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“AN IMPORTANT BOOK, taking on spirituality and homosexuality, the teachings of the Catholic Church and the idealism and dreams of a gay generation that yearns for more than just parades, pride and bars. . . . Seventy Times Seven outlines the tragic anachronism of the Catholic Church and most of the Christian faith, just as it reveals the spiritual gifts of being gay, and the insight that embracing ourselves and our own truth—even if it leaves us shunned by the church—is what the spirit ultimately calls us to do. THIS BOOK IS A VICTORY FOR THE GAY SPIRIT.” - Trebor Healey, author of Through It Came Bright Colors
“DEEPLY MOVING AND REVERENT, Sapienza’s novel is the perfect dose of medicine for anyone whose faith has attacked his spirit on the basis of his sexuality. Sapienza plucks the heart from his reader, graces it with the fires both of bodily desire and spiritual devotion, and tucks it back in place with the assurance that it’s perfectly okay to be both gay, and a person of faith.” - EDGE New York “EROTIC, ILLUMINATING, INTIMATE, AND WITTY, this book reconciles two worlds: sexuality and spirituality. Blessed with epiphanies, the protagonist Vito chooses to celebrate his desire, reminiscent of Whitman's Song of Myself. Sapienza's candor and his unstuffy prose make Seventy Times Seven a believable story of salvation, worthy of being read nonstop.” - Scott Bailey, author of Hide-n-Seek and The Hairy Legs of God
“AN INTRIGUING LOOK INTO CURRENT-DAY RELIGIOUS LIFE. . . . The story of a young Catholic Teaching Brother realizing the true meaning of serving others and loving life, Seventy Times Seven is READABLE AND ENTERTAINING, with just the right twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed. I enjoyed this book. It touched parts of my own heart and spirit.”
“Books are supposed to take us to extraordinary places and inside unusual situations and Sapienza's Seventy Times Seventy did exactly that for me. Kind of like spending time with Tibetans on the moon. Yet the author makes Vito Fortunato's life and his conflicts REAL, PRESENT and IMPORTANT. This book seems ESPECIALLY RECOMMENDABLE TO YOUNGER GLBTs, and really to anyone struggling with the antithesises between being spiritual and being gay.” - Felice Picano, author of The Lure, Like People in History, The Joy of Gay Sex and The Book of Lies
“An EASY, ENJOYABLE read that also struck a resonant cord deep within me. As having been part of the Roman Catholic clerical system, I found the story of Vito not to be all that uncommon. This story once again points out the uselessness and waste of an antiquated celibacy system that is better left to the dust heap of history. The story tells about the waste that the Church creates by keeping its clerical members separated from the gift of human, intimate love, and I found myself rooting for Vito to grab life with all the gusto he could manage.” - Reverend Bruce J. Simpson, author of The Gay Face of God
“OUTSTANDING first novel looks at life, love and religion. A REMARKABLY INTELLIGENT, poignant, sexy, amusing, romantic and entertaining tale for all, which also brilliantly illustrates and analyzes some of the dilemmas facing the Catholic Church (and religions in general) trying to be relevant and supportive in today's world.” - Amazon
“Billed as the story of a young gay religious brother’s crisis of faith as he prepares to make his final vows, the triumph of the tale lies in the charming voice of the main character and the message that being true to himself requires reconciling his spiritual and sexual selves rather than denying one or the other. Sapienza establishes his setting well, using pop culture and the advancing AIDS crisis as backdrops. The author’s evenhanded criticism of Catholic doctrine and his candid portrayal of the joys of faith and of gay life are also strengths of the novel. One of our Top 5 books of 2008. “ - UP Reviews
“A humorous, heartwarming romantic tale that relates a clever story of gay romance within the Church and its accompanying guilt and need for self-forgiveness. This intriguing romantic work of fiction, set in the early 1990s, bridges the gap between sexuality and spirituality with constant references to both holy scripture and song lyrics from such gender-bending artists as Madonna and Prince. Filled with wit, wisdom and cautious irreverence, Sapienza playfully exposes the tragic duplicity of a doctrine that instructs people to embrace themselves and their truth even as it actively shuns and persecutes those who are gay, lesbian or transgender. It offers hope to those who have been alienated, confused and/or scared off by a rejecting faith and its backward-thinking hierarchy. Best of all, it offers the seldom considered choice of living an authentic life while maintaining a close, everdeepening relationship with a God who loves all of his children unconditionally. If you haven’t yet picked up a copy of Seventy Times Seven, do yourself a favor and put this one on your wish list. It’s a read that will make a difference in your life, I promise you.” — Gay Chicago Magazine |
