Abstinence Teacher Will Convert You

I have a fast fun read for all of you during these bitterly cold and snowy days.

Tom Perrotta's The Abstinence Teacher is one of those books where you catch yourself thinking of the characters as if they were people you actually knew.

Perrotta is the author of Little Children (another highly readable novel which is much better than the movie) and an American writer who has earned a reputation for tackling the hypocrisy and internal conflicts of suburban dwellers.

In The Abstinence Teacher we follow the collision course of Ruth Ramsey, a liberal sex-ed teacher who is forced to teach abstinence to her students, and Tom Mason, a born-again recovered addict who coaches Ruth's daughter's soccer team. As Tom becomes increasingly less sure of his faith and his fellowship, Ruth's own strict adherence to her liberal principles leaves her feeling disconnected from her daughters. Their mutual alienation quietly bridges the two, as the schism between their political camps widens.

The novel is quick, wry and humane. A perfect excuse not to leave bed next weekend.