It seems the earned province of Canadian women writers to cut to the heart of gender, race, and class privilege. In the title piece (I would not call it a story in the traditional character/plot sense) Schoemperlen explores a series of intangibles, among them faith, prayer, and hope, and very subtly weaves them into an indictment of middle class privilege. In a later story, "Count Your Blessings (a Fairy Tale)" Schoemperlen, in a twist reminiscent of the best Roald Dahl stories, cuts the heart out of the woman who has everything and is still unhappy. These stories are well-written, and are accompanied by clever old woodcut clip art. But unlike many short story collections, this is not an "easy" book, for the reader, and I suspect, for the author as well. The book jacket describes her work as "electric"--the prospective reader would do well to remember that electricity can shock as well as enlighten.

Diane Schoemperlen said she found inspiration for this book when her young son asked her how come her books never have any pictures. She then had the brilliant idea to wrap short stories around antique drawings, 100 year old catalogue pictures and illustrations from the original Gray's Anatomy. The results are stories that are compelling on their own but are perfectly enhanced by the pictures put in them. A great gift or coffee table book to be flipped through again and again.

FORMS OF DEVOTION IS A WONDERFUL BOOK. DIANNE SCHOEMPERLEN TAKES THE SIMPLEST TOPICS AND MAKES THEM INTERESTING AND BEAUTIFUL. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.

Although I found the structure (using the 100 words of the standard word association test IN ORDER) to be somewhat limiting, I have to admire Schoemperlen's inventiveness and facility with the English language. I think we might have had the same mother: some of the flashbacks to the protagonist's youth were astonishingly familiar and evoked sharp feelings. Do not miss reading this original and beautiful book.

This is absolutely writing at it's most perfect. Not a plot-driven novel, but a beautiful character study, and writing simply does not get any better than this. Diane Schoemperlin is amazing. One of the best books I've read in some time.

A wonderful book through and through. I don't have much more to say besides "READ IT!!!!" You won't be disappointed. By the way, ignore Kirkus Reviews. They suck.

Imagine finding yourself coming face to face with a mysterious stranger standing in your living room! Dressed in a blue raincoat and wearing white Nikes, she bears a remarkable resemblance to pictures you may have seen of the Virgin Mary. Could this just be the Catholic upbringing coming to haunt you or is she real?

Diane Schoemperlene delves into the mystery that is the Virgin Mary over the last few thousand years by making her real to the reader. Just like you or I she needs a place to rest her weary self and recover from the many demands made upon her. Mary becomes a part of the author's life for one week bringing the mystery that is her life into the present day.

I found the history in this book of great interest and I can honestly say it has left me wondering. Are the
sightings real or a product of imagination? I leave you to draw your own conclusions

I'm a lapsed Catholic but have always had a curiosity about the history of Mary, alleged Virgin
mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Erroneously I thought the book was a fictional account of a made
up visit between a non-catholic unsuspecting woman and the mother of the Devine savior. I found
quickly that it was that and more! Schoemperlen weaved an intriguing tale that left my imagination
to wander. Several times she had me convinced, because of excellent historical research and clever
writing that indeed Mary did come to visit and refresh herself at the authors home!
Perhaps it was slow at times, but only served to let me recover between giggles of delight.
I've recommended this to all of my Catholic and Non-Catholic (especially recovering Catholic)
friends.

This book took me by surprise. I found a stack of them on the floor in Oliver's Bookstore while visiting Nelson, B.C. I think Mary made sure I bought it. Being a sort-of Catholic, the title grabbed my attention. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down.

The storyline made me laugh out loud. The history, or lack of history, of Mary was very interesting. I thought it dragged towards the end, but it all came together.

I have thought about this book many times since I read it. I shared it with my mother & she loved it, too. I am sending it to a family member, who happens to be a Catholic priest. I won't be surprised if Mary wants him to read it - he can be a stuffed shirt sometimes.