The Monk Downstairs

Life is messy and being a monk, for some, is a retreat from that messiness. For others, it is stepping right into the middle of things and acting out one's faith. This somewhat characterizes the conflict between Michael Christopher--formerly Brother Jerome-- and his former abbot. Michael has left after 20 years in the monastery because the contemplative life that he sought to live there has suddenly failed him. He has no belongings, no job history, and very little experience dealing with the messiness of ordinary life. He is also the first person to respond when single mother Rebecca Martin puts out a vacancy sign for the studio apartment on the ground floor of her house in the Bay Area. Rebecca is the mother of Mary Martha ( I initially had to have this parable from the Bible explained to me although it is explained quite sufficiently later in the book), and currently a graphic designer for a growing company that used to offer relaxed working hours; Rebecca is disillusioned with love and life.
Little do either Michael or Rebecca know that their relationship with one another may save their lives--in the metaphorical sense. Although I suppose it helps to have enough familiarity with religion and/or the Bible to understand some of those allusions in the story--including the correspondence Mike carries on with one of the brothers at the monastery--I did not find it difficult to work around. Both Rebecca and Michael captured my heart fairly early on with their flawed and funny (as in laugh out loud) lives. There are sad and philosophical parts, too. But mostly it is about two people trying to find their way through the messiness with their hearts and souls and integrity intact. This is a very sweet story that I REALLY enjoyed--so much so that I have ordered my own copy of the book as well as a copy of the sequel, The Monk Upstairs. Tim Farrington has written other books that sound like they have similar themes and I may grab those from the library. According to Kirkus (with whom I usually agree) I am a sap for liking this book, but according to Publishers Weekly this is a "a charmingly written, gratifyingly hopeful tale." I'm going with the latter.