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Seventy Times Seven |
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“A very intelligent book, asking all the right questions, yet very amusing with a few laugh out loud moments and dare I say some very sexy scenes thrown in for good measure, proving that you don’t need to be a believer to enjoy reading this book.” - ScotsGay Magazine (Scotland) |
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“Very few recent books excite me as much as Seventy Times Seven. It's A GREAT STORY about a Catholic brother, on the eve of taking his final vows, who has to decide between his secular gay life versus his religious life (or whether or not the two can be joined). This book takes place in the early 1990s and Sapienza paints that period by using numerous pop culture references to ground the story: Madonna's Sex book, Sinead O'Conner ripping the Pope's photo on Saturday Night Live, rumors about George Michael, etc. The book is an AMAZING JOURNEY that also does a great job of exploring the conflict between faith and feelings, how one can devote himself solely to his religion, and other details in a way that non-Catholics could understand.” – Richard Andreoli, author of MondoHomo
“Seventy Times
Seven is A MUST READ for many reasons. Author Salvatore
Sapienza has crafted a TRULY ABSORBING STORY of one young man’s struggle with
convictions and desires, set against the backdrop of the Catholic church.
The subject matter certainly is familiar in today’s climate, but
Sapienza’s use of it is a refreshing break from the routine headlines we have
been desensitized to nowadays. Partly based on biographical details, Seventy Times Seven takes us into the life of a young man about to take his vows as
a priest, when he comes face to face with his own sexuality, and cannot
reconcile the two for everyone in his orbit, although he himself is very much
at ease with who and what he is. What makes this novel so important is
that it shines a light on how the meeting of two worlds can be
“Sapienza writes in a unique style that brings out the sentiment and honesty of the modern times that can often conflict with archaic traditions. By using quotes from popular songs, transfused with biblical messages, he poignantly and carefully captures the essence of a young man who clings desperately to a tradition that is slowly fading. Sapienza captures this journey and lets us know that no matter what we choose to do with our souls, we will be alright. A message that is both comforting and sometimes lost in the Catholic world of apparitions and visions, saints and miscreants.”
“An enjoyable and touching story. Sapienza, himself a former Catholic Brother, obviously has an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter -- both the teachings of the Catholic Church and the struggle to integrate Christian beliefs with gay sexual desires -- and it is because of his knowledge that the story comes off seeming so real. This is not a story about a closeted priest who struggles to accept his sexuality; it is a love story, and more importantly, a story about finding dignity, and embracing ourselves. The love story that develops between Vito and Gabriel is touching and a pleasure to read. “ - Alan Chin, author of Island Song
“I cannot say enough good things about this book. I loved Vito from the time I first met him until the time the story ended. I actually cried. Kudos to Sapienza for an awesome book. 5 out 5 stars. “- Rainbow Reviews
“The most striking thing about his writing is Sapienza’s obvious affection for the characters he created. Gabriel is awkward as a bag of elbows, unsubtle, blunt, rough around the edges, but imbued with a haunting loneliness and generosity through which it’s easy to believe God might be speaking. As a believer, Vito’s struggle is not between faith and faithlessness, but rather with discerning what faith demands of him; yet he never loses a sense of self-deprecating humor. In the end, the chorus of sympathetic Catholics that make up this book’s cast is both novel and affecting, and Sapienza—himself a former Marist brother—gives us a peek into a world most gay people deliberately (and with some reason) avoid.” - Scott Pomfret, author of Since My Last Confession |