The Power of Love

R. Leo Olson's first novel Sojourning with Angels positively beams with it.  Perhaps one phrase cannot possibly capture a book, but T-bone Burnett's song haunts me as I write (listen):

The power of love, can make a blind man see
Can bring a man to his knees
The power of love, can make a sultan grieve
Can make a skeptic believe

From the opening pages we feel this power strong at work.  Oh yeah,... and the power of hate, lust, greed, pride, etc., weigh in with force as well.  The characters slide off the page and directly into your heart or under your skin.  We have Milo the sleazy real estate guy, Lilly the seductive co-worker, Milo's feisty mother, a homeless guy, a whiskey priest and Natalie, Milo's pregnant wife for starters.

The power of love is south of south
And scorches out all the doubt
The power of love is the name of names
And burns away all the pain

Angels and demons show up as well.  The hidden realms are made visible to the reader throughout... and some of the book's characters can see them too.  Three angels specifically are highlighted along with a host of other spiritual beings.  I know, it's been done in countless books before, but in my opinion not quite like this.  The author has dug deep into both biblical and other ancient sources to bring the spiritual realm to life.  (See author's notes)

As the sordid details of Milo's life are laid before him by these spiritual beings, the burn and the pain become extremely real to him.  "I never knew!" screams his comatose body to Natalie, and her loving concern for his distress moves her to deft action and a search for answers.

The power of love can make a gangster cry
Can make a loser try
The power of love can make a strong man weak
Can make a bigot meek

For me, Natalie's strong love caries the whole book.  She lives Song of Solomon chapter eight:

"...for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away."

In the process she draws people together across forbidden lines.  Love does that.  The Bible Church Pastor and the whiskey priest alike cannot escape her loving embrace.

The power of love can make a coward brave
Can make a hero afraid
The power of love can make a miser give
Can make a dead man live

Natalie goes to great lengths to understand her husband's situation and do something about it if she somehow can.  The question is, can she?  

Controversial?  Hell yes.  Heavens yes.  Literally.
Dogmatic?  First of all ummm.. it's fiction... dogmatism isn't the point.
Healing?  To me it sure was.
Gripping?  I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.  Even caught a cold (staying up too late) to prove it.

You know what?  I'm done here.  I need to go re-read it right now.