Rachel Basch

The Passion of Reverend Nash

In the vein of Gail Godwin's Evensong, a powerful novel that explores faith and sisterhood in small-town New England.

Reverend Jordanna Nash is the "dangerously tall," bicycle-riding, female minister who commands the pulpit of Hutchinson Congregational Church. She came to this Connecticut town where her sister and four nephews live in an attempt to escape the loss of her own two babies, as well as to distance herself from her faltering marriage. If Jordanna's personal life is cursed, her professional life is, seemingly, blessed—her congregation cherishes her dynamic presence in their community. But when a depressed young mother she's been counseling suddenly disappears and a member of the church youth group gets pregnant, Jordanna's faith in God and in herself is profoundly shaken.

A novel about the role of faith in contemporary life, The Passion of Reverend Nash tells the story of a wounded healer who must make sense of her own grief if she is to continue caring for her flock. As Jordanna struggles to render meaning from loss, readers of her story will be taken on an unforgettable spiritual journey.