Believe Me

by Nina Killham

In the tradition of Jodi Picoult, a fresh, smart, and deeply moving novel about the power of faith, love, and family Thirteen-year-old Nic Delano has a lot of questions. Like why does he have a babysitter at his age-and where did she get such long legs? But mostly, what exactly is the meaning of life? His mother, Lucy, an astrophysicist and atheist, has always encouraged Nic to ask questions. But lately she doesn't like the answers he's getting. Nic...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452289769
• ISBN13: 9780452289765
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

I hope you will "Believe Me"

We live in an age and time when we're often more likely to emphasize and get stuck on being right than on understanding the point of view of another person. During the election season, most conservatives read conservative blogs, while liberals read liberal blogs, and neither group gets very good at really listening to the other. The same thing is often true in religious circles; several times in the past week I've had progressive friends lament the upcoming discussions they'd have with their conservative family members. It seems to be a rare individual who really "gets" people on the other side of the proverbial fence. After reading Nina's book, I suspect that she might be one of these rare folks. Her novel is told from the perspective and in the voice of Nic, a thirteen year-old boy who is an only child. Nic lives with his mother, Lucy, an astrophysicist and a devout atheist who has very little tolerance for matters of faith. She's very content to study the stars, live a good life, and do the best that she can as a mom. Nic, on the other hand, is at that age in life where he's forming an identity of his own. He befriends the local pastor of a small independent church, a Nigerian man named Dele, and begins secretly attending a Bible study at his best friend's house. Of course, it's not long before Lucy finds out about everything, and things begin to spiral out of control in her world. Life for the two of them gets ever more interesting when Dele ends up living with them in a spare bedroom, and everyone is forced to rethink a few of their long-held attitudes, beliefs, and habits about many topics. Late in the book, tragedy strikes the family, and Nic and Lucy struggle to maintain their belief systems in the midst of the pain. Ultimately, the story becomes a meditation on faith, love, gratitude, and compassion--values that transcend any one particular worldview or religious expression. It would be easy for a book like this to become filled with stereotypes, playing on our emotional trigger points or strongly emphasizing one worldview as "correct." (After all, Nic is named for Nicolas Copernicus, and Lucy is the name of a famous fossil hominid.) Fortunately, Believe Me presents each of these contrasting belief systems as positive, well-considered, and fully meaningful to those who hold them. Progressive Christians who have "converted" from a more traditional view will likely find much they understand or even resonate with in both Lucy and those from the church. Anyone who works with youth will thoroughly enjoy the rather precocious Nic, whose unique perspectives on life are a fresh way to approach some common themes (though at times you will see him as just a bit too wise for his age.) The book would be great for a church or community book club, a church library, a gift for a teacher, or just for your own late-night reading. Believe Me, you'll enjoy it, and I encourage you to order a copy today.

low-keyed family approach to whether god exists

While her husband the professor lives and works in Williamsburg as he has for the last two years, University of Maryland astrophysicist Lucy Delano raises their thirteen year old son Nicolaus Copernicus "Nic" Delano though dad sees him frequently. Lucy the atheist encourages Nic to ask questions on any topic as she insists none are stupid. However she has reconsidered her curiosity concept as lately Nic's interests veer towards two taboo topics: girls and religion; not that he asks mom much on either. Nic finds suburban Christianity comforting when he ponders the free will of selecting a brand of crunchy peanut butter from eight choices while at the same time a kid his age in Pakistan has his house fall on his head. The Christians may not be able to answer his five whys except in some mystical mumbo jumbo (which is not that different than mom's naturist big bang theory), but Mrs. Porter bakes good cookies that provide comfort while mom buys cookies. Lucy is concerned about Nic not so much that he admires the long legs of his babysitter, but because his teen rebellion is heretical as he studies God forbid the bible. Mom knows she cannot excommunicate her son, but the bible in her mind was written by the first fantasists. However both reconsider their beliefs when illness strikes. The key to this debate over whether there is a god is the low-keyed family approach to the question rather than the extremes pounding theories as scientific proof or gospel. Nic makes the tale from the onset starting with his simple peanut butter question and his continual search for the truth. Although the support cast is to religiously "correct", readers will appreciate Nic's quest especially why would God turn his back on an ailing child of his as his mom and dad would never do that to him. Harriet Klausner

Poignant

I really enjoyed Nina Killham's first two books. Her first book, HOW TO COOK A TART is a delightful send-up of our impressions of food, relationships and love with a cast of quirky characters and a hilarious plot with a bizarre ending. Her second book, MOUNTING DESIRE, is a hysterical send-up of romance novels and also contains a quirky cast. When I saw that her third was coming out, I pre-ordered it. Well, it finally arrived and I read it in a day and a half. BELIEVE ME is a slight departure from her normal writing. Sure, some of the characters are quirky and sure, there is a lot of humor, but the story is more, oh, I hate to use these words, as they are so overworked, poignant and heartwarming. This is the story of a young boy and his mother, each searching for something to cling to and believe in. The story is told from the perspective of Nic Delany, whose mother is a devout atheist and whose father is a professor of comparative religions. Nic has fallen in with group of Christians, not just any Christians, but evangelical Christians and he begins to think about religion. He also thinks about all of the things a typical thirteen-year old boy thinks about. Things like video games and sex. The author does an admirable job writing in the first person and even though it's been forty years since I was a thirteen-year old, I found it very credible. Nina Killham made me laugh, she made me smile, she made me think, and she brought a few tears to my eyes. I recommend this book to anyone and have already passed it on to a friend.