A Day with a Perfect Stranger Book

Although just as readable as Dinner with a Perfect Stranger: An Invitation Worth Considering, Day with a Perfect Stranger didn't sweep me along in quite the same way. I'm not sure if it's sequel syndrome, my expectations or the book itself. The story has its strengths including: the opportunity for a literary fantasy with the Divine. What would it be like to have a totally unexpected day with Jesus? Also I like having the broader scope brought by the vantage of Mattie Cominisky, the wife of Nick'the protagonist of author David Gregory's earlier novel in the series. In this book, we learn Mattie isn't too thrilled that Nick's recent dinner with Jesus has resulted in such a transformation in her husband. Apparently she wasn't very happy with her husband before, but now that he's become 'religious', she is considering divorce. As I read a borrowed book, I can't go back now and refer to exactly what it was about her husband which was so awful she felt justified in abandoning her marriage vows, I do recall thinking as I read it that the entire situation seemed 'operable'. But then other people's problems always do seem that way, don't they? Only our own problems are insurmountable and insoluble. If Mattie's response to what life has given her seems trivial and/or immature to me, how often do my responses seem the same way to others?

On the minus side, the character of 'Jesus' was not as true to form in this book of Gregory's'or at least He did not come off so to me. I do not believe Jesus 'hates' religion as the author has him say he does. Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill." Matthew 5:17 As a boy of 12, his parents found him IN THE TEMPLE - the very heart and center of Jewish RELIGION - as it says in the Gospel of Luke, 'After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.' Luke 2:46-47 Jesus knew His Jewish Religion and He far from hating it, He loved it.

But for the sake of argument, let's say, that Gregory's Jesus made that claim not because He meant it literally, but more by way of meeting Mattie where she was. Often a wise counselor will do something like that to help a patient. If that is the case'and it well might be, I'd have to get a copy and reread the book to check out my theory'then it still could fit what it known about Jesus.

This critique aside, 'Jesus' most certainly seemed to touch the character of Mattie through the course of their daylong conversation. While I personally wasn't as moved by this book, I had the impression Gregory was writing to an audience with a very different mindset from mine.

More than that will have to await another read. I do plan to give it another try and to read other books by this author as he intrigues me.


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Again, got this as a loaner from the Deacon in our parish. Read it in a single setting. Very enjoyable! Review to follow!