Jane Willan's engaging novel Widow's Walk follows chef-turned-parish-priest Miranda McCurdy as she navigates her new life in tiny Sparrow, Maine. Grieving her husband's death but hopeful about the potential of her new career, Miranda is eager to build relationships and nudge her congregation toward productive change. But her efforts at revamping an "insensitive and racist" Thanksgiving celebration provoke an outcry, which only intensifies when Alejandra, a young pregnant woman from Honduras, seeks sanctuary in the church building. Willan, a minister in the United Church of Christ, explores Miranda's inner turmoil as she struggles to reconcile her faith and idealism with messy human realities.
As Miranda settles into picturesque Sparrow, her hopes for progress at the church are often dashed by her congregants' stubborn adherence to their traditions. Though she has a few stalwart supporters--including Peg, the tall, no-nonsense office administrator--Miranda runs up against challenges that include limited budgets, conflicting ideologies, and her own doubts about her new career. The presence of Alejandra and the ticking clock of her pregnancy threaten to further divide the small congregation. Willan (Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mysteries) expertly portrays the paradox of life in a small town: deep (if fractious) bonds between neighbors who may believe and vote quite differently. As a tropical storm heads for Sparrow, both Miranda and her congregants are forced to confront their prejudices and imagine a future unlike the one they'd pictured.
With plenty of humor, heart, and mouthwatering food descriptions, Widow's Walk examines the difficulties and joys of small-town life and the complicated process of living out one's faith. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams