Review: The Saints of Whistle Grove

 

Katie Schuermann. The Saints of Whistle Grove: A Novel. Kloria Publishing. Casper, Wyoming. 2023. 

In structure this book reminds me of Wendell Berry’s book about fictitious Port William, KY. The place itself matters and is an important part of the story. The people are ordinary, yet their stories carry universal appeal. Lessons of community living are learned. Individuals become who they are because of the people they live amongst.   

Where Berry connects people through the town and agricultural work, Schuermann connects people around the fictitious Whistle Grove church, school, and cemetery. The story encompasses the founding and closing of the church, school, and cemetery. Through the succession of pastors and the intergenerational stories of the interconnected families, coworkers, and friendships, profound spiritual and human lessons are learned. 

We admire the bravery of the founding members who call a pastor and create a church and school. We recognize the familiar trajectory of membership and attendance changes through the generations. Schuermann’s saints each have their own stories to tell: Love, loss, jealousy, forgiveness granted or withheld, sorrow, and joy. Through the rhythm of their lives, the saints reveal their humanity and faith. 

After reading this book, you will never again pass a lonely cemetery or church without wondering what stories lay within.