In Tom Perrotta's new novel, church and state collide with surprising consequences in a small American suburb.
Ruth Ramsey has been a sex-ed teacher for over a decade but suddenly finds her "pleasure is good" curriculum hijacked and replaced with an abstinence only program. The driving force behind this change is an evangelical Christian church called The Tabernacle which has moved into her neighbourhood and is gaining political power.
Perrotta skillfully pulls us into Ruth's story, characterizing her struggles as she deals with finding herself at the centre of controversy and forced to teach information that ignores basic medical fact. Complicating matters is Tim, her daughter's soccer coach (and a member of The Tabernacle) who creates controversy of his own when he decides to proselytize his team-including Ruth's daughter- after a game. This incident brings the two main characters together with their opposing world views, embodying the central conflict of the story.
There are several things I loved about this book. The characters are expertly drawn and realistically flawed. With complex psychologies and histories that make them who they are, Ruth and Tim feel like they could be people you know. Even the minor characters are given little quirks that make them three-dimensional. You also get an excellent sense of place in this novel. Perrotta creates an atmosphere you can almost feel- a sense of suburban malaise that hangs throughout the pages. The book's greatest strength however, lies in the fact that Perrotta doesn't completely choose sides when it comes to the issues at hand and chooses not to paint the church members as villains. The book alternates between Ruth and Tim's perspectives, and Tim's sections make it clear that stereotypes can be deceiving; he is not necessarily the person he appears to be.
The Abstinence Teacher is recommended for anyone who is facinated by suburban existence and the web of drama that often exists just below the surface of a perfect looking life. Like former Perrotta novels, (Little Children, Election) a film adaptation of this novel is already in the works.
| Categories: Reviews, Staff Pick |
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