Proof of Heaven

Colm is a little boy who is dying. He knows it. His mother knows it. His doctor knows it. Coming to terms with this knowledge, Colm tries to placate his mother by pretending to believe in the healing powers of faith that she believes in. But he grows tired, physically and mentally. It is time for Colm to tell his mother the truth: There is no God and there is no life after death.

In Mary Curran-Hackett’s “Proof of Heaven,” a little boy is trying to deal with a very grown-up problem of facing his own mortality. He knows he is going to die but he has one mission on this earth that he would like to fulfill before his life ends and that is to meet his father. He knows it will hurt his mother if he tells her this, so he does his best to do this on his own.

With the help of his Uncle Sean and his doctor, he is confident that he will be able to find his father and gently break the news to his mother of his impending death. While Colm’s mother, Cathleen will stop at nothing to save her son. Her faith in God is unwaivering, as is her faith in their doctor and new friend, Dr. Basu. She knows that there is a way to heal her young son and restore his health so that he can grow up with her.

This book asks questions about love, death, and the afterlife. It is an exploration of the unbreakable bond of mother and child. It is about what makes a family. Most of all, this book is a journey about faith. It is about the different phases of faith in people’s lives. There are many ways to exhibit faith, whether it be through the ritual of religion, whether it be through science, or whether it is simply through the faith we have in our friends and family. This book is a reconnaissance of faith in all of it’s facets.

This is Curran-Hackett’s debut novel. She uses experiences from her own life to paint a very real picture of a boy and his mother who seem to be out of hope, but are never out of faith.