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Father Sweet
A shocking tale of secrets, guilt, and clerical child abuse.
“God has made you special, but I will show you how to have an extraordinary life. Show you true love, as God intended for our kind.”
It’s 1978. Blackburn Hamlet is a typical suburban village in eastern Ontario. In this vibrant Catholic community, life revolves around family and church. Then the safe comfort of both is destroyed by the arrival of a predator priest.
When charismatic Father Sweet invites his new favourite altar boy on a camping trip, the boy’s parents insist he go. Trapped in the woods, the boy struggles to evade the priest’s sexual advances. But Father Sweet forces him to make an impossible choice.
Twenty-five years later, he is lost, broken, and angry. His father’s death reveals secrets that spur the man to relive his own past. Desiring justice, in need of healing, he discovers, in a daring rescue mission, a way to achieve both.
“God has made you special, but I will show you how to have an extraordinary life. Show you true love, as God intended for our kind.”
It’s 1978. Blackburn Hamlet is a typical suburban village in eastern Ontario. In this vibrant Catholic community, life revolves around family and church. Then the safe comfort of both is destroyed by the arrival of a predator priest.
When charismatic Father Sweet invites his new favourite altar boy on a camping trip, the boy’s parents insist he go. Trapped in the woods, the boy struggles to evade the priest’s sexual advances. But Father Sweet forces him to make an impossible choice.
Twenty-five years later, he is lost, broken, and angry. His father’s death reveals secrets that spur the man to relive his own past. Desiring justice, in need of healing, he discovers, in a daring rescue mission, a way to achieve both.
328 pages, ebook
Published July 6, 2019
4 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
J.J. Martin
1 book12 followersJJ Martin is a settler born in Treaty One Manitoba. He grew up Catholic in Ontario. Father Sweet is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 7, 2019
4.5 strong stars!! Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for this riveting, well written, and sensitive book in return for an honest review. I found it suspenseful, emotionally gripping, and disturbing. The book addressed the painful subject of child sexual abuse by clergy and the shame of our residential schools.
Most of the book was a 5-star read for me, but the road trip to Mexico I found not up to the rest of the book due to my being confused by Daniel’s motives and finding Jake vacillating in his plans to go forward and in his attitude towards Daniel.
Jake lived in a small Catholic community where the church was the centre of peoples’ lives. His parents seemed cold and distant, not ones in which to confide. The children always hoped for their father’s approval and feared his stern, angry words. He never had conversations with them, and never spoke about his work. The family routinely attended church together. Besides the church and school, Jake’s life revolved around playing in the woods with his brother Jamie, building a tree house, bike riding and learning forest and camping skills at the Boy Scouts. His special hero was an Indigenous man who taught him woodland skills. Jake became an altar boy at the church.
Life changed for Jake when Father Sweet, a predator priest arrived in the community. His parents were delighted when he invited Jake to go on a camping trip with him. The boy did not want to go, but his parents insisted. There was a growing sense of fear and suspense. The priest seemed totally unprepared for a camping experience and left Jake to do all the work. Father Swift’s religious ravings seemed quite deranged and scary. He said how the greatest love known was between a priest and an altar boy and started making advances towards Jake. Jake felt frightened and trapped, aware that something was very wrong. After rejecting Sweet’s advances, he was threatened and forced to make a terrible choice.
Later at his father’s funeral, an elderly native man attends. Instead of offering condolences, he said he just needed to see that the man was truly dead. When Jake is clearing out his father’s belongings, he discovers boxes of files and letters showing that his father worked for the Department of Indian Affairs, and was responsible for forcing thousands of native children away from their families into residential schools to eliminate their culture and language. There many were abused, beaten, died from disease and neglect, and some froze to death trying to run away home.
25 years later, Jake as an adult is depressed, broken in spirit, drinking too much, angry and unemployed, the result of the dreadful secret of his sexual abuse. His brother is a successful lawyer, with a wife and two children. Jake knows he needs to heal himself and to find justice for those still being abused by clergy or suffering lifelong trauma from past abuse at residential schools. Can he find the inner strength to do so?
I felt this was an important book, but some may find it an uncomfortable read. The characters are fictional but it reflects very real events and victims.
Most of the book was a 5-star read for me, but the road trip to Mexico I found not up to the rest of the book due to my being confused by Daniel’s motives and finding Jake vacillating in his plans to go forward and in his attitude towards Daniel.
Jake lived in a small Catholic community where the church was the centre of peoples’ lives. His parents seemed cold and distant, not ones in which to confide. The children always hoped for their father’s approval and feared his stern, angry words. He never had conversations with them, and never spoke about his work. The family routinely attended church together. Besides the church and school, Jake’s life revolved around playing in the woods with his brother Jamie, building a tree house, bike riding and learning forest and camping skills at the Boy Scouts. His special hero was an Indigenous man who taught him woodland skills. Jake became an altar boy at the church.
Life changed for Jake when Father Sweet, a predator priest arrived in the community. His parents were delighted when he invited Jake to go on a camping trip with him. The boy did not want to go, but his parents insisted. There was a growing sense of fear and suspense. The priest seemed totally unprepared for a camping experience and left Jake to do all the work. Father Swift’s religious ravings seemed quite deranged and scary. He said how the greatest love known was between a priest and an altar boy and started making advances towards Jake. Jake felt frightened and trapped, aware that something was very wrong. After rejecting Sweet’s advances, he was threatened and forced to make a terrible choice.
Later at his father’s funeral, an elderly native man attends. Instead of offering condolences, he said he just needed to see that the man was truly dead. When Jake is clearing out his father’s belongings, he discovers boxes of files and letters showing that his father worked for the Department of Indian Affairs, and was responsible for forcing thousands of native children away from their families into residential schools to eliminate their culture and language. There many were abused, beaten, died from disease and neglect, and some froze to death trying to run away home.
