Description
If you enjoy medical drama, you’ll love For the Love of God, a novel that accurately depicts what happens when a cult denies sick children lifesaving medical care.
While this is fiction, the novel shows practices that continue to this day.
An incidental and shocking discovery of a cave with tiny unmarked graves shatters the peace of Exton, a small town in upstate N.Y.
More horrifying is the forensic analysis that reveals that these young children died needlessly as the result of neglect and abuse at the hands of a religious fundamentalist cult that disavows medical care.
Fundamentalists and their political action groups come to the defense of the cult and the parents of the dead children setting the stage for the final courtroom clash to come.
The sheriff, an investigative reporter, the local coroner and two forensic experts from Albany develop the case. When the county DA, a fundamentalist, resists vigorous prosecution, the Governor of New York intervenes and appoints Rosemary and Calvin Brandt to represent the State and speak for the dead children. These controversial attorneys and former fundamentalists have devoted their lives to the protection of children.
The final courtroom clash sets freedom of religion against the State’s responsibility to protect innocent children.
Review
This thriller tackles some very difficult and controversial material. Writing about religion and politics is always going to be hard as you cannot please everyone but I think Gold tackles a lot of the issues with sensitivity and sincerity. Reading this book I did not feel Christianity, religion or spiritual beliefs were on trial but the best for those who are dependent on others to choose their welfare. The issues are deep.
This is a tough read as it deals with deaths of children, babies and abortion. The story comes to a crescendo once we are in the court room and the surprises keep coming. The character Daniel Zimmer is on trial and is malevolent in this book which I class as one of the most gripping reads for me this year.
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