Sarah Krasnostein's award winning The Trauma Cleaner (2018) is one of the best works of non-fiction I have ever read. I rave about it to everyone I know and have gifted copies of the book to friends and family who were also entranced by the subject matter and Krasnostein's gifted storytelling. Needless to say, I have been eagerly awaiting her next book and preordered The Believer (2021) so I could get my mitts on it as soon as it was available.
Unlike The Trauma Cleaner which focussed on the fascinating life of Sandra Pankhurst, The Believer follows individuals and groups with strong beliefs about life and death, creation, god, ghosts, extraterrestrials, and more. With deep empathy and curiosity, the author immerses herself in their worlds in an effort to understand how people believe.
'The Death Doula' follows terminally ill Karina and Annie, her death doula, who will help her achieve a good death. In 'Paranormal', Krasnostein joins a group of ghost hunters in their quest to engage with poltergeists. 'In the Beginning' follows a group of people who believe that The Bible tells the true story of creation, and have built a life-size replica of Noah's Ark at the Museum of Creation to teach future generations.
The second half of the book introduces us to Lynn in 'Halfway Home' who has just been released from three decades in a US prison for the murder of her abusive husband. Lynn is beyond resilient, facing her prolonged sentence by taking each day as it comes. The mystery of a plane lost over the Bass Strait is told in 'Theories of Flight', which focuses on UFOs and the belief that we are not alone. Finally, we meet Mennonite missionaries in New York who aim to teach others about their faith in 'The Kingdom of Heaven'.
The chapters alternate between the six stories, providing insight into each believer. While this worked well to maintain momentum, it also made for disjointed reading. I found myself wanting to rush through some chapters in an effort to get back to the people I cared about. Krasnostein inserted herself in some of the narratives by sharing childhood reminiscences or glimpses of her family's history. The author's presence was jarring and disconnected, whereas it felt much more natural and intimate in The Trauma Cleaner.
The Believer is undoubtedly an interesting book and I am glad to have been introduced to these people and their worlds. Ultimately, I was deeply engaged with two of the six stories and, had the book been wholly about Annie and/or Lynn, I would have been immensely satisfied. Their stories felt more human and realistic to me, and do not require the leap of faith needed to understand their beliefs as the other stories do.