25 years later, Jake as an adult is depressed, broken in spirit, drinking too much, angry and unemployed, the result of the dreadful secret of his sexual abuse. His brother is a successful lawyer, with a wife and two children. Jake knows he needs to heal himself and to find justice for those still being abused by clergy or suffering lifelong trauma from past abuse at residential schools. Can he find the inner strength to do so?
I felt this was an important book, but some may find it an uncomfortable read. The characters are fictional but it reflects very real events and victims.
August 8, 2019
So yeah, I took an extra half hour of lunch to finish this one. This book consumed me and I gobbled it down in 3 or 4 gulps. I could not stop reading, I could not get it out of my mind. Today, I had to turn off my audiobook on the commute to work because I could not stop thinking about it and I ran a red light because I was still thinking about it.
This is the first one I've read where it's a first-person account from a victim. All the others: The Bishop's Man, A History of Loneliness, Crimes of the Father and Faith have all been told by the priests - whether they were directly or indirectly involved, complicit or not.
Martin writes beautifully. It is effortless. So much so that I could not, did not want, to put this one down. There are many layers here and there was much, so much, that has left me thinking, thinking, thinking.
Would this be on the Giller Longlist you think?
Thanks to Dundurn and Netgalley and my library because I ended up reading the paper copy. I initially hesitated wondering if this was one I wanted to read - but that hesitation was banished the second I read the Author's Note at the beginning. Even if you just read the Author's Note at the beginning - wow.
This is the first one I've read where it's a first-person account from a victim. All the others: The Bishop's Man, A History of Loneliness, Crimes of the Father and Faith have all been told by the priests - whether they were directly or indirectly involved, complicit or not.
Martin writes beautifully. It is effortless. So much so that I could not, did not want, to put this one down. There are many layers here and there was much, so much, that has left me thinking, thinking, thinking.
Would this be on the Giller Longlist you think?
Thanks to Dundurn and Netgalley and my library because I ended up reading the paper copy. I initially hesitated wondering if this was one I wanted to read - but that hesitation was banished the second I read the Author's Note at the beginning. Even if you just read the Author's Note at the beginning - wow.
November 17, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for a review copy in exchange of an honest review!
When I saw Father Sweet in Netgalley, I was first intrigued by its cover. And when I read the description, I knew I want to read it.
(Content Warning for Sexual Abuse and Pedophilia)
This story is about Jake who is a part of Catholic Community whose life is shattered after being sexual abuse by a Priest named Father Sweet. It was such a harrowing book to read. The writing was really impressive to me. Layered and effortless. I would recommend this book but please be aware of the trigger warnings before reading it.
When I saw Father Sweet in Netgalley, I was first intrigued by its cover. And when I read the description, I knew I want to read it.
(Content Warning for Sexual Abuse and Pedophilia)
This story is about Jake who is a part of Catholic Community whose life is shattered after being sexual abuse by a Priest named Father Sweet. It was such a harrowing book to read. The writing was really impressive to me. Layered and effortless. I would recommend this book but please be aware of the trigger warnings before reading it.
September 11, 2021
Very good indeed. It takes a wee bit in the beginning to settle into the right voice, but once it does, look out! Martin doesn’t shy away from the darkness, and parts of the story are eye-wateringly hard to read, but he also allows space for grace and transformation.
FATHER SWEET is an indictment of pedophile priests; racist, child-abusing Indian Agents, and at the same time a testament to the power of love, truth, courage, and the responsibility we have for each other. Well done JJ Martin.
FATHER SWEET is an indictment of pedophile priests; racist, child-abusing Indian Agents, and at the same time a testament to the power of love, truth, courage, and the responsibility we have for each other. Well done JJ Martin.
April 21, 2022
A stunning book that blew me away. A story that deals with serious issues such as child abuse, which leaves us nervous throughout the reading so attached to the main character. The book is so well written and told that the reading is fluid. Once started, you can't stop. A great respect for the author for having written such a complex and dark story. I can only recommend it. (4.5/5)
April 2, 2020
The Catholic Church in Canada. The “scoop”, abuse by priests, secrets and lies. Excellent read.
May 16, 2019
Trigger warning for the subjects of clerical child abuse and pedophilia.
This is a book in two very distinct parts. The first part unpacks itself slowly, the world seen through a young boy’s eyes, the beautiful descriptions of nature threatened by a very ugly evil that finally bares its face, becoming a secret that is held inside for decades. The second part takes on a more rapid pace, where our protagonist Jake finds a way to start his own healing process and to make a difference. It’s a fictional story, and many of the elements relate to Canada but it is also a story that resonates worldwide.
Father Sweet is the story of an abusive priest who has convinced himself that his sexual abuse of young boys is godly and pure, and one of the children he abuses. Jake loves nature, he loves his small home town, and he loves being a Scout. All of this changes when his parents push him to go on a camping trip with the town’s revered Catholic priest, Father Sweet. Years later, after Jake’s father dies, he discovers boxes of files in his childhood home, the legacy of his father’s hand, as well as the Catholic Church’s, in the abuse and death of many native children. Father Sweet takes us on a sordid journey of a network of abuse, where abusers never face the law, and survivors are left in pieces, some following in their abusers footprints, some abandoning all hope. It also lays open Canada’s terrible history of abuse, racism, kidnapping, and murder of First Nations.
This story was a tough read in terms of subject matter. I appreciated the author’s sensitive approach in their descriptions of events, and their use of metaphors rather than unnecessary details. It made it easier for me to read the darkest parts. At first I had a bit of a hard time getting into the book, as the narration felt a little childlike, which was purposefully so as we are looking at the world through a young boy’s eyes. Once I set my mind to that I enjoyed the tone, and it helped me understand the chain of events better, and ultimately why Jake reacts in the way he does.
