Confessions of a Closet Catholic

Confessions of a Closet Catholic was a very interesting novel that brought different things to my mind as I read it. Throughout the book it was interesting to see how Justine dealt with trying to figure out who she was and who she wanted to be as an individual. As I was reading, it reminded me of the previous book we read, Project Mulberry. Both of the main characters are trying to figure out who they are, as well as accepting who they are within their family. They both question following their families in their beliefs or overall history. Julia in Project Mulberry had to deal with her familys' "wierdness" with the traditional things that they did, such as the food that she did not like. Justine has to deal with her being Jewish and everything that comes with, which makes her rethink her beliefs in the story. Both characters, at least initially, would trade places with their best friends because they feel that their families are more "normal." The question of identity is a huge issue for young people of this age, and seeing it from two different angles in these two books is interesting. One involves her families overall heritage and history while the other deals with their religion. Both characters learn throughout the book the positives of their respective traditions and realize how lucky they are to be in the situations they are in. Overall, Confessions is a good book that deals with a sensitive issue, and through the main character's learning the reader can learn as well.