medical career to a divinity career, to rumor’s of her being Pope, even after having a child, are just out of the realm of possibility. The book was way too melodramatic for me and way too unrealistic. Brigid never seemed to be fully aware of what her actions would cause, or of what her own circumstances actually were, nor did she seem to learn from any experiences she had. She seemed to make the same mistakes over and over. Yet, she seemed to be loved by all, almost as a saint, and is given credit for things that make no apparent sense and do not seem to be the result of any logical progression. Also, Brigid seems to fall in and out of love with abandon, almost without her knowing it. Suddenly she realizes how much she loves the person who is proposing, only as he is proposing. Even after James dies, a former acquaintance, Zach, reenters her life, and she enjoys his company too. If I were Zach, I would steer clear of her. Everyone she marries or loves suddenly dies. Although she is described as someone who is not a great beauty, there must be something wonderful about her to make so many men and others fall in with her. She is extremely kind and compassionate and is dedicated to saving life even at the risk of her own, but she is also arrogant and headstrong to a fault and her sometimes seeming irrational behavior actually caused the death of others. I was disappointed with the book because the theory of a woman Pope is simply not in the realm of reality in the current day and twenty years into the future is also too short a time for such epiphanies to occur.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely different to the usual James Patterson offerings. No mystery/thriller here. Just a wonderful story about a remarkable woman who has her faith in God (and life) tested repeatedly by the most diabolical and tragic events. And yet, despite the adversity that is thrown at her, she has a strength and determination to not only survive, but a hope and a determination to make the world a better place. Inspirational.

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a side of James Patterson that demonstrates his ability to traverse in many genres. This time the author explores faith from the Catholic church. Even as I'm writing this review, I'm getting goosebumps as I prepare to give you a synopsis from my point of view.

Bridget Fitzgerald is a woman whose running from something, trying to save others. She's just compleyed her residency and shes in South Sundan, in Northern Africa, working in a makeshift hospital called Kind Hands, trying to help the villagers as Colonel Dave Zuberi and his militia committed atrocious acts of genocide and killed anyone trying to help them. Throughout her time in Africa, she continually prays, argues with God, and disowns God until a time comes when she's in his presence and her life and her actions change. She learns things about herself and experiences trials and tribulations that breaks her and re-establish her into what she will eventually become; a woman of God.

This is a fictional story but the activity within the book is real. There are people believing that God only talks to men or places them at the head of the church. You have people willing to kill people because of their religious beliefs, and you deal with heartache of losing a loved one. While reading, I couldn't fathom people's reaction in the book and then I realized we do this everyday. No one knows who God has chosen but we do know from the Bible, God chose women to do extraordinary things and Jesus changed the dynamics of women when he spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well. This book will entertain you and simultaneously bring you to the realization of how we judge what's right and what's wrong before we ask God what he thinks.

As we all know, I enjoyed this book tremendously and will vote it as one the best books to read for 2018. This book is not for people who can't deal with gruesome descriptions of deaths, genocide and religion. I would recommend this book to people twenty years of age and older.

[Lorrea - WhatChaReadin'? · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brigid Fitzgerald is a doctor in South Sudan. She sees devastation every day, but her faith in God keeps her going. When tragedy falls on Brigid over and over again, her faith will be tested. Will she be able to find the purpose God has for her, or will she lose faith before that?

The story starts 20 years in the future on an Easter Sunday. I was reading the book around the same time, so it all seemed to fit in well together. Brigid is getting reading for Sunday morning mass at church. While in Rome, her good friend and reporter Zach is sitting outside of the Vatican waiting to hear who the new pope will be. Then the whole story rewinds and takes us back to where Brigid got her start as a young doctor working in the Sudan. Time after time, something tragic happens to Brigid and every time it does, she "hears" God. Throughout the course of the story she looses a boyfriend, 2 husbands and a child. To anyone that would tear them away from God, but it only draws Brigid closer. So close in fact that she becomes and ordained priest herself. Getting to meet the current pope and have his blessing upon her and her family.

With her unwavering faith, will it be enough to make her the first female pope?

This book was quite different from other things I have read by Patterson. It was an add to my quest to read James Patterson stand alones this year.

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about a girl that just wanted to help people and do good work in Gods name. It was cute and had some nice messages throughout.