The author does a great job of tying in several very tough topics, and laying them out in the open. There is no happy red bow at the end, but a mission towards truth, with a wide view on how deep, and dark the network and covering up of clerical abuse is. I would have liked to see a more detailed approach on how the authorities are tackling the abuse, as there is quite a lot of detail on how the priests cover it up, but not enough on how it is being broken down. That is the only part I think that was slightly lacking in the story itself.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dundurn for the advance copy of this novel!
This is a book in two very distinct parts. The first part unpacks itself slowly, the world seen through a young boy’s eyes, the beautiful descriptions of nature threatened by a very ugly evil that finally bares its face, becoming a secret that is held inside for decades. The second part takes on a more rapid pace, where our protagonist Jake finds a way to start his own healing process and to make a difference. It’s a fictional story, and many of the elements relate to Canada but it is also a story that resonates worldwide.
Father Sweet is the story of an abusive priest who has convinced himself that his sexual abuse of young boys is godly and pure, and one of the children he abuses. Jake loves nature, he loves his small home town, and he loves being a Scout. All of this changes when his parents push him to go on a camping trip with the town’s revered Catholic priest, Father Sweet. Years later, after Jake’s father dies, he discovers boxes of files in his childhood home, the legacy of his father’s hand, as well as the Catholic Church’s, in the abuse and death of many native children. Father Sweet takes us on a sordid journey of a network of abuse, where abusers never face the law, and survivors are left in pieces, some following in their abusers footprints, some abandoning all hope. It also lays open Canada’s terrible history of abuse, racism, kidnapping, and murder of First Nations.
This story was a tough read in terms of subject matter. I appreciated the author’s sensitive approach in their descriptions of events, and their use of metaphors rather than unnecessary details. It made it easier for me to read the darkest parts. At first I had a bit of a hard time getting into the book, as the narration felt a little childlike, which was purposefully so as we are looking at the world through a young boy’s eyes. Once I set my mind to that I enjoyed the tone, and it helped me understand the chain of events better, and ultimately why Jake reacts in the way he does.
The author does a great job of tying in several very tough topics, and laying them out in the open. There is no happy red bow at the end, but a mission towards truth, with a wide view on how deep, and dark the network and covering up of clerical abuse is. I would have liked to see a more detailed approach on how the authorities are tackling the abuse, as there is quite a lot of detail on how the priests cover it up, but not enough on how it is being broken down. That is the only part I think that was slightly lacking in the story itself.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dundurn for the advance copy of this novel!
September 27, 2019
Life is a complex thing. There are so many different aspects of the way everyone is.
So when you pick your next read and the title is “Father Sweet" by J. J. Martin, and you expect the book to be a read about just simplicity of life in a suburb of some place. Yet you find that you're completely wrong. That feeling is completely refreshing.
Set in two separate decades
this book is so well written. Its beginning is of something that makes you wonder and intrigued. It also makes the reader think. The topic that is written about is something that is not mentioned very often. But is so worth talking about, as a reader I don't like to spoil the next person's view but it is a book that needs to be read.
J. J. Martin's style of writing is so brilliant and touching. Yet is thought provoking with a ending that is amazing.
I don't often give 5/5 but on this occasion I have, purely for the topic relayed in the story
So when you pick your next read and the title is “Father Sweet" by J. J. Martin, and you expect the book to be a read about just simplicity of life in a suburb of some place. Yet you find that you're completely wrong. That feeling is completely refreshing.
Set in two separate decades
this book is so well written. Its beginning is of something that makes you wonder and intrigued. It also makes the reader think. The topic that is written about is something that is not mentioned very often. But is so worth talking about, as a reader I don't like to spoil the next person's view but it is a book that needs to be read.
J. J. Martin's style of writing is so brilliant and touching. Yet is thought provoking with a ending that is amazing.
I don't often give 5/5 but on this occasion I have, purely for the topic relayed in the story
September 5, 2019
Father Sweet by J.J. Martin has just been released in audiobook format and I gave it a try. I am very glad that I did. This is not a book for the faint of heart or for those looking for a mystery or a pure non fiction novel.
This is a story about a young boy who’s life is turned upside down after his parrents send him on a camping trip with a Catholic Priest, that instead of being an inspiration for the 12 years old kid, he transforms into the spawn of Satan… What follow are a few terrifying days an events that were very hard to listen to. Manipulation, sex abuse, shaming, the stuff of pure evil…
Set in Canada, the story is split into three parts, the first opens in 1978 with our main character and his brother living a regular life. They are happy, they spend time in the woods, connecting with nature, even building a treehouse. But, after the camping trip, the, yet unnamed, main character is depressed and shuts himself out. The action jumps to 2003 and we observe the ruin brought upon the now fully grown man by those days in the mountains with the predatory Priest… But, there are more surprises in the future and things could take a turn for the better…
Father Sweet is a drama, a heartwrenching novel about clerical child abuse, dark secrets and about the guilt with which these children are forced to live with, some of them for as long as their entire lives. Yes, this is Fiction, but it is inspired by things that happened in real life. The sexual scandals surrounding the Catholic Church are no longer a secret and this book puts a spotlight on the subject.
The audiobook version of Father Sweet is brought to life by Craig Lauzon and I can tell you that he does an excellent job with it. Craig is just perfect for this story. He reads in a clear and soothing voice, switching between characters effortlessly. Now he is a happy kid, a horny priest or a Police woman. He puts everything he has into this performance and the end resault is a great, immersive narrative experience.
