Motherless is the second novel of the American Tragedy in Trilogy series. I reviewed the first novel Fatherless here. The third novel Childless is due to be released this fall.

The novel picks up on many of the same characters introduced in the first novel, but some decades have elapsed as it takes place in modern time. The themes of the first novel remain as it deals with the toxic culture and the effects on families and Catholics dealing with their work environments. Retaining the faith in such environs and the dulling of conscience while compromising are again addressed. In this novel though Catholic healthcare is an important element of the plot and many things we have seen on the headlines and discussed on blogs is there. The diminishing of any real Catholic component as compromises with the Culture of Death become routine.

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Motherless is the eagerly awaited second book in the trilogy by Catholic business executive turned fiction author, Brian J. Gail. Fatherless, the first in the trilogy, (next one is Childless, due out in fall of 2011) introduced us to parishioners, so vividly drawn and so like your neighbors in the cul-de-sac that you forget they’re fictional. They occupy the parish of St. Martha’s pastored by Father John Sweeney. In the last book, we saw Father Sweeney coming to grips with his own weaknesses in the area of Church doctrine. In this book, happily, he is stronger and a more reliable moral resource to the people in his flock.

Fatherless dealt with the issues of woefully under-informed Catholics trying to live happy lives and wondering why things didn’t seem to fit. Motherless takes place a generation later and visits the sticky moral issues that are a natural outgrowth of an insidious contraceptive mentality and a culture that is marked by moral confusion. Motherless takes on the themes of reproductive technology, frozen embryos, stem cell research, international trafficking in human parts, end-of-life issues, and the tragedy of how individuals in big business can be complicit in evil, often without realizing it. Mainly, Motherless makes us ponder the jaw dropping consequences of technology operating apart from any moral reference point. (more…)

Motherless is a sequel to Brian Gail’s premiere novel Fatherless and is part 2 in his The American Tragedy in Trilogy. After hearing endless positive reviews about Fatherless, I fell in love with the world that Brian Gail created. Needless to say, when I got the opportunity to receive a copy of Motherless for review, I jumped at the chance, only hoping that Gail could capture the magic again. He didn’t disappoint! (more…)

I recently received a copy of the book Motherless by Brian J. Gail.  This book is part 2 of a trilogy that started with Fatherless.  I loved the Fatherless book and was very excited to read this one.  If you are looking for Catholic fiction, this is a book for you.  It did take me longer to read Motherless than Fatherless because the book arrived the week baby Ellie was born.  Good book it may be but nothing trumps snuggling with a newborn.

This book is full of real life characters struggling with the same moral issues we all face.  Not just the simple ones, but the more complex moral issues that are being thrown at us by modern society.  Do you continue to work for an employer who is supporting immoral causes?  Do you encourage the infertile couple to go against the teachings of their faith and explore modern fertility treatments in an attempt to conceive? Do you ignore a lack of annulment and delve into a romantic relationship anyway? (more…)

Readers who have been awaiting the return of Father John Sweeney and his parishioners from St. Martha’s will not be disappointed by this latest installment in their story, local author Brian J. Gail’s much anticipated second novel, Motherless, expected to hit shelves this October.

Firmly set in the present moment, Motherless reintroduces us to old friends tempered by the intervening twenty years of experience since the setting of Mr. Gail’s best selling first novel, Fatherless. These characters still sing, evidently drawn by a writer remarkable not only for his keen observation of the human condition, but also for his fierce love for humanity. Uniting the disparate worlds these people inhabit: health care, Madison Avenue advertising and bio medical research, Motherless captures a comprehensive snap shot of the most critical issues of our time. (more…)

Motherless, the sequel to Fatherless, opens about 20 years after the original book.  Again readers join Father Sweeney in his parish life during the time surrounding the 2008 elections.  While Fatherless focused on modern society’s loss of stable father figures, Motherless approaches the loss of mothers.  Gail does not shy away from discussing the demons plaguing our society, including contraceptives, abortion and in vitro fertilization.  Through three main storylines the reader is able to see real world examples of these demons. At times bouncing through the three story lines can be confusing, but after a few chapters they all start to make sense. (more…)

Brian J. Gail’s novel Motherless, sequel to Fatherless, is a compelling treatment of business-driven advances in medical science.

Set in the present day, this novel is scary–because all of this could happen. I am left wondering exactly how much of this is happening; it’s clear that some of it definitely is.

Building on the story from the first book in what is planned to be a trilogy, Motherless picks up several years after Fatherless leaves off. All the major characters from the first book play main roles in the second as well. While this book can stand alone, I definitely think that the first book is important in that it sets the stage for plot events in this one. (more…)