Mass Confusion is a clever title for a personal testimony written to encourage others to perservere in reconnecting to their faith.

Susan Dolan does a good job summarizing her childhood introduction to the Catholic Church and her parent's profound trust and belief in the faith. I suspect many readers will identify with experiences as a young adult. The author is most vulnerable when she ventures into the story where she details the why she began searching for connection. As she becomes aware of the growing interest and subsequent passion for the church, her energy rises and excitement grows. Unfortunately, a few of these middle chapters feel almost like a summary of Dynamic Catholic's works. Still, her testimony is strong and clear as she shares what inspired her in the hopes that the reader will receive and nurture the spark for themselves.

I especially appreciated how she also reconnected with her own father through his unpublished writings, sharing quotes with us that strengthen and support her story. Once again, she is vulnerable and authentic in her Epilogue, revealing how God works when we surrender. A helpful list of resources for anyone challenged to grow in their faith and thoughtful student questions for group study rounds out the book.

My personal review is 3.75 stars. It was a quick and easy read that will be perfect for small-groups, book clubs, etc. What holds me back from a 4 star review is the middle chapters summary relying so much on the work of Matthew Kelly. That said, it's not about me. It's about God and the beautiful way He can make all things for good. Thank you Susan for sharing your testimony for others!

This is a very short motivational story that is told from the perspective of a hospice nurse/lapsed catholic. While I am sure this will resonate with some people, I just didn’t connect with it. Most of what is there are exhortations to prayer and something of just do it attitude adjustment that I doubt work for most former catholics … who honestly have very hard issues with the Church as it is today. I was hoping this would actually address just one of these issues, but the author basically ducks all of the hard questions with a very general “I drifted away in my youth” story to which the solution is almost always some motivation to just dig deeper until the faith and you will come to understand it better (while true, … it doesn’t do what I was looking for). In particular, I have never been in the position that they author was nor have I ever asked the same questions she felt needed to be answered to understand the beauty of the faith … I don’t mean to discount her journey/story … it obviously worked for her, but the lack of specifics/details makes it difficult to use her story with others IMHO.

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#MassConfusion #NetGalley.