THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE FriesenPress, 2014 When Father Bao finds an abandoned newborn, shades of his own past come back to haunt him. While the police search for the child’s parents, Bao struggles with how to better serve his community, despite detractors from within his own parish. The gritty realities of urban life expose the hidden biases that threaten to tear his congregation and the community apart. In The Necessities of Life, Gordon Self reflects on contemporary social justice issues to tell a story of Vancouver’s troubled Downtown Eastside that glows with humanity, dignity, and compassion. Far from abandoning those in greatest need, Self shows how we each have a burden to bear, and that beyond social differences is a shared humanity that binds us together. |
“At times raw and shocking in its earthy realism, at other times moving and touching in its treatment of intimate human moments, this book will be a gripping read for the thinking soul."
Tim Frymire
Winnipeg, Manitoba
"In 'The Necessities of Life', author Gordon Self challenges readers to a deeper understanding of the complexity of the very real and raw personal issues in our communities – brilliantly weaving these with an invitation to check our own inner spiritual polarities. It is a powerful story of circumstances, values, moral judgments, ambiguities and unintended consequences."
Suzette Mackey
Edmonton, Alberta