Book Review: Abstinence Teacher

My partner received this book for Christmas a couple of years ago, and it has been in the back of my mind ever since. However, it was not until a couple of weeks ago that I took it off the shelf. I was told that it was a good read though not great, which deterred me from reading it. While I agree with this assessment, I am glad that I read it.

The story is about a health teacher, Ruth, who is asked by a student why someone would perform oral sex. The teacher answers the question from an anatomical perspective and concludes by saying "because some people like it". It is these five words that send her career and life into a tailspin. Almost the entire community revolts, led by the local tabernacle church. Ruth is told that she is no longer allowed to teach sex education but instead is only allowed to teach abstinence to her students. In the same town, a middle-aged man, Tim, chooses to be born again by becoming involved in the tabernacle. However, he finds himself questioning some of the tabernacle's teachings and at odds with members of the church. As a way to bond with his daughter, Tim becomes the local girls' soccer coach. After a great win, Tim encourages his players to pray with him. Ruth, whose daughter is on the team, is enraged and the two butt heads which leads to startling consequences.

I have to say that there are aspects of this book that I simply loved. For example, Perrotta does not start the book until after Ruth is forced to teach abstinence in her class. Due to this, the entire controversy over her statement regarding oral sex is told as it is in the past. I thought that this tactic would make the novel sluggish as the reader already knows the outcome. However, it produced the opposite effect. I was enthralled with the resolution of the event more than with the actual revolt itself. Additionally, Tim's transformation from being a lively rebel to a broken do-gooder is also done off stage. When the reader meets Tim, he is already a member of the church and while his flashbacks give glimpses of his life before a church member it is not the focus of the novel.

My two gripes with this book are the ending and the descriptions of the peripheral characters. I found the secondary characters to be stereotypical and one-sided. Additionally, I found the conclusion of the novel to be contrived. Still, I think it is worth a reading.

-DLP