[Karen Filipowicz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like it in fact I pretty much hated it. If it wouldn't have been such an easy read-remember Patterson's books have chapters all of 1 1/2 pages long-I doubt I would have finished it. I finished it thinking will get better, the ending will have some some huge exciting surprise. Nope. For those who haven't read it I'll save you time, Brigid is a religious woman falls in love; the guy dies. Meets a pries whom she likes; he dies. She gets shot; almost dies. Meets a guy, marries him, has a child; they both die. Meets another guy(a priest, yes a priest and not a voodoo priest, a Catholic priest, marries him, has a child and guess what he dies. She gets shot again and almost dies. Maybe if I was a bit religious or Catholic I might not have hated it but......

[Diane Saul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter opens 20 years from now with the possibility of a woman being named the next Pope. Brigid Fitzgerald is that woman. From the second chapter on we go back to current time and follow Brigids journey to see how she arrived at this point in her life. We follow her to the Sudan as a medical missionary where she sees horrendous acts committed by ruthless rebels against the local population. She begins to doubt her faith. In an effort to find her faith again she goes from place to place, including back to the Sudan trying to find God. She encounters tragedy around her and in her personal life but comes to realize that her life is hers to live and her responsibility.

This book is not what you expect from a typical James Patterson book. The book is very well written with a compelling story line with heavy religious over tones. I liked the format, the short chapters which kept the story moving. It held my interest all the way thru the book. I did wish the author would have gone a bit easier on Brigid. You know the old saying, if it weren't for bad luck she'd have no luck at all? Well Brigid had a few too many tragedies in her life for me, it was almost, not quite, over the top. This was the one main reason I couldn't give it a 5* rating. I did feel the ending was a bit abrupt. I would have liked it fleshed out just a bit more. Thank you to Sean with Little Brown and Company for an advanced readers copy. I would definitively recommend this book to readers.


Sent from my iPad

[Laura Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard that Woman of God is a story about the first woman Pope and immediately put my name on the wait list at the library. Being of strong Roman Catholic lineage, estranged by the patriarchal hold and holier than though attitudes and all of the guilt, I thought, "Yes, It's about time!". A Woman of God is about the life of an incredible woman, who did great things both outside and inside the church. It is about the forces and decisions that shaped her. I am glad that I made the decision to read it! I hope it provides tremendous fodder for other writers.

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only regret with this book is that I waited so long to read it. I usually zip thru books very quickly, being a true speed reader, and tho this one moved quickly with short chapters, I absorbed every single word. Many times I set it down & just thought about what I had read & listened to my heart. A very different style for JP that I truly enjoyed on so many levels.

[(NurseLisa) Square Granny from Ohio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very (& surprisingly IMO) good story!

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brigid Fitzgerald is a remarkable woman. She graduated from college at 19 years of age. Determined to make something of her life and leave her addicted parents behind, she volunteered as a doctor in a clinic called Kind Hands in South Sudan, a very dangerous and poor part of the world. This begins her story. Wherever her fantastic life took her, and no matter the overwhelming losses she suffered, she tried to find and trust in God. This was her constant struggle.

As I read this book, I felt as if I was reading an abbreviated abridged version. This story moved along very, very quickly, with Brigid moving around the world with amazing speed, dodging bullets, and always landing on her feet. Every chapter would discuss her life in one location, then she would be somewhere else, in another part of the world. It moved too quickly. But then, it had to. This woman, accomplished an enormous amount. And she wasn’t even old yet!

Which brings me to another point. Neither she, nor many of the characters with which she interacted or fell in love with or befriended, seemed very real. They just didn’t ring true. Brigid, especially, was too far-fetched to be real.

I wanted to like this book. I wanted to read a story about someone who believed and had faith and trusted. But there was no realism here. Brigid seemed to be super-human. Sadly, that made it ineffectual.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Not for me. I read 70% of this one and had to stop. Having recently read my first James Patterson novel, which I liked, and then discovering he was Catholic, I had high hopes for this book, but obviously he mustn't be very devout.

Besides my personal belief conflicts with this story, it's also way too extreme.

It's well into over half the book until the actual subject finally comes up. I also noticed a possible "formula" here-I don't want to write a spoiler so I'll just say something quite unlikely happened in just the two books of his I've read. Makes me wonder if this happens in all or many of his novels.

