Avenue of Mysteries

Faith. If you’ve ever thought about the phrase, “the miracle of life,” you can think about it for over 450 pages in John Irving’s fourteenth and latest novel titled, Avenue of Mysteries. Irving presents the life of protagonist Juan Diego by shifting back to the past through dreams and recollections, and in the present through the structure of a journey to fulfill a promise. Juan Diego’s life has been filled with mysteries and miracles, and with love from some unlikely or unexpected sources. One reading of this novel filled me with thoughts about the themes Irving explores including aging, fate, the Catholic church, faith, love and perseverance. If I chose a second reading, I’m sure I would find more themes to think about. Irving can be funny, the characters are often quirky and reality can seem to slip away at times. I’ve read all of Irving’s novels over the past four decades, and I admit to a positive bias toward this novel before I opened the first page. Readers who enjoy fine writing are those most likely to enjoy this novel. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase Avenue of Mysteries from amazon.com.