Beautifully writen, filled with vivid characters, descriptions and events, Father Sweet was an illuminating, eye-opening and unputdownable listen. It is clear from the begining that this was a work of love for the author and I congratulate him for taking the time to record the intro and outro himself.
Sometimes I post reviews at the author . narrator . publisher's request, get in touch with me if you need covrage. Please give this a Like to help others find it.
This is a story about a young boy who’s life is turned upside down after his parrents send him on a camping trip with a Catholic Priest, that instead of being an inspiration for the 12 years old kid, he transforms into the spawn of Satan… What follow are a few terrifying days an events that were very hard to listen to. Manipulation, sex abuse, shaming, the stuff of pure evil…
Set in Canada, the story is split into three parts, the first opens in 1978 with our main character and his brother living a regular life. They are happy, they spend time in the woods, connecting with nature, even building a treehouse. But, after the camping trip, the, yet unnamed, main character is depressed and shuts himself out. The action jumps to 2003 and we observe the ruin brought upon the now fully grown man by those days in the mountains with the predatory Priest… But, there are more surprises in the future and things could take a turn for the better…
Father Sweet is a drama, a heartwrenching novel about clerical child abuse, dark secrets and about the guilt with which these children are forced to live with, some of them for as long as their entire lives. Yes, this is Fiction, but it is inspired by things that happened in real life. The sexual scandals surrounding the Catholic Church are no longer a secret and this book puts a spotlight on the subject.
The audiobook version of Father Sweet is brought to life by Craig Lauzon and I can tell you that he does an excellent job with it. Craig is just perfect for this story. He reads in a clear and soothing voice, switching between characters effortlessly. Now he is a happy kid, a horny priest or a Police woman. He puts everything he has into this performance and the end resault is a great, immersive narrative experience.
Beautifully writen, filled with vivid characters, descriptions and events, Father Sweet was an illuminating, eye-opening and unputdownable listen. It is clear from the begining that this was a work of love for the author and I congratulate him for taking the time to record the intro and outro himself.
Sometimes I post reviews at the author . narrator . publisher's request, get in touch with me if you need covrage. Please give this a Like to help others find it.
April 17, 2019
The shadow of sexual predation has hovered over the Catholic Church for more than two decades. Canadian J.J. Martin has written a novel, “Father Sweet,” that perhaps paints the picture with more detail than we care to know about. But, nonetheless, it is insightful and educational. A twelve-year old alter boy is urged to accompany a charismatic local priest on an two-day camping trip by his parents that turns into a nightmare for the child as he has to fight off the repulsive advances of the holy figure.
Twenty years later the boy, now a lost and angry man with no resources, is forced to face a past that never goes away. The excommunicated priest, and other characters, are all caught up in the scandalous behavior that haunts many young men. Different outlooks at sexual abuse are presented in all their ugliness. Martin has carefully researched the many aspects of this continuing outrage, exploring the many shadowed pathways over which the controversy has traveled.
The writing is illuminating, as practices that are repulsive to most everyone seem to get explained away by theological expressions of love and belief in the Supreme Being. Many religious figures, as private expressions of individual preference, have adopted practices that are repulsive and sinful. The author brings those opinions forward as expressed by the persuasive urgings of the repulsive Father Sweet as he unhinges the boy and instills lifelong mental problems.
I was impressed by the book because of the opportunity for me to get a deeper look at a subject that both intrigues and repulses me. I felt that the writer presented a rational look at a subject that is usually accompanied by hysteria and overblown emotion. It’s a problem that must be addressed through strict oversight and discipline. I believe the author has taken an important step in bringing the details and the difficulties in dealing with them to our attention. A question I’ve long wanted to ask; when will things change?
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July 12, 2019“Scouts I loved. School, I hated. And then there was church.”
In his debut novel, Father Sweet (Dundurn), J. J. Martin explores the clerical abuse within the Catholic Church and the lasting damage done to those most vulnerable.
It is 1978, Blackburn Hamlet in Eastern Ontario. Jacob is twelve—a lover of nature and all things outdoors. A hero to his younger brother, Jamie, Jacob knows how to listen to the trees and the wind, learning such things from his idol, temporary Boy Scout leader Mike Racine, a Native American attuned to the wilderness. But that summer, the orbit of Jacob’s world skews after a camping trip with the local priest.
Jacob and Jamie’s parents are strict disciplinarians, with service to the Catholic Church at the top of their must-do list. The church is mandatory—Saturday afternoon confessions and Sunday morning mass. It is as much a part of their lives as the wilderness beyond their windows. There are no questions asked, no doubts about giving your family, and your children, to the Church.
Jacob doesn’t want to go on the camping trip with their parish priest, Father Sweet. He feels uneasy in his presence, remembering how fellow altar boy Danny Lemieux always leaves the rectory at odd hours, sometimes in the early morning. But he can’t argue with his parents. As far as they are concerned, the invitation is an honor; they trust the Church implicitly. Jacob has no choice but to follow his parents’ instructions.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/07/unholy-c...
In his debut novel, Father Sweet (Dundurn), J. J. Martin explores the clerical abuse within the Catholic Church and the lasting damage done to those most vulnerable.
It is 1978, Blackburn Hamlet in Eastern Ontario. Jacob is twelve—a lover of nature and all things outdoors. A hero to his younger brother, Jamie, Jacob knows how to listen to the trees and the wind, learning such things from his idol, temporary Boy Scout leader Mike Racine, a Native American attuned to the wilderness. But that summer, the orbit of Jacob’s world skews after a camping trip with the local priest.
Jacob and Jamie’s parents are strict disciplinarians, with service to the Catholic Church at the top of their must-do list. The church is mandatory—Saturday afternoon confessions and Sunday morning mass. It is as much a part of their lives as the wilderness beyond their windows. There are no questions asked, no doubts about giving your family, and your children, to the Church.
