What do you think?
Rate this book
American Saint
After his miracles go viral, one man’s crisis of faith puts everything in doubt, erasing the line between memory, reality, and truth.
Raised in a poor neighborhood in Albuquerque by his mother and curandera grandmother, Gabriel Romero grows up fervently religious, privately conflicted, and consumed by what he’s certain is the true will of God. A radical activist determined to enlighten the consciousness of a country losing its way, Gabriel starts his own church. His slogans go viral. His protests make him either a hero or an anarchist in a polarized America, and his miracles—if we believe what we see—cast him as either a charlatan or a saint. But Gabriel knows that, above all, to ensure lasting faith he must do something truly memorable. For that, he will see his divine mission to its startling end.
In this visionary novel framed as a hagiography, the ruminative, subjective memories of Gabriel’s witnesses—spiritual, familial, romantic, and political—converge to make sense of the man’s confounding works and message. As they do, a surprising portrait develops…not only of the deepening mystery of Gabriel Romero himself but also of a country in conflict and the faith it takes to fight the suspicion and fear that divide us.
Raised in a poor neighborhood in Albuquerque by his mother and curandera grandmother, Gabriel Romero grows up fervently religious, privately conflicted, and consumed by what he’s certain is the true will of God. A radical activist determined to enlighten the consciousness of a country losing its way, Gabriel starts his own church. His slogans go viral. His protests make him either a hero or an anarchist in a polarized America, and his miracles—if we believe what we see—cast him as either a charlatan or a saint. But Gabriel knows that, above all, to ensure lasting faith he must do something truly memorable. For that, he will see his divine mission to its startling end.
In this visionary novel framed as a hagiography, the ruminative, subjective memories of Gabriel’s witnesses—spiritual, familial, romantic, and political—converge to make sense of the man’s confounding works and message. As they do, a surprising portrait develops…not only of the deepening mystery of Gabriel Romero himself but also of a country in conflict and the faith it takes to fight the suspicion and fear that divide us.
- GenresFiction
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2019
73 people are currently reading
905 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 17, 2019
it's a well written, engrossing and entertaining book.
I liked the style of writing, the well developed cast of characters and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I liked the style of writing, the well developed cast of characters and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
August 1, 2019
Interesting format as the story is almost entirely from 3rd party interviews. While it unfolds slowly, it still tells an interesting and engaging story framing Sainthood in the modern political and digital climate. I'll be thinking about this one for a while. Highly recommend. (ARC provided by NetGalley; Opinions are mine).
July 31, 2019
Would we recognize a saint in modern day America? The highly memorable characters in this book made me care and be concerned with the outcome of Gabriel and to think about whether or not I would consider him a saint. The characters felt like people I could run across in Albuquerque. American Saint is a well-written story that keeps the reader engaged in learning about Gabriel from the perspectives of others that know him at different points of time. The questions the book led me to ponder about inclusiveness still echo in my mind.
September 15, 2019
I loved this! It was totally and completely engrossing from the first page. I loved the depth, complexity, and perspectives of the characters, not to mention the incredible plot. I'll certainly be eager to read Mr. Gandert's next work.
Many thanks to Goodreads, Kindle, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy through Giveaways.
Many thanks to Goodreads, Kindle, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy through Giveaways.
August 27, 2019
Kept my interest from the first page to the last
October 21, 2019
Engrossing book, interesting characters. Pretty quick read for me
November 28, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the familiar setting and it really spoke to my complicated feelings about my Catholic upbringing.
December 3, 2019
What if God were to send a saint to us, a prophet, a martyr, a savior? Here, today, in America. What would he be like? Something about him would have to put him on the fringes, make him distasteful to the mainstream Church and the powers that be.
But to those who heard his message, he would be a living miracle.
There would always be doubt, even for those who knew him. Was he truly blest by God, or was he deluded, or, worse, a con man.
Safer not to live in an age of miracles.
Saints can break your heart.
I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
But to those who heard his message, he would be a living miracle.
There would always be doubt, even for those who knew him. Was he truly blest by God, or was he deluded, or, worse, a con man.
Safer not to live in an age of miracles.
Saints can break your heart.
I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2019
Thanks to Goodreads I won the kindle edition of this book in a giveaway.
This was a very interesting story that goes inside what it means to be a part of the church told through many perspectives about a man named Gabriel Romero and his life and legacy. From how the story unraveled, it sounds like Gabriel was somewhat of an enigma - complicated and searching for meaning but yet touched the lives of so many.
I did enjoy this book but admittedly since there were so many characters telling the tale, it was not always easy to keep them straight. The chapters are divided up so each person gets to tell a piece of the story, and when the chapters are titled with that person's name it was somewhat fluid, but there is a piece of the story where there is a lot of hearsay and have to say I started to get confused. Perhaps that was intentional since there were random people's accounts of what happened so the identity was not of consequence, but it just made it a little frustrating. That said, this book is captivating and intriguing. If you have ever questioned yourself in regards to your place in the spiritual world, especially as pertaining to religion, and specifically Christianity, this story will give you food for thought. As in any religion, even the people within the church do not always agree on the meaning of things. Gabriel's story is timely and very pertinent to today's culture - from the political protests he gets involved in, to the questions he asks about himself. I won't address specifically what to avoid spoilers. I think the main distraction for me in this was the character switching, but on the same token, it was kind of needed in order to tell the complete story. Overall an interesting story.
