THESE THY GIFTS
Enter the world of Father Steven Trimboli,
Book Summary →
THESE THY GIFTS
Enter the world of Father Steven Trimboli, an activist priest who fights for justice against immigrant discrimination and labor disputes in the 1960s. However, his struggle with the hierarchy leads to an insurmountable task – building a church in a remote area where he feels like a fish out of water. After surviving a fire, he finds comfort in a woman, but their moment of mutual passion has disastrous consequences.
As he seeks atonement, Father Trimboli becomes a chaplain in Vietnam, facing danger and struggling to maintain his faith in the face of adversity. Despite years of service and degradation, he finally receives the promotion he deserves – Monsignor and a parish of his own. However, his faith is tested once again when he confronts the darkest secrets of sexual abuse that bring him face-to-face with the devastating truth – that those children trust most, the church, can also betray them.
These Thy Gifts is a powerful and timely story that sheds light on the struggles Catholics face today. Join Father Trimboli on a journey through 50 years of his life – from the streets of Brooklyn to the jungles of Vietnam and beyond. Follow his unique perspective as an Army Chaplain and pastor, and be inspired by his unwavering fight for justice, faithfulness, and standing up for the oppressed.
These Thy Gifts will take you on a remarkable journey of resilience in love that goes beyond religion and glory days – a story that will inspire and move you.
What readers say about the book🧐
This is a very well-written story, and engaging from start to finish.Billed as a love story, it’s also man-against-system, a tale of a Catholic priest with a strong humanist bent trying to do the right thing within the structure of a corrupt organization.It’s said that two hands working will do more than a thousand clasped in prayer, and I don’t think it’s coincidental that the hands on the book’s cover art are in a position that could be interpreted a number of ways, from adoration to despair. Steve Trimboli, our main character, is a priest and no stranger to prayer, but also certainly not shy of getting his hands dirty when it comes to practical matters. While the book does contain murders, arsons, rapes, and other crimes, it should be noted however that Trimboli is—for all his worldiness—not an action hero, even during his stint in Vietnam, making him quite a refreshing protagonist in some ways.Guilt is, of course, a theme throughout, but to me it wasn’t overbearing or even the main thrust of the story.If I have any criticism at all (and I usually try to find at least something positive and something negative to say about books I review; naturally some books make one of those more difficult than the other), it is that most of the main female characters are close to interchangeable in personality. This is well-lampshaded, with characters themselves remarking on the likenesses, of how they are all of them the same.I’d mention that this book should appeal to Catholics, other religious believers, and atheists alike. I fall into the latter category myself.All in all, I’d highly recommend this book to anyone.
Anastasia Styles
About the Author →
Vincent Panettiere
VINCENT PANETTIERE
Biography
Vincent Panettiere was not born in a trunk at the Princess Theatre in Pocatello, Idaho, but in Brooklyn, NY.
He graduated from St. John’s University and went to graduate school at Boston University. After college he became a sports writer for the wire service United Press International (UPI) and later wrote for the Boston Herald, a major daily newspaper in that city before Rupert Murdochized it.
After holding executive positions at Westinghouse Broadcasting, CBS and Xerox he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a screen writer. Four of his scripts were optioned but not produced, one by Twentieth Century Fox and the others by now-defunct production companies.
He became a licensed and bonded literary agent representing writers and directors in television and films. He made deals for writers and directors on TV series, including Xena, The Untouchables and Babylon 5. He was also instrumental in the production of two independent feature films and the sale of numerous indie/MOW film scripts.
During the same time, Panettiere was certified by the Major League Baseball Players Association to serve as an agent for major league and professional baseball players. Clients he represented played in the major leagues for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals.
Objecting to the standard means of financing independent films, Panettiere sought non-traditional funding for his writer/director clients. His journey through the murky world of cyberspace was chronicled in his first book The Internet Financing Illusion published in 2007.
Next, Panettiere turned to fiction. In A Woman to Blame, Panettiere created the character of Chicago police detective Mike Hegan. This was followed by These Thy Gifts, a second novel featuring Hegan, The Scopas Factor and his latest, The Music of Women.
There is more information on Panettiere and his books on the website www.vincentpanettiere.com.
He continues to live in Los Angeles and has eaten dinner in Pocatello, Idaho.