Jacob doesn’t want to go on the camping trip with their parish priest, Father Sweet. He feels uneasy in his presence, remembering how fellow altar boy Danny Lemieux always leaves the rectory at odd hours, sometimes in the early morning. But he can’t argue with his parents. As far as they are concerned, the invitation is an honor; they trust the Church implicitly. Jacob has no choice but to follow his parents’ instructions.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/07/unholy-c...
October 19, 2019
Having converted to Catholicism, I’ve been checking out Catholic-themed books, both Fiction and Non-Fiction. My father was raised Catholic. Last year, his old Louisiana Parish, among others released a list of names of priests (drawing back to the early part of the 20th century) who had had enough credible cases against them to warrant public notification. It was heartbreaking to see family priests on that list! One, I believe was a relative. I’m an Acquistions Librarian and when I saw this book in the Ingram catalog, I ordered copies of it. The book was enlightening. Part of the story was an actual encounter between the narrator and his priest. The priest was the caricature of what we picture a pedophiliac priest to be: trolling, weird and wacko. (Were any of the offending priests handsome and charismatic to the point of charm? That’s a question for victims. Father Sweet is a well-written book. I would love to read an interview with the author.
July 26, 2019
Right up front- this is a difficult read. It's a topical and important novel about clerical abuse of children and the abuse of First Nations people, especially children. The first half of the novel shows us Jake as a young man who is first taken in by and the assaulted by Father Sweet, a predator if ever there was one. His discovery after his father's death that his father was complicit in crimes affairs the First Nations only makes things worse for him. The second half is Jake's road to reconciliation and recovery. Keep in mind that this is meant to be from Jake's POV so the early pages might feel less mature or polished but that changes as Jake matures. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
July 26, 2019
By fictionalizing a story of the very real abuse of children by those in authority the author brings the subject home to us in a way that is more personal and easier to grasp than the headlines in the news. J.J. Martin's writing is honest and intense at times, breeding a discomfort in the reader in keeping with the subject matter. I am always impressed by writers that manage to not only instill empathy in the reader, but to actually elicit the emotion of the characters in them. It is the ultimate in "show, don't tell." A compelling read.
April 2, 2019
Thank to netgalley and the author/publisher for the Arc for my honest review.
Trigger warning for abuse, clergy abuse; etc
What an important book in these times. This is definitely an uncomfortable topic, but such a REAL issue faced by so many of our youth around the world.
An emotionally draining, gripping, compelling read.
Trigger warning for abuse, clergy abuse; etc
What an important book in these times. This is definitely an uncomfortable topic, but such a REAL issue faced by so many of our youth around the world.
An emotionally draining, gripping, compelling read.
June 5, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. This was a hard read due to the content and situations , but it was a well told, heart-rendering tale. The author wrote with immense feeling and brought to the surface what many wish they could push under the rug or ignore. I enjoyed this book and hope to read more by this author.
May 30, 2020
I will agree with other reviews about this book possibly being a trigger for those who have experienced sexual abuse as a child at the hands of an adult authority figure. Tread carefully and pace this book out if you have to.
I won't go into a major recap. The description suffices. I will say that this book is a slow but beautiful burn. It is beautiful in the way that it is written. JJ Martin (the author) does an amazing job of putting readers right into the mix of things. His descriptions of nature were very well done. I appreciate that he practiced much restraint when it came to describing the sexual abuse. Martin could have gotten excessive, he obviously has the skills to do so, but is spared us. I think some writers would have gone too far just for sake of shock. Martin takes his time and lets this tragic- but sadly common- story unfold one layer at a time. I think he did this to stress to readers that some perverts do the same to their victims.
I LOVE the relationship the main character had with his brother. It was need to cut through the darkness of the story. I also love that Martin showed us the relationship between the brothers and their parents. I think this may have been a cautionary tale for parents. As parents, we are solely responsible for the relationships we have with our children. It isn't enough that we provide for our children. We have to be keenly aware of the situations in which we put them.
I enjoyed this read and I look forward to more from JJ Martin.
I won't go into a major recap. The description suffices. I will say that this book is a slow but beautiful burn. It is beautiful in the way that it is written. JJ Martin (the author) does an amazing job of putting readers right into the mix of things. His descriptions of nature were very well done. I appreciate that he practiced much restraint when it came to describing the sexual abuse. Martin could have gotten excessive, he obviously has the skills to do so, but is spared us. I think some writers would have gone too far just for sake of shock. Martin takes his time and lets this tragic- but sadly common- story unfold one layer at a time. I think he did this to stress to readers that some perverts do the same to their victims.
I LOVE the relationship the main character had with his brother. It was need to cut through the darkness of the story. I also love that Martin showed us the relationship between the brothers and their parents. I think this may have been a cautionary tale for parents. As parents, we are solely responsible for the relationships we have with our children. It isn't enough that we provide for our children. We have to be keenly aware of the situations in which we put them.
I enjoyed this read and I look forward to more from JJ Martin.
September 2, 2019
Father Sweet is a shocking tale that makes one think and ponder even after you finish it. It deals with disgusting fact of sexual abuse at the hands of the religious heads and priests and so called men of god. Though this tale sensitively deals with issue of sexual abuse of very young boys at the hands of clergy, it is a fact that a few supposed people of God irrespective of their religions have misused their stature and faith of people who follow them to satisfy their perversity.
The book is in two parts where the protagonist though not explicitly but clearly delves how he was enticed, indirectly threatened to undergo the abuse and how this affects his life choices even after 25 years.
The second part deals how he redeems himself and walks on the path of healing by rescuing another little boy from the same priest. There is also a parallel story of his strictly cath;ic parents who believe the church and its priests are God's representatives and never wrong and his strict and secretive father who works in the government and participates in illtreatment and systematic abuse and elimination of native Indian culture.