It is well written and holds interest. It is also easy to read as was the other Patterson novel. It was a whole lot to rip through to get to the jest of the novel.

My personal beliefs just can't accept this one and I was disappointed this writing came from a fellow Catholic. But, maybe not so fellow after all.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I just say how much I absolutely loved this book and needed to read it at the exact moment I did? No matter what religion you are...we all have faith. Sometimes in the hardest times of our lives that faith is tested. When the bad times come we either cling to out faith or lose it all together. Finding it again is a journey.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

This will be a DNF for me. I feel like the blurb is completely misleading. The "Prologue" takes place 20 years in the future -- a reporter at the Vatican muses on the possibility of a female Pope, and then the scene shifts to a mother getting her daughter ready for Easter Sunday services and the sudden realization that this mother is the female Priest the reporter was thinking of. So . . . really, a very good start!

The book proper then starts in "present day". She's 27/28, a doctor with a foreign aid organization working in an extremely dangerous part of the world run by lawless warlords who kill purely to keep people terrorized. She's doing emergency surgery in wartime conditions, sees friends and patients killed, is injured herself and ends up in Rome. She then has a vision and believes God is sending her back . . . so she goes back, leads the warlord into a trap, is captured, rescued, and ends up in Germany. Then she starts working at a clinic with MERS patients and falls ill herself.

This is the point I gave up -- about 30% into the book. It just felt like it was working too hard to build up the backstory. What I was interested in is the changes that allowed for a female Priest, let alone a female Pope, and how THIS person got there. Nearly a third of the way in, and that's not even begun being addressed.

For the record, I find James Patterson hit or miss. Not really a fan of his Alex Cross series -- feel like there's more gratuitous violence than I care for. But I've enjoyed his Women's Murder Club series most of which are written with Maxine Paetro, who's the same co-author for this book. I think the problem is that, in a murder mystery/police investigation, there's a need for detail of action; for this book, a few chapters -- vs 30 (and still going) -- should have been enough to show how her time as a doctor affected her outlook and later life choices. I expected less action and more character, I guess. And to get to what was billed as the main story a bit sooner.

[Jaclyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, dear God (pun intended) this book is so disjointed. At points this novel even went from first to third person narratives.

The idea that a woman could be Pope really excited me, however, the more I read, the more I regretted picking this book up. Brigid (main character and a life-saving doctor) was put through hell and back in the first part of this book. She’s in a war-hell area loosing friends, patients, and getting captured. Later on her husband and son also die. There is much more war-horror in between that I won’t even get into. As I flipped every page, I wondered what horrible mess could happen to her next and if I would be able to continue reading. By the time I got to the part about St. Peters Square, Rome (what I was most looking forward to), I learnt Brigit was not even Catholic and just had a connection with the previous Pope when she met him. How. Horrifying. Is. That. And disappointing to say the very least. Also her only main attachment to God was due to her seeking his guidance in all her tribulations.

I am sure there are people who would disagree with my review, and possibly quite enjoy the action and quickness of this book, but I found it unfortunately nothing like I had hoped when I read the back of the book.

I would have given this book no stars, but then I realized that it brought me a very tiny sense of what men and woman serving currently experience. Even though I was not expecting to gain that perspective in this book, a part of me is happy I did. It made me grateful for those serving and for the life I have. The 2-stars I gave this book is for that always needed reminder.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not even have the energy to write a review of this book, My first James Patterson book, and boy was it a doozy. I mean I like a little edge to my books, but, I do not want to be in agony through every step of the book. I'm a highly, highly sensitive person so things always affect me way more than the masses so to speak, if you like being in agony at everything the protagonist goes through, by all means you will hungrily devour this book, but, if you are a sensitive soul, this book will ring you dry, and then repeat the process. It kept my attention, but, I did not like the agony I felt while trying to finish it. And I actually felt relieved when I finished the last page a little while ago. I guess that's my naivety in never having read JP before. Would I read another one of his books after this, I don't think so, I like to feel good and uplifted while reading, not like I'm dying because of what the main character has to go through over the course of this book.

Final analysis, if you're a James Patterson fan you will enjoy it, if you are super sensitive like me, it's a good book, but, may take a toll on you emotionally, and who needs to feel worse in today's world. I'm conflicted.