Nudge

What an amazing book. For any of us who have wondered what it would be like if God tried to communicate directly with humanity in this time I think this book ticks all the boxes. For those of you who are not religious (amongst whom I include myself) don't be put off by the theme of the book it is not a religious book it is an amazingly well crafted and well researched novel that will get you hooked from the outset. It is about one woman's reaction to being involved with promoting the next chapter of the word of God, her anger, disbelief, fear etc. It really is a fantastic read.

This is Sandra Moran's second book and I have to say as equally entertaining, yet distinctly different from the first. The story is based on an unusual idea set in the modern world…a challenge of magnitude. Yet, it is beautifully woven with twists and turns from the past, an incongruous juxtaposition…yet highly believable. It's a long time since I stayed up into the wee small hours to finish a book - but this one was well an truly worth it. You keep writing them Ms Moran, and I'll keep reading them!

Sarah Sheppard is a highly successful marketing executive on the brink of achieving her goal of Partner at a high profile New York agency. An unexpected appointment with a strange middle-eastern looking gentleman throws her world into a tailspin when he asks her to leave her job, on the brink of her promotion, to work for his `employer'. The task - to edit an `Addendum' to the religious texts of the world and then lead the marketing team to spread the word.The combination of being an atheist and a healthy dose of New York cynicism obviously lead Sarah to make light of the offer. She doesn't believe in God so the whole thing must be some elaborate scam. But whether it is a practical joke or a way to undermine her don't matter as much as the fact that she is haunted by doubt about the consequences of signing the contract - should she call their bluff or play along?When she decides not to sign events will conspire to show her that ultimately she has no choice. Whoever or whatever wants her to work on this outlandish project has the power to make it happen. So reluctantly she ends up in upstate New York, working with a team of academics and scholars to write this "Addendum".As the politics and factions are revealed Sarah realizes she needs to look out for herself, and that no-one is quite who they claim to be.-------------Nudge is quite breathtaking. It isn't a romance like Ms Moran's first novel. In fact it is quite hard to know what to categorize it as - containing history, religion, social comment, perhaps even a political-religious treatise. More than anything it becomes a novel of suspense as we follow Sarah's fluctuating emotions and reactions to the information she is fed and the characters she interacts with.Sandra Moran's writing style is, once again, exquisite. The people who populate "Nudge" are deep, layered, multi-faceted, credible and wholly absorbing. Their interactions are both realistic and bizarre - again completely within the context of the story - if they weren't bizarre it wouldn't be realistic. These are characters you feel you know.The storyline itself is incredible - in both senses. The plot is highly unusual and literally `beyond-belief' in its concept of writing and marketing an addendum to the Bible, Qu'ran and Torah in order to challenge humanities current beliefs. And at the same time we must marvel at the amazing mind which created the idea.Full of an immense range of facts covering historical figures and faiths, incorporating everything from world events to art history, Ms Moran demonstrates a level of scholarly research and intellectual insight that is extremely rare in a novel.Whatever your creed, and however you react to the challenge that this book might pose to your beliefs, it is an interesting concept that must make us all at least consider the nature of faith and the God we believe in.At the same time it is an entertaining, educational and wholly spellbinding read. This is one of those times when you need 6 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual novel. The story's amusing beginning could be a set up for a popular joke, but Nudge turns out to be a serious, thought provoking, original theological/ philosophical study wrapped in the magic of a page turner. The parts I know (Judaism, Jeanne D'Arc) are accurate, as I'm certain the rest it. As a film Nudge would cross "DEFENDING YOUR LIFE," "OH, GOD" and a completely new genre a la Grand Moran.

There are few words that I can use to best describe this book .It is the first book that I have read by Sandra Moran and if "Letters Never Sent "is as amazing as this one then we have a literary GENIUS in our mists !!!!NUDGE is the story of Sara Sheppard and her new mission !!This story is for everyone who like to be challenged while reading ,it's one for the ages !!!!I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT ....

Let me first say the reason I gave it 4.5 stars and not 5. I got to the end of the book waiting for more. I was completely blown away at the end. It's like the movie you watch all the way through and get to the end and say, "this is it?" "Where's the tidy bow at the end?"I can't even imagine where a storyline like this comes from. I felt like I was reading a combination of The Twilight Zone meets the DaVinci Code meets Oh God. So bizarre and yet so mind boggling. The research that went into this book was phenomenal. The way the historical and religious data was woven together with the plot to keep the reader engrossed throughout the entire book was brilliant.Finally, even though the ending was not to my personal preference I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to step through the looking glass on a journey so bizarre it will stay with you long afterwards.

