Reply to Just got disturbing email regarding English class for my rising freshman

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[quote=Anonymous]Wow, I just bought the book and read it in one day.  Now, I want to read it again with my high school freshman son.

What a powerful book!

First, it's a 361 page book, with hundreds of poems, about 4 of which reference sexual interactions, none of which are graphic or explicit.  In one of them, the 16 year old protagonist starts to make out with her boyfriend (this is the "heavy petting" scene), realizes she doesn't want to have sex, and asks him to stop, and he gently helps her put her shirt back on and dries her tears.  It's exactly what we should want our daughters and sons to hear, that they can say no, that they should respect other people's no.

I will also say, as a Catholic, that the book is not objectionable from a religious point of view.  Yes, she desecrates the Eucharist.   But just because a book describes something, it doesn't mean it endorses it.  And while, there is definitely spiritual abuse, done in the name of Catholicism, it's super clear that it's wrong.  The priest, Father Sean, is the one Xiomara turns to for help, and his actions are nothing but kind and loving and helpful.  It's actually a great portrayal of what the Catholic church is at it's best.

I think it's so ironic that people on this thread seem to be saying that it's better to read Romeo and Juliet, where the Catholic priest facilitates a relationship that would be considered statutory rape if it happened today, and leads to the death of two teenagers, than a book where horny teenagers decide not to have sex, and a Catholic priest helps heal a broken family, and bring a teenager back to a relationship with God.

Anyway, thank you DCUM for introducing me to something beautiful to share with my rising 9th grader. [/quote]

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