Title: Corinne
Author: Rebecca Morrow
Genre: Literary Fiction
Published On: July 12, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: digital (Netgalley)
Pages: 423
Synopsis:
You want to walk away from the things that were bad for you and never look back.
That’s what Corinne Callahan wants.
Cast out of the fundamentalist church she was raised in and cut off from her family, Corinne builds a new life for herself. A good one. But she never stops missing the life—and the love— she’s left behind.
It’s Enoch Miller who ruins everything for her. It was always Enoch Miller. She’ll never get him out from under her skin.
Set over fifteen years and told with astonishing intimacy, Rebecca Morrow’s Corinne is the story of a woman who risks everything she’s built for the one man she can never have.
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
If you’re a reader who has no experience with the Christian faith, you may pick up this book and think you’ve stumbled into a fantasy book, an exaggerated tale of a cult-like church determined to enforce their strict moral code. While I wasn’t personally raised in a fundamentalist Christian environment, there are aspects of the novel that I did endure as someone raised in the church. The imbalance of “rules” enforced on males versus females, such as the clothes women were expected not to wear. The exclusion of anyone who didn’t fit the “mold”. For an institution that preaches about light, the church can be a very dark and lonely place.
From the first page, I was engrossed in this mesmerizing love story. I couldn’t look away. I connected with Corinne immediately and she became such a living, breathing person. I was proud of her, cheering her on, heartbroken in the moments when she was hurt and happy in the moments when she found peace and understanding.
“‘I know you think of what we did as a sin and a mistake,’ she said. ‘And maybe we’ll do other things that’ll feel like sin to you. But I’m not a sin. I’m not a temptation. I’m a person. And if you love me, you’ll treat me that way. You’ll treat me like a blessing.'”
Rebecca Morrow, Corinne
There is a definite Romeo and Juliet vibe to this book. Enoch is immersed in the church that Corinne was cast out of, but despite belonging to different worlds, they cannot deny or ignore their feelings. The love they feel for one another is stronger than anything else. And while it’s a torturous experience, it’s also very hopeful.
The second half of this novel focuses on Corinne and Enoch as adults and it becomes sexually explicit and graphic. I think it’s done tastefully, that it beautifully conveys the struggle Corinne and Enoch endure to find common ground. But I know some readers will not agree. Personally, I appreciated that Corinne has a healthier understanding of her sexuality. It’s refreshing and inspiring.
Corinne is an eye-opening and fascinating look at how deep the roots of faith can grow, corrupting how a young person sees the world, their families, and themselves. I know it’s a book I will be thinking about for a long time, and may even be among my favorites for the year.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
Rating:
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About the Author
A Song For A Book
Corinne is just the kind of book I love to create a playlist for when one doesn’t exist. Deeply moving, fraught with themes explored in music, and a book with unforgettable star-crossed lovers. Morrow does include some songs and artists in the text, as well. I’ve chosen to highlight “You’re Somebody Else” by Flora Cash. I’ll also be including my Spotify playlist below for your listening pleasure.
I saw the part of you
That only when you’re older you will see too
You will see too
I held the better cards
But every stroke of luck has got a bleed through
It’s got a bleed through
You held the balance of the time
That only blindly I could read you
But I could read you
It’s like you told me
Go forward slowly
It’s not a race to the end
Well you look like yourself
But you’re somebody else
Only it ain’t on the surface
Well you talk like yourself
No, I hear someone else though
Now you’re making me nervous
You were the better part
Of every bit of beating heart that I had
Whatever I had
I finally sat alone
Pitch black flesh and bone
Couldn’t believe that you were gone…
Have you read Corinne? Will you be adding it to your TBR? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
This does sound interesting. I’m always fascinated by the many ways religion can change a person.
I was very immersed!
Ooh, this sounds good!
I think you and I were raised in churches that were sort of similar in this regard. Mine wasn’t fundamentalist, either, but it did have a few things in common with them like a stricter dress code for women and girls.
Oh yay! I would love to hear what you think of this one if you decide to pick it up. I haven’t see any other bloggers talking about it.
Yes! There were definitely expectations for women and girls to dress a certain way, but it also varied by different churches. So very confusing for young girls!