There aren't many minds that could have written this book. I looked at this story as it unfolded the same way I look at a masterful performance by Meryl Streep, with wonder at the fact that someone is able to do something like what I'm seeing. And the intelligence it took to write this book was intelligence that took a lifetime to collect.The people in this book are, for the most part, intelligent but they aren't always likeably intelligent. Sandra Moran was likeably intelligent in that she didn't make you feel ignorant for not knowing what she knew. She makes you want to learn what she knew.In an author, intelligence is most important to me. It doesn't have to be evident in each sentence or paragraph, but you know, by the way a story is told, that the author loves what she's telling you, so she does it lovingly.It's hard for me to say in this review, what the book is about. It's been described in other reviews here. All I can say is that if you love history and are interested in a non-judgemental view of religion, this is one of the few books you will ever have to read to get your fill. There is a mountain of history here, obviously carefully gathered. Also, get "The Addendum" as a companion piece to this story.This is a superb book.

Kudos to Ms Moran for writing the best book I have read in quite awhile. The content is nothing like I have ever read before. I will never look at religion the same ever again, nor will I take anything at face value again. Anything is possible. The writing is excellent and content in depth.. The research for this book had to have been exhausting. She dug deep and that is the sign of an excellent author. If you do not read this book, you are missing a gem of a story.

This was a fantastic book and I know it is one I will read again in the future - I think it could be like the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis; each time you read it you take away a little something more!By the time I reached page 5 I had laughed, scoffed and felt amazement at what this story was going to shape up to be - and that continued all the way through to the final words on the last page. This book totally had me on my toes and guessing with the turn of every page! I read the book in two settings, I couldn't put it down. I recommend this book to ANYONE looking for a book with a few good twists to it - it never crosses into suspense or mystery, it's a pleasant read for anyone because it draws on history, religion, modern-day plot lines and a sense of never knowing quite what to expect next! I don't know that this book neatly fits into any one genre, but it will definitely be a hit with people with a variety of reading passions.I rated this book 4 stars, because 4.5 wasn't available - and that is only because I felt the author's voice became apparent a few times which pulled me away from the characters' voices and storylines. These moments were minimal and probably not something many people would even think about - just my opinion. Don't hesitate to buy this book, you definitely won't regret it!

My first thought upon finishing this book was literally “WTF...but in a good way.” I think that encompasses this tale. I think it sped up too much at the end; the book focused on the ins and outs of momentous occasions and people in religious history, to the exclusion of the pacing of the actual sequence of events as experienced by the main character.Despite that, this proved to be a delightfully snarky tangent to each of those moments in history, and written so well that I may now go get the rest of Ms. Moran’s books.

I just finished reading Nudge and came away with a sense of disquiet, not totally believing that the story had actually ended. I kept expecting more. I guess I had totally bought into the story and was expecting pieces of THE ADDENDUM to be temptingly added so I would be a more than willing buyer of the new book. I would definitely recommend this to any and all readers. I also came away wanting to do my own followup research into the lives of the historical figures presented. Some things I already knew, while other facts intrigued me and I wanted to learn more!

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! There is just no other way to describe this novel or even the concept of this written work. The amount of creativity, research and knowledge that Sandra Moran poured into this book is astounding. This amazing book will long remain in the minds of readers. Each page continues to surprise and amaze the reader. Not only have I had the distinct pleasure of being totally engrossed in this stunning work, I have also learned a great deal about religion and the related history that has formed our beliefs (or non beliefs). I want to thank Ms. Moran once again for sharing her gifted talents with the world by presenting such a provocative and enlightening subject in an intelligent and suspenseful manner. I cannot wait to see where her mind will transport us next.

Let me start off by saying this book will NOT shove religion down your throat. Yes, it has religious aspects but not in the way you are thinking. I was very hesitant to read this book because that is exactly what I thought it was about. I gave it a chance because of all the wonderful reviews and I am so glad I did!! Ms. Moran took facts from the past and twisted them in her own way to make a wonderfully suspenseful novel. I was pulled in right from the start and couldn't wait to find out what happened. The writing is excellent!! I am not a history buff either, but the content in the book left me wanting to learn more. It has been three weeks since I finished the book and I am STILL thinking about it. You will NOT regret this purchase. Do yourself a favor and get this book... then sit down with a drink you won't mind ignoring because once you start reading you won't want to stop!!