A very disturbing tale with a hopeful ending
Thank you @BookTasters and J J Martin for this book
The book is in two parts where the protagonist though not explicitly but clearly delves how he was enticed, indirectly threatened to undergo the abuse and how this affects his life choices even after 25 years.
The second part deals how he redeems himself and walks on the path of healing by rescuing another little boy from the same priest. There is also a parallel story of his strictly cath;ic parents who believe the church and its priests are God's representatives and never wrong and his strict and secretive father who works in the government and participates in illtreatment and systematic abuse and elimination of native Indian culture.
A very disturbing tale with a hopeful ending
Thank you @BookTasters and J J Martin for this book
March 30, 2020
I prepared myself when I started Father Sweet to handle the heavy subject matter, but the heaviest lifting is done by the author J.J. Martin. It's clear that he labored very thoughtfully over his story and every sentence that made it to the page. While it's doing this difficult work, Martin's language has two kinds of precision. It either seems effortless and disappears behind the gravity of the narrative or it sings. When it sings, it is joyful and musical. J.J. Martin crafts his writing for the reader. You will not be let down. You will be uplifted. If you or someone you know is carrying the weight of a trauma you will find in this story a careful and caring portrayal of humans on the uphill path to healing.
July 28, 2021
Great overall read. The theme/plot was a little unnerving in the beginning but because of the sensitive topic. The plot line kept my interest and it was a page turner. Loved how the book ended. I would recommend other books by this author.
August 10, 2022
Due to Covid and the lockdown, people in every country have got a chance to watch various movies and documentaries from other countries. I being a subscriber of Netflix OTT also got an opportunity to watch many documentaries, from all over the world. Some of them dealt with fraud, some with money laundering and some with theft or kidnapping as a crime. But, few documentaries related to religious cults, churches, fathers, nuns and paedophiles shook me to the core.
I came across this book by JJ Martin and this happens to be one of the most realistic books that I read in recent years. One main reason. Is the content that I could relate to the documentaries I watched. It was surreal and I visualised the real abusers and butchers of the childhood of many kids in the characters of the story.
This book, Father Sweet is a 328-page, gripping and spine-chilling story. With simple language and great writing mechanics, it is indeed a strong read and strictly recommended for those readers who have strong minds. The amount of labour that the author has put into bringing out this story is commendable. I wonder what kind of hardships he must have gone through right from the first day of writing till the book got published and released.
The incidents, the characters, the conflicts both moral and mental, and the narration and flow of the story are engaging and decent. Overall, it is a great work of fiction with a realistic approach!
I came across this book by JJ Martin and this happens to be one of the most realistic books that I read in recent years. One main reason. Is the content that I could relate to the documentaries I watched. It was surreal and I visualised the real abusers and butchers of the childhood of many kids in the characters of the story.
This book, Father Sweet is a 328-page, gripping and spine-chilling story. With simple language and great writing mechanics, it is indeed a strong read and strictly recommended for those readers who have strong minds. The amount of labour that the author has put into bringing out this story is commendable. I wonder what kind of hardships he must have gone through right from the first day of writing till the book got published and released.
The incidents, the characters, the conflicts both moral and mental, and the narration and flow of the story are engaging and decent. Overall, it is a great work of fiction with a realistic approach!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2020
First of all, I haven’t experienced a book that has had me this hooked in a very long time. I flew through it, wanting to know where it was going and the development of our main character.
I was a bit apprehensive, worrying the book would be full of religious jargon that I would find hard to grasp but J.J. Martin is very good at making the background of the church and the dynamic of the town where the story is set really easy to understand. Instead, you’re met with evocative characters and insightful descriptions of places that allow you to truly feel like a witness to the events that take place.
It is important to mention that ‘Father Sweet’ addresses various important topics: the importance of active parenting, the grooming and clerical abuse of children as well as the history of native children in the residential school system. All of these topics amount to making it such a valuable piece of writing and it is written incredibly well.
J.J. Martin is also very careful in the way he presents the diversity of his characters. Too often, authors personify skin colour as a personality trait or boldly mention it once and then it isn’t touched again. As a black woman, I truly appreciate the elegance in the way he has written in people of colour and represented the different cultures associated with them.
All in all, it is an uncomfortable read and a poignant reminder of the world’s shortcomings, but I truly recommend it to everyone. This story is both horrific and compelling. I can truly say that ‘Father Sweet’ is unlike anything I have ever read.
I was a bit apprehensive, worrying the book would be full of religious jargon that I would find hard to grasp but J.J. Martin is very good at making the background of the church and the dynamic of the town where the story is set really easy to understand. Instead, you’re met with evocative characters and insightful descriptions of places that allow you to truly feel like a witness to the events that take place.
It is important to mention that ‘Father Sweet’ addresses various important topics: the importance of active parenting, the grooming and clerical abuse of children as well as the history of native children in the residential school system. All of these topics amount to making it such a valuable piece of writing and it is written incredibly well.
J.J. Martin is also very careful in the way he presents the diversity of his characters. Too often, authors personify skin colour as a personality trait or boldly mention it once and then it isn’t touched again. As a black woman, I truly appreciate the elegance in the way he has written in people of colour and represented the different cultures associated with them.
All in all, it is an uncomfortable read and a poignant reminder of the world’s shortcomings, but I truly recommend it to everyone. This story is both horrific and compelling. I can truly say that ‘Father Sweet’ is unlike anything I have ever read.
April 11, 2020
I met j.j. martin on a flight from Tampa to Toronto March 17 2020. He was a lovely, caring man. He told me he had had his book published. I ordered it and just finished reading this beautiful novel.
