The Abstinence Teacher: A Novel

Ruth is a sex-ed teacher in a small town that is becoming more and more Christian with every passing day. During class, Ruth says that some people may enjoy oral sex, and this triggers the school board to take an abstinence only approach to sex-ed. Ruth is feeling powerless and frustrated by this, so when she sees her daughter's soccer coach, Tim, doing a group prayer with the kids, she gets livid. Tim, a born again Christian and former drug addict, feels like there is something missing in his life. His encounter with Ruth leaves him feeling confused by his attraction to her. The Abstinence Teacher examines how evangelical Christianity influences the town and its residents.

The premise on which this novel is based evokes some strong feelings in a lot of people. I liked the slightly controversial nature to the story, but I felt like the author could have been a little bolder about it. The novel started off strongly with its introduction of Ruth because it presented her as a strong woman who was still aware of her sexual appeal even after her divorce. I really liked these qualities. The contrasting views that each character had on the subject of Christianity and what part it should play in life was presented well, and I thought fairly. There was good amount of humor added in to keep the story interesting rather than overly serious.

At the beginning, I felt that Perrotta had a clear vision and a strong direction regarding the points he wanted to make in the novel. As the novel progressed though, I felt that he lost his momentum a bit. The insightful, sometimes comical observations that Perrotta made were broken up by scenes describing soccer games that Ruth's daughter played in and Tim coached which I found to get rather dull. I also became a little frustrated by the character's inability to clearly see what the problems in their lives were and react appropriately. I suppose that is realistic because it's hard to be objective about your own life, but it was irritating none the less to watch particularly Tim make decisions that in no way would help his situation.

The ending felt like a compromise to me. It seemed to me that there was a lot more that Perrotta may have wanted to say through his characters, but for whatever reason he toned it down to a milder version. Ruth seemed so strong in her convictions at the start, but by the end she lost the unyielding strength that I so admired. I really had hoped for a more potent, aggressive message. The message I did take away from it was a weak one about not forcing one's views on others. I'd still recommend reading it, but go into it without expectations because they probably wouldn't be met anyway.

When Ruth Ramsey, a high school sex education teacher in a small community promotes safe sex in her class, she inadvertently offends the local evangelical church. To appease the church, the school decides to replace the current curriculum with one that focuses upon abstinence. Tim Mason, a member of the church and Ruth's daughter's soccer coach, leads the team in a prayer following a game one day, thus infuriating Ruth. What begin as innocent actions quickly unravel the town's tenuous harmony placing Ruth and Tim in the roles of reluctant adversaries, until they have the opportunity to get to know each other.

In The Abstinence Teacher, Tom Perrotta examines the complexity of family relationships while also exploring the ways in which we can inadvertently violate the beliefs of others when we do not reflect upon our own behaviour. His ability to delve into the lives of ordinary people provides a refreshing depth to the characters in this particular novel while helping the reader to understand the motivation for each character's actions. Perhaps most gratifying is his ability to allow the story to remain complicated and somewhat incomplete in a way that is reminiscent of the "real world".

The Abstinence Teacher is a truly enjoyable read which will make you think about the relationships in your own life and the impact of your choices on those around you.

This book is an enjoyable read, filled with lots of humour and intelligence. The book revolves around two main characters - Ruth who is a middle-aged single mother of two, a sex-ed teacher at the local high school, who has issues with organized religion. The other character is Tim, a "born again" christian. a former drug-addict who has found religion and trying to turn his life around. The two clash, but the book is more about human nature and the need to feel acceptance by others in your life, while standing up for what you believe in. This is the first novel I've read from Tom Perrotta. I will check-out his other books now that I've read this one. He is an excellent writer, that gives a lot of insight to human nature with humour and fun. A very good book.

The set up for this book leaves you thinking you're in for something comedic, perhaps, or scathingly full of social commentary. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the book delivered much more.

Both Ruth and Tim are characters that get under your skin - even when you completely disagree with their very human choices, you can't help but feel for their situation. Ruth is a single mother doing the best she can - and forced to compromise her principles. Tim is a man struggling to be better than he feels he might be - and second guessing the force that brought him out of the dark. Together, they're a dynamic read.

And the social commentary is there, tucked between layers of wit and gentle bits of humour sure to please lovers of fiction and softer satire both.