Nudge is a fictional journey into the origins and meaning of faith. It is a unique and richly woven account of an atheist woman, named Sarah Sheppard, who is chosen by God to write and market an Addendum to the world's religious texts. Through this process she is educated by scholars and theologians about historical people, facts, events, cultures, and societies that greatly influenced or established religious foundations. Sarah Sheppard's resulting personal inquiry into faith mirrors the questions that have pervaded the hearts and minds of all humans of all times, namely; Is there a divine power, and if so, what justifies or substantiates that belief? Author Sandra Moran skillfully blends factual and historical information into fictional narrative and attains an end result that will make you examine your own religious convictions. Ms. Moran's unique writing style meticulously weaves together story lines, time frames, and characters into a story that will resonate with people of all ages and religious affiliation. After reading Nudge, I shared the book with my 18 and 22 year old sons and their former high school AP Literature\ AP Comp teacher. Nudge is a perfect book to debate and discuss in the classroom, with family, and friends. It is also a book to ponder in the solitude of your own heart. As an avid reader of all genres, Nudge comes with my highest recommendation.

First of all, here's the brief summary version of my review: Nudge by Sandra Moran was a really good book and I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who enjoyed her first novel (Letters Never Sent), American Gods by Neil Gaiman, the ITV television series The Second Coming, or really anything examining the shared human experience and search for a meaning greater than ourselves. Even though its subject matter could be perceived as potentially divisive, I have no trouble recommending Nudge to anyone--atheist, agnostic, or any creed under the sun. Everyone can get something from Nudge.I'm not going to spoil anything in the novel by revealing anything more than the plot summary above, so in the broadest possible terms this book contains:Very recognizable human characters with complex and realistic relationships to both themselves and others.Big questions about human history, the universe, reality, and our own conceptions about them and ourselves.And finally, answers to the aforementioned questions that make us wonder, "Wait, were those the right questions to begin with?"The author has obviously put a lot of thought into the the central concept of the book and it shows, along with her training as an anthropologist. She gives a lot of attention to the universal (or near universal) things that have made us human--from the search for love and connection to other people, to the search for meaning and reason in the universe. She's also obviously done significant research into the history of religion, and the context in which that history took place. For example, her discussion of the circumstances surrounding Joan of Arc is as good a short summary of the time period in question as I've ever read.So, for anyone who found the plot summary even a little interesting, I highly recommend picking it up. The central conceit is really inventive and interesting, and at no point does the writing or characterization fall short. I, for one, would dearly love the author to expand on the world, characters and concepts she's introduced in Nudge, so:Reading Nudge by Sandra Moran: Five Stars.

It's a rare treat to come across a novel as unique as Nudge. I kept thinking about it before I had a chance to delve into Sandra's 2nd published novel. Her first book was utterly charming with an ending that leaves the reader smiling. The second one left me wishing that she was still with us so I could ask her a million questions the may never be answered until I follow her to the other side of the veil we call life. Reading Nudge cannot help but leave you changed. The only question is what you will do with the paradigm shift that results.

I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual novel. The story's amusing beginning could be a set up for a popular joke, but Nudge turns out to be a serious, thought provoking, original theological/ philosophical study wrapped in the magic of a page turner. The parts I know (Judaism, Jeanne D'Arc) are accurate, as I'm certain the rest it. As a film Nudge would cross "DEFENDING YOUR LIFE," "OH, GOD" and a completely new genre a la Grand Moran.

Every once in a while a novel hits you in the gut. It's rare. I mean it really hits you and makes you think.... That's right... Makes you think. This is that novel. This had me in tears, laughs, cringes, hopefulness, I swear the emotions are all over the place. The Prolog alone had me thinking what the heck... It takes a lot of guts to write this. Sandra is incredibly talented. And considering where she is right now it makes me really p'o'ed at 'GOD' or 'Infinity' or whoever. She is such a gentle soul. How could he/she let this happen? Sandra if your listening, we love you. And we want you to fight.

Faith is a powerful reoccurring theme in Nudge written by Sandra Moran. Faith in a higher power, faith in humanity, and faith in self are all put to the test in this well crafted tale that leads readers to examine their own lives and question their own reality. I often am leery about literature related to religion, but Ms. Moran's commitment to research and scholarship, and her overarching respect for religious systems was evident on every page.This story is not what I had envisioned-- it was so much more. Take a chance on this story. You won't regret it!