I was enlightened and appalled by the priest and his behaviour. My revulsion of him clearly echoed the young boy's visceral experience at the hands of this predator. I really respected the character of the narrator. I don't want to "give the game away" so all I will say is that this is one well-written book. Book two answers a lot of unspoken questions and surpasses Book one in its ability to find the narrators answers. Readers will be satisfied. Buy this book and share. Martha. Retired English Teacher.
I was enlightened and appalled by the priest and his behaviour. My revulsion of him clearly echoed the young boy's visceral experience at the hands of this predator. I really respected the character of the narrator. I don't want to "give the game away" so all I will say is that this is one well-written book. Book two answers a lot of unspoken questions and surpasses Book one in its ability to find the narrators answers. Readers will be satisfied. Buy this book and share. Martha. Retired English Teacher.
November 28, 2020
Nothing like the books I’ve read before. If you are looking for something serious that makes you question, think and ponder then this is the book that you should definitely read. J.J Martin’s bold narrative of sexual abuse is told from the victim’s point of view, wherein with his compelling style, a dreary picture of the consequences of abuse is held up for the readers to gaze at. With the choice of characters incorporated, the narrative flips the normative paradigm of the tendency to think of sexuality and gender identity as a contributor to promoting sexual predatory behavior. The narrative explores trauma, both on personal and empathetic planes, through the protagonist. It is a bold attempt to lift the curtain from the hideousness of sexual trauma and abuse, especially placed within the context of the Catholic Church and clergy, an institution associated with higher faith. Despite dealing with several difficult and controversial debates, this engrossing read handles these discourses with a tactful sensibility and delicate sensitivity. Simple, lucid and brilliantly written, I will definitely recommend ‘Father Sweet’ to book-lovers who crave for something intelligent and insightful. Ten out of ten would read this book all over again!
December 27, 2020
The book “Father Sweet” gives you a wider picture of the society where we live in and also the kind of people we might encounter on the journey of life; good people, bad people and the people who fall somewhere between these two standards. Since the beginning of the story, the author catches your attention by giving you a hint of what the story would be all about. Although it’s a fiction but the theme of the story is not new to the society i.e. ‘Child Abuse’ but often ignored because of the fear of powerful people around us, and sometimes because people don’t want to acknowledge it as abuse and often because of the taboo associated with it.
A great salute to the author to touch such a sensitive topic; above all, if such a heinous crime is linked with church and priests, it makes it more difficult to write about it. But the author has done a great job in putting such a story with ease and yet compelling.
The story begins from, back in 1978 in a small town in Ottawa with a small family of the protagonist which includes his younger brother and parents. As the story moves forward, we get to know about the relationship that the protagonist has with his parents and brother. The chemistry between the brothers has remarkably been portrayed by the author. There are glimpses of school life, families devotion with the church, childhood rivalries and then enter the character father sweet and how a camping trip with him changes the protagonist’s life completely. In between, there are a lot of spiritual conversations of father sweet and other priests which suggests how much research the author had put into his writing to be able to speak complicated Godly words.
The second half of the story becomes more intensified and personally my favourite, where you get to see a new side of the protagonist. With a lot of mysteries unfolding, it keeps the reader on the edge. A few new characters get introduced in this part who adds more flavour to the story where the main goal was to rescue a child from the lustful claws of father sweet and reveal his real face to the world and child-abusing priests like him. The question here arises is how would the protagonist who was fighting from his own past unveil an influential person like father sweet who was considered no less than a God in the community. For that, you need to read the book.
There are a few funny instances as well which made me laugh out loud, one of them was very relatable, like the Sex education class in the school and how the teacher was incapable of educating her students something which is natural yet considered as taboo if discussed publically. Though the scene was funny, the author also showed the double standard of the education system we have.
Overall it was a great piece of work and didn’t feel to me as if I was reading a debutant novelist. In between, the author has given several life lessons/ugly truth which would make you think for a while. One of them was and I quote “Keeping Kids innocent of truth was part of ‘normal’ ways of things.”
I think educating kids about ‘good touch and bad touch’ would make them more aware and reduce the intensity of child abuse cases throughout the world.
A great salute to the author to touch such a sensitive topic; above all, if such a heinous crime is linked with church and priests, it makes it more difficult to write about it. But the author has done a great job in putting such a story with ease and yet compelling.
The story begins from, back in 1978 in a small town in Ottawa with a small family of the protagonist which includes his younger brother and parents. As the story moves forward, we get to know about the relationship that the protagonist has with his parents and brother. The chemistry between the brothers has remarkably been portrayed by the author. There are glimpses of school life, families devotion with the church, childhood rivalries and then enter the character father sweet and how a camping trip with him changes the protagonist’s life completely. In between, there are a lot of spiritual conversations of father sweet and other priests which suggests how much research the author had put into his writing to be able to speak complicated Godly words.
The second half of the story becomes more intensified and personally my favourite, where you get to see a new side of the protagonist. With a lot of mysteries unfolding, it keeps the reader on the edge. A few new characters get introduced in this part who adds more flavour to the story where the main goal was to rescue a child from the lustful claws of father sweet and reveal his real face to the world and child-abusing priests like him. The question here arises is how would the protagonist who was fighting from his own past unveil an influential person like father sweet who was considered no less than a God in the community. For that, you need to read the book.
There are a few funny instances as well which made me laugh out loud, one of them was very relatable, like the Sex education class in the school and how the teacher was incapable of educating her students something which is natural yet considered as taboo if discussed publically. Though the scene was funny, the author also showed the double standard of the education system we have.
Overall it was a great piece of work and didn’t feel to me as if I was reading a debutant novelist. In between, the author has given several life lessons/ugly truth which would make you think for a while. One of them was and I quote “Keeping Kids innocent of truth was part of ‘normal’ ways of things.”
