Pilgrimage

Published in the U.S. by Oak Tara Publishers LLC, 2007.

Purchase the book from:
Amazon.com

---

Pilgrimage Reviews

From Catholic Fiction.Net

When a minor incident summons renewed guilt and nightmares over the accidental drowning of her eight-month-old child twenty years before, Madeleine Seymour, an erstwhile history professor, finally turns to her pastor, Fr. Rinaldi. “I killed her, Father,” she tells him. “I left her alone in a wading pool. I killed her.” Read entire review.

From Kirkus Discoveries

“A woman tries to exorcise her demons by exploring the ancient roots of her Christian faith in this heartfelt tale of remorse and redemption.

Middle-aged history professor Madeleine Seymour… is haunted by the death of her young daughter Mollie, who drowned in a plastic pool. Tormented by nightmares… Madeleine seeks the counsel of Father Rinaldi, who sends Madeleine and her husband Jack on a trip to Italy to its Catholic shrines… With its iconography of blood and sacrifice, its stories of suffering and death transmuted into hope and rebirth, it reveals lessons for coping with her long-festering grief and guilt. Balancing spiritual exaltation with psychological realism, Sunderland’s limpid prose makes Madeleine’s journey both gripping and believable. A moving study of the healing power of religious devotion.”

Kirkus Discoveries, providing unbiased, professional reviews for independently published authors.

From Feathered Quill Reviews

Pilgrimage is a story about guilt, forgiveness and belief. Using a compelling fictional story as her vehicle, author Christine Sunderland contemplates deep matters of faith, such as truth, doubt, suffering, miracles, and martyrdom. Read Feathered Quill Review of Pilgrimage.

From readers:

“I just flew east and read your book Pilgrimage on the way. I’m a practicing Roman Catholic and learned so much about my faith from this book! I loved it, never stop writing. Your books have a home in my heart and make me feel truely human. My journey east was to see my dear 86 year old mother. I loved how you entwine faith and life, for me they are inseparable . I too was on a journey and didn’t know what I’d find when I arrived in Maryland. I was comforted and encouraged by your book. Thank you!”      Jane Kilmartin, Northern California

“Your book is wonderful! I picked it up rather late last evening when I had time, and couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. I lost a lot of sleep, but it was well worth it. It was the Prologue that hooked me in and I couldn’t stop reading until I had reached the end of the last chapter. I had to know how your problem was resolved. It is an amazing story.” Alpha Quincy, California Writers Club

“I just purchased three copies of Pilgrimage to give to friends who I know will be inspired by your words. I have been reading Pilgrimage slowly to make it last and now I can finish it knowing that another is on the way.” Jacqueline Harrington, Danville, California

“I feel that I have been on pilgrimage with Maddie! Having been through a rough time these past few years, I could relate to her need for healing, and her experience at Sant’ Antimo brought tears to my eyes. In addition to the story, though, I appreciate your ability to speak so movingly and authentically about the beauty and power of Anglicanism, and also the way you wove history and saints’ stories into the narrative, giving a lively sense of the “great cloud of witnesses” and our lives as part of the complex and beautiful tapestry of Christianity.”  Susan Prudhomme, Freelance Writer and Novelist, Napa, California

“For me, the point in the story that brought tears to my eyes was when Maddie said, ‘I knew what to do. It was so clear. I took the cloth out of my bag and then I looked for Jack. I ran into the bright square, waving my linen like a flag of peace, or surrender or victory.’ May Maddie’s ‘flag of peace’ move from the pages of (this) book, stream from homes, flow down streets and cross over the borders of our troubled world so that all may come to the truth of how God loves, as Maddie puts it ‘He loves through real things.’ ” Father Seraphim, Missionary, Sierra Leone, Africa

“I loved the descriptions of the countryside and the colors and crevices in the old churches & the rolling hills and sounds of people praying, singing, chanting, eating, drinking & it was so real, so visual, so captivating!”  Tina Pomroy, Oakland, California

“Some books can be taken in quick gulps, like drinking a glass of cold water on a hot day, and other books need to be sipped and savored. I think Pilgrimage may be a ‘sippin’ book.” The Rev. Donald True, Louisville, Kentucky

“Let me state that it was most enjoyable and meaningful. It does a marvelous job of education & especially the theology of the Mass and the history of the Church. I also enjoyed the bit of mystery woven throughout, as well as the patience of the husband during the pilgrimage. This book can hopefully reach Protestants and Roman Catholics in order to promote better knowledge and understanding.” The Rev. Dr. Robert Rawson, Wimberley, Texas