Passport by Christopher Blunt

Published June 2008 by Pelican Crossing Press, 404 pages

reviewed by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Christopher Blunt describes his debut novel as a “coming-of-age story about a young Catholic man’s discovery of self-sacrificial love.” In this day and age, where self-centeredness, casual sex and “friends with benefits” are becoming the norm, Passport offers an important and timely message: that only in dying to ourselves can we truly love others and find meaningful happiness.

The book’s protagonist, Stan, is a likable fellow, but one who lacks direction and drive in his life. He is an average guy who is trying to live out his Catholic faith but who has not yet found a lifetime mate. After a lapse in judgment, Stan finds himself in the difficult and agonizing position of being torn between two women: one he cannot marry (but who needs him) and one who would be the ideal Catholic wife. Throughout the rest of the novel, we journey with Stan as he struggles to make selfless, albeit difficult and painful, choices.

Passport shows the growth of a man who strives to do the right thing, and shows that the struggle to live chastely does not end with marriage; it is simply lived out in a different way.

In a recent interview, the author states:

We usually think of a passport as something needed to cross an international border. In his homily at our wedding, the priest analogized marriage as being a “passport” to heaven. My passport is named Micki. My wife’s passport is named Chris. His point was that marriage is a school of self-giving, and of learning to sacrifice oneself for the members of one’s family. That process transforms a person into one who is capable of crossing the border into heaven at the end of his or her life. It took me many years to appreciate the truth of this analogy, and it is the biggest thing that Stan must learn as he grapples to reset the course of his life.

I most strongly recommend this book to Catholics in their twenties and thirties, although all people would find the story compelling. There are some romantic elements in the book, but this is decidedly not a romance novel in any traditional sense. As a woman, I enjoyed reading a story from a man’s perspective, especially the inner workings of a man’s mind regarding chastity and natural family planning. The author does an excellent job of incorporating teachings on both the indissolubility of marriage and natural family planning without being preachy. Blunt’s portrayal of family life is especially real, down to earth and believable as he describes attachment parenting, self-sufficient farming and home schooling.

Passport is an extraordinarily fine book and I would highly recommend