This was a very interesting story that goes inside what it means to be a part of the church told through many perspectives about a man named Gabriel Romero and his life and legacy. From how the story unraveled, it sounds like Gabriel was somewhat of an enigma - complicated and searching for meaning but yet touched the lives of so many.
I did enjoy this book but admittedly since there were so many characters telling the tale, it was not always easy to keep them straight. The chapters are divided up so each person gets to tell a piece of the story, and when the chapters are titled with that person's name it was somewhat fluid, but there is a piece of the story where there is a lot of hearsay and have to say I started to get confused. Perhaps that was intentional since there were random people's accounts of what happened so the identity was not of consequence, but it just made it a little frustrating. That said, this book is captivating and intriguing. If you have ever questioned yourself in regards to your place in the spiritual world, especially as pertaining to religion, and specifically Christianity, this story will give you food for thought. As in any religion, even the people within the church do not always agree on the meaning of things. Gabriel's story is timely and very pertinent to today's culture - from the political protests he gets involved in, to the questions he asks about himself. I won't address specifically what to avoid spoilers. I think the main distraction for me in this was the character switching, but on the same token, it was kind of needed in order to tell the complete story. Overall an interesting story.
July 10, 2020
Reading this was a very healing experience. It's a beautiful story about a man devoted to God and healing yet feels encumbered by some of Catholicism's rules and beliefs. He starts a church that places value on love and activism. I grew up Catholic and have wrestled with many of the same issues as the protagonist. I'm sure everyone will take away something different from it but interestingly enough it brought me back to God. Don't get me wrong you don't have to believe in God to enjoy this book, but having an understanding of christianity helps. The author presents new way to view Jesus especially for a more liberal community. I've always felt torn between social justice and organized religion. I had been waiting to read a book like this and didn't even know it. Also I live in Albuquerque, where it is based, and found the author's descriptions of events and places to be extremely realistic. He weaves together fact and fiction in a way that causes one to forget that the book isn't nonfiction. I'm not quite sure there is a completely nonfictional or fictional story. The two invariably bleed into each other (a theme present throughout the book).
May 28, 2025
This is one of the best novels I’ve read in recent years. I’ve read other novels with multiple narrators, but I feel like this one is a master class in how to make each voice truly distinct. I also really liked how the narrative unfolded with new narrators popping up; as a reader, it kept me on my toes, and kept the narrative fresh throughout. All these third-hand accounts of the protagonist, Gabriel, build—one by one—to a climatic scene that floored me.
It could just be me, but American Saint feels like a novel that firmly inhabits the Before Times in America. This is not inconsequential since it does aim to be a modern hagiography (a word I was totally unfamiliar with before). With references to social media, Black Lives Matters, protests against corporate exploitation of the land, and Catholicism—which is synonymous with colonialism in the New World—the novel feels like a fictive time capsule of the 2010s; in retrospect, I feel like it gives the novel more weight as we now bear with all the turbulent changes of this present decade.
It could just be me, but American Saint feels like a novel that firmly inhabits the Before Times in America. This is not inconsequential since it does aim to be a modern hagiography (a word I was totally unfamiliar with before). With references to social media, Black Lives Matters, protests against corporate exploitation of the land, and Catholicism—which is synonymous with colonialism in the New World—the novel feels like a fictive time capsule of the 2010s; in retrospect, I feel like it gives the novel more weight as we now bear with all the turbulent changes of this present decade.
May 20, 2021
Definitely Unique!
I really enjoyed this book! I don’t know if it was the way it was intended, but I Did. I loved the miracles and the church slamming, both. Heart breaking And heart Lifting.
I really enjoyed this book! I don’t know if it was the way it was intended, but I Did. I loved the miracles and the church slamming, both. Heart breaking And heart Lifting.
physical-tbr
February 14, 2020**Won as a book giveaway hosted on Goodreads sponsored by the book’s publisher or author.**
January 30, 2024
A man performs miracles and gains a cult-like following. The visions cost him everything.
February 28, 2023
This was a Goodreads ARC giveaway book. Overall, I enjoyed the book. If the intention of the author was to place a Jesus-like prophet in today's world and see how his message would be received, then he accomplished his task. There will always be those who hear a message and become instant followers, some who may take some convincing and those who will reject them outright and even despise the message and the messenger; those who hear and see the same events, but come out with different interpretations of what happened. However, I was looking for a bit of a more personal revelation, conveyed to the reader via the words of the main character. You are never in the mind of the main character, and only receive tidbits of his message through the voices of others. The message in the story line is basically the same one originally preached by Christ, with 2,000 years worth of rules and restrictions stripped away, so it was interesting to see how it would be received in our world today. I do agree with previous reviewers that this book should be classified as Christian reading, and not general fiction.
September 30, 2019
You've read this story before; it's called "the Bible". If you like reading the Bible, you'll like this book. (American Saint should be classified as Christian literature.) I'm not sure why I finished this one ... I think I was hoping for some twist at the end to make this tired and tiresome tale worth the time. This, for me, was not a good read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews