by Michael Popke
The Isthmus
December 3, 2015
Catholicism plays a central role in the debut novel from Madison author Margaret Goss, but readers need not share her beliefs in order to relate to The Uncommitted — a surprisingly dark tale of spiritual struggle.
Published by Three Towers Press in Milwaukee, this story set in St. Paul, Minn., contains references to such Madison institutions as UW Children’s Hospital (now American Family Children’s Hospital) and Culver’s, and revolves around Josephine Reilly, a 35-year-old mother of three who can communicate with the dead via dreams, visions and telepathy. While experimenting with what she initially considers a “gift,” she unlocks an invisible evil that threatens her family and drives her to the brink of self-destruction.
Beginning at about the halfway point, diligent readers will be able to put together some of the pieces and anticipate the book’s conclusion, but they should keep reading. An epic final scene set in a desolate Arizona cemetery attempts to bring closure; then Goss adds a provocative twist in the epilogue.
Read the full review at The Isthmus