From the author of the critically acclaimed novel A Brother’s Blood, comes a haunting story about an Irish housekeeper named Maggie Quinn, who must discover the truth when her friend, the parish priest, is accused of horrible crimes.

Discussion questions for The Blind Side of the Heart

1. Why does Maggie defend Father Jack so doggedly?

2. What are some of the implications of the novel’s title?

3. Near the end of the novel Maggie is folding clothes and thinks back to a time when she saw Justin come to the back door. She thinks about him and Father Jack in a certain new light. In what way does she look upon them?

4. What does the novel say about small towns?

5. Priest abuse has grown into a national problem, one of enormous implications for the Catholic Church. Does the novel take sides in this debate?

6. Does Mr. Leo love Maggie? How do his feelings for her “blind” him to certain things?

“The cruel beauty of Michael C. White’s spare, unflinching prose leaves the narrator of The Blind Side of the Heart nowhere to hide . . . a meditation on the mysteries of love and loyalty.”


New York Times Book Review

“The Blind Side of the Heart is . . . a mystery novel of unusual emotional texture told in a voice at once knowing and naïve, trustworthy and dubious.”



The Washington Post

“White works remarkable magic in this stunning novel . . . explosive and heartbreaking.”


Booklist

“White’s detailed and engrossing second novel follows class tensions, shame and loyalty among New England’s Irish-American Catholics when a scandal shakes a small-town church . . .” 


Publisher's Weekly

“White has received high praise for earlier works, and this latest offering should be equally well received. Its taut suspense, well-crafted characters, and dense atmosphere of justice and belief are compelling. Highly recommended.”



Library Journal