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  • SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
    "Maguire is particularly good on the points of agreement in her two main characters' world views and the way that mutual desire starts to break down their hidebound convictions...Unlike most writers who take on overtly political subjects, she can dramatise ideological difference with realism and sympathy for all of the characters concerned."
  • AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW
    "Maguire is a master of her craft; her prose is sharp and full of imagery and her dialogue rings true."
  • BOOKMUNCH
    "With The Gospel According to Luke, Maguire has crafted an engrossing narrative of faith, fanaticism, and lust and love in the face of violence and adversity."
  • CANBERRA TIMES
    "There's an edginess to Maguire's prose, never forced, just right...Sexuality, abortion, gay rights; and fundamentalism's appeal in the face of them. Loneliness and insecurity. Violence, identity and long-term psychological harm. Maguire is adept at weaving these themes into her story, fitting all the bits together, and giving them bounce and life."
  • GOOD READING MAGAZINE
    "Emily Maguire...invites the reader to slide into the skins of her beautifully flawed characters and share in their human weaknesses. Be prepared to be absorbed; this is compelling storytelling."
  • KATHLEEN MITCHELL AWARD, SPECIAL COMMENDATION
    "Emily Maguire weaves a compelling love story into a narrative rich in social commentary."
  • STRAITS TIMES
    "Maguire...excels at painting sympathetic portraits of people caught in the vice of their passions."
  • THE AUSTRALIAN
    "[This] book asks important questions and there's more than enough fun between the covers to tempt the most jaded reader..."
  • THE AUSTRALIAN LITERARY REVIEW
    "Maguire is an energetic, often powerful writer who has once again shown us her hunger for more than most of us can chew comfortably."
  • THE BIG ISSUE (UK)
    "This suspense-fuelled tale becomes a deeper exploration of the strange places humans go to look for love."

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ALSO BY EMILY MAGUIRE

« CANBERRA TIMES | Main

The Gospel According to Luke
Straits Times, 13 May 2007

AUSTRALIAN author Emily Maguire follows up her impressive debut Taming The Beast (2005) with another psycho-sexual study.

While her first book dealt with an immature girl's response to a pivotal sexual initiation, this second book observes the impact of a love affair on two mature adults.

Aggie is the awkward activist and a counsellor at a sexual health clinic.

Enter Luke, devout pastor and leader of the Christian Revolution's new Youth Centre, which sets up shop right across the street.

These two opposites - left- wing liberal and right-wing conservative - attract. Complicating matters is teenager Honey, whose pregnancy incites an ethical tug-of-war between pro-choice Aggie and pro-life Luke.

What could have been a cheesy Mills & Boon romance is given depth and texture by Maguire, who excels at painting sympathetic portraits of people caught in the vise of their passions.

While Aggie and Luke are both convinced the other's position is wrong, they also recognise common ground in their compassion for fellow human beings.

This push-pull of conflicting religious and ethical beliefs is dramatised well and with great respect for both stances.

The result is a highly readable romance given added oomph by its consideration of socio-politics and religion in contemporary Australia.

If you like this, read: Taming The Beast (2005, $23.63 with GST, major bookstores), Maguire's tale of a 14-year-old girl seduced by her teacher.