Begotten Not Made


Fiction - Literary
340 Pages
Reviewed on 06/05/2019
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Begotten Not Made is a work of quirky and conceptual literary fiction penned by author Conal Creedon. Set in the rocky Irish scenery of a monastery and a convent, this sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant work explores the nature of love and relationships against a backdrop of Catholicism and the exploration of the miracle of Jesus’s conception. At its heart, the tale concerns Brother Scully, who looks out from his monastic tower to the window of Sister Claire at the convent, a woman he barely knows but is certain that he loves. When Sister Claire is not at her window for the first time in fifty years, Scully embarks on his own mission to act at last.

For readers who enjoy fully realized, unusual lead characters, look no further than Brother Scully for your enjoyment. Author Conal Creedon has created what feels like a real person, on whose shoulders we sit as the narration takes us deep into his life and work, his philosophy and his sense of love in moments which are both moving, bizarre and very amusing at times. The harsh backdrop of Irish life clashes beautifully with concepts of heavenly and mortal love, miracles and strange appearances, painting a world which is ethereal in its fairy tale moments yet painfully recognizable and relatable too. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic dialogue, as its pacing really moves scenes along. Overall, Begotten Not Made is a highly recommended read for literary fiction fans searching for truly unusual books that keep you thinking long after the last page is turned.