A Place Called Trinity by Delia Parr

". . . prayer and devotion used to be part of the daily lives. . ."

"This tale is gently told without preaching to the reader. . ."

Some of us remember tales of a more innocent time in history, when men tried with variable success to live by God’s laws and the practice of religion was not widely relegated to those who made it a career. Difficult as it may be to believe, prayer and devotion used to be part of the daily lives of the majority in this nation. Sadly, many of us have never known personally anyone who still lives by such absolute faith.

Parr invites us to follow the daily life of one such woman who seeks to do right rather than walk the easy road. She reminds us of the heritage of our forebearers, the satisfaction of dealing honestly with the world and with God even in those difficult times that come to all.

From her protagonist, a midwife in 1830 western Pennsylvania, we learn how she deals with heartbreak and still unselfishly encourages and helps her neighbors. The rigors of her daily work, the miles she travels to serve, her discretion and diplomacy in dealing with a doctor and his new-fangled theories, the physical aches as well as her loneliness seem to be more easily tolerated by a self-confidence, borne of her faith in God.

This tale is gently told without preaching to the reader in a style similar to Jan Karon’s Mitford series, perhaps surpassing Karon in the emotional involvement evoked here. Parr leaves us wondering whether progress can successfully be measured against all society has given up in exchange for easy transportation, social security checks, cynicism, serial mates, instant meals, instant pleasures that often seem to send us moving faster and farther seeking more, never satisfied.

Reviewer: Doris Lakey