Loretto
Book Review #12
I feel like I’m late to the party, given the already excellent reviews from Janine Eaby and Jeffrey Cummins.
Loretto is a novella written by Gabriel Maestas. Much like The Healing Pool, it takes place in New Mexico and features multiple timelines woven into a single narrative.
The plot fixates upon the Miracle Stair, a mysteriously built and curiously designed stairway in a small chapel in Santa Fe. This part of the story is not fiction, and in fact it was part of an Unsolved Mysteries episode (season 3, episode 10.)
Now I have been reassured by several atheists that the fact that this stairway has 33 stairs and that Jesus is widely accepted to have been 33 when he died on the cross is entirely a coincidence. What do you think?
Time Will Tell
Although novellas are short, Gabriel makes room for multiple timelines and uses them to show both the impact of choices as well as the timeless quality of inspiration.
A single staircase, in a single chapel, in a single city can awaken the truth within anyone willing to take a leap of faith with a single step.
Someday we will be the past, so the future is relying on the choices we make in the present.
If our choices today affect the future for ourselves and others, how do we know what the right choice is?
Stairway to Heaven
The miracle staircase of Loretto always reminds me of the story of Jesus feeding the multitude. He fed everyone with what he had. There’s no version of the story (that I’ve heard) where he says there’s not enough food to go around.
My grandmother used to always tell me that that story meant to be giving, and by sharing joy the good in the world is multiplied; helping others doesn’t diminish one’s light, it expands it.
Another way to understand it is the perseverance of faith no matter the conditions life might throw at you.
The Miraculous Stair at Loretto is not just a mystery of its construction but also of engineering. How can a stairway fit in such a small space? How can it support itself without a central column?
The railings are the support, much like the devotion and faith that guide both protagonists from sin to salvation.
Managing Expectations
Instead of writing this section: I agree with the setting expectations section Janine Eaby wrote in her review.
Inside the Author’s Studio
Gabriel Maestas is a longtime reading enthusiast and lover of all entertaining stories. He writes creative content that will thrill, inspire, frighten, touch our souls, and remind us how important books truly are.
To find out more about Gabriel and his writing, checkout gabrielmaestasreads.com
Where to Find Loretto
Book Blurb
There’s a lot of charm in New Mexico, and much of it leaves people surprisingly breathless. From unbelievable sunsets to a rich history filled with conflict, peace, and celebration. This incredible land has wonder, heart, depth, and a timeless bounty of mystery. One of the greatest elements of the Land of Enchantment: the unexplainable. There are places and mysteries and miracles in the great state, and Loretto takes us on an incredible journey to the Wild West…
Excellent review!
Thanks for the outstanding review!!