I think educating kids about ‘good touch and bad touch’ would make them more aware and reduce the intensity of child abuse cases throughout the world.
April 6, 2020
I heard a lot of horrible stories about Catholic schools. I doubt about my choice of book at the very beginning but this one was something. Predatory priest subject is not an easy one. But the characters are well written.
It could have happened to anyone. I recommend this book to everyone.
It could have happened to anyone. I recommend this book to everyone.
October 8, 2019
*HIGHLY RECOMMENDED*
Some things you learn in school, some things you learn through books and surely the latter is the best way. Reading Father Sweet by J.J. Martin was like discovering hidden truths, getting to know the dark side of self-proclaimed light, entering a secret world. Unfortunately, it was not Narnia, therefore the world depicted in those pages was not a fantasy but a reality. And sometimes, the real world is worse than you ever expected.
The narration deals with paedophilia, in particular, clerical paedophilia, and pretty much everyone has even a mere idea of what that entails but the book goes beyond that. Not only in the first part of the text there is a vivid, even if not graphic, description of such an act on behalf of Father Sweet, who is the reverend, but in the second part, which takes place almost thirty years later (2003), we get a representative account of the story of clerical child abuse.
To trace history is to trace the truth. And once you got to it, you can hardly wrap your head around it.
Father Sweet is charismatic and through his words and his concepts he easily beguiles everyone, so much so that people would send their children everywhere with him. Indeed, after dinner at the house of the main protagonist, the parents of the child are enthusiastic about letting their son go camping with the priest, as per the latter's request.
And what happens in the woods? Go read the book. It's worth it.
Being aware of what happens/happened in the world should always be our first concern.
Some things you learn in school, some things you learn through books and surely the latter is the best way. Reading Father Sweet by J.J. Martin was like discovering hidden truths, getting to know the dark side of self-proclaimed light, entering a secret world. Unfortunately, it was not Narnia, therefore the world depicted in those pages was not a fantasy but a reality. And sometimes, the real world is worse than you ever expected.
The narration deals with paedophilia, in particular, clerical paedophilia, and pretty much everyone has even a mere idea of what that entails but the book goes beyond that. Not only in the first part of the text there is a vivid, even if not graphic, description of such an act on behalf of Father Sweet, who is the reverend, but in the second part, which takes place almost thirty years later (2003), we get a representative account of the story of clerical child abuse.
To trace history is to trace the truth. And once you got to it, you can hardly wrap your head around it.
Father Sweet is charismatic and through his words and his concepts he easily beguiles everyone, so much so that people would send their children everywhere with him. Indeed, after dinner at the house of the main protagonist, the parents of the child are enthusiastic about letting their son go camping with the priest, as per the latter's request.
And what happens in the woods? Go read the book. It's worth it.
Being aware of what happens/happened in the world should always be our first concern.
December 30, 2021
In this novel, the author was so skillful that he was able to turn this so delicate kind of subject less heavy and at the same time, give to the readers the actual perspective of how child abuse can happen and its consequences in adult life.
Mainly, the novel takes place in Blackburn Hamlet, eastern Ontario, in 1978, and the author again had the ability to transfer to the reader the environment of that time. This is important because I really do not know if nowadays, parents would be so innocents as in the book.
I am not absolving his parents of its blame, but innocence is the exact word to express not only the favorite Father Sweet’s altar boy’s parents but the entire Catholic community that does believe in the holiness of an ordinary man. Yes, a father of a Catholic church is not an authority as people used to consider at that time and in older times.
As in every historical fiction, this is an alert and a denunciation of how all these crimes were committed with the endorsement of the society of that period in history and how we, nowadays should consider the Catholic Church as an institution created by men and due to this, susceptible to making mistakes.
Mainly, the novel takes place in Blackburn Hamlet, eastern Ontario, in 1978, and the author again had the ability to transfer to the reader the environment of that time. This is important because I really do not know if nowadays, parents would be so innocents as in the book.
I am not absolving his parents of its blame, but innocence is the exact word to express not only the favorite Father Sweet’s altar boy’s parents but the entire Catholic community that does believe in the holiness of an ordinary man. Yes, a father of a Catholic church is not an authority as people used to consider at that time and in older times.
As in every historical fiction, this is an alert and a denunciation of how all these crimes were committed with the endorsement of the society of that period in history and how we, nowadays should consider the Catholic Church as an institution created by men and due to this, susceptible to making mistakes.
December 30, 2020
Such a well-written book and one of my favorite reads of the year! I was intrigued from the very beginning; there was no point in which I lost interest. The story is extremely realistic. As someone who grew up is a very devout Catholic community and went to Catholic school for a large portion of my life, some parts were extremely emotionally difficult to read. I did have to take several breaks while reading it. I think Martin did an excellent job capturing the psychological, emotional, physical, and even religious realities of sexual abuse. There were many moments in which it felt like I was reading the true story of a boy who faced sexual and psychological abuse from the Church. Sadly, this type of story could and has certainly happened. I appreciate how realistic and well-done the book was. I would certainly read more books by J.J. Martin!
September 12, 2020
I had a hard time putting this book down once I got started. Having been raised Catholic myself, I am well aware of the inappropriate behaviors of some priests, which give the good ones, and the religion itself, a bad name. I immediately fell in step with the main character and all that he went through, and cheered him on despite his self-destruction (most of which was set in place because of the events that happened in his childhood). I cringed reading some chapters, knowing it was truly happening to some children in reality still today and was glad to learn that there are organizations that are working hard to convict the guilty parties.
Great piece of fiction, that reads like non-fiction.
Great piece of fiction, that reads like non-fiction.
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