Forgiven tells the story of the Covo family as they face overlapping crises that test faith, morality, and love. Nicky Covo, a Holocaust survivor and aging psychiatrist, is sued for malpractice after a former patient’s suicide. His wife, Helen, grieves her dying daughter. His daughter, Kayla, wrestles with schizophrenia, creative paralysis, and religious doubt. His son, Max, struggles under career pressure. And hovering above them all is Sister Theodora, Nicky’s sister and a nun in Greece, who tries to heal her fractured family through faith. Across continents and faiths, the book explores guilt, forgiveness, and the ways suffering reshapes belief.

Reading this book felt like stepping into a storm of emotion. I admired the quiet power in the writing. The prose is unhurried but charged with feeling. I liked how the story moved between the ordinary and the sacred, between New York apartments and Greek monasteries. The characters felt raw, sometimes painfully so, and I often found myself wincing at their honesty. Nicky’s battle with disbelief hit hard. His bitterness toward God made sense, and his eventual return to faith felt earned. Kayla, though fragile, had a haunting beauty in the way she sought meaning through music. The dialogue felt real, especially in its awkwardness, and I appreciated that the author didn’t clean up the messiness of family life.

There were moments when the narrative lingers on introspection or theological debate. Yet, I can’t say I minded much. There’s a rhythm to the book. The writing is filled with quiet compassion, and by the end, I felt changed. Forgiveness here isn’t cheap. It’s painful, slow, and human. That truth stayed with me.

Forgiven reminded me of the emotional depth and moral searching found in Marilynne Robinson’s novels, especially Gilead, with its quiet struggle between faith and doubt wrapped in the tenderness of family love. I’d recommend Forgiven to readers who like stories that sit heavy in the heart. It’s for those who’ve doubted, who’ve loved someone they couldn’t save, or who’ve wondered where God goes when life falls apart. It’s not a light read, but it’s a good one.

Pages: 337 | ASIN : B0FHXML7BD