Regina Doman wrote an essay in 2005 called “Harry Potter for Catholics?”. This eloquent defense of Ms. Rowling’s books, coming as it did in the wake of the supposed condemnation of Ms. Rowling’s books by the Pope, was a watershed event in keeping Harry off many parishes’ unofficial but very real list of Proscribed Books. Now she has written an intensely personal review of Deathly Hallows for Sean Dailey of the Blue Boar weBlog. Knowing that I was eager to read what she thought of the last book, Mrs. Doman sent me a copy of this letter to post here as well.
Ms. Rowling said in an interview post Goblet of Fire that she was gratified to learn that her books had become some comfort to those grieving the death of a loved one. I had forgotten her comment but, after reading the finish of Deathly Hallows and Mrs. Doman’s note of her experience reading the book, I doubt I will ever neglect the importance of grief, solace, and Ms. Rowling’s faith in the creation of Deathly Hallows specifically and the Harry Potter books in general.
Dear Sean,
I’d heard before that J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books are a reflection on death, and that the author had suffered the loss of her own mother suddenly while working on the writing, an event which influenced the books’ subject and death. But I guess I wasn’t expecting to find the last book healing to me, having lost my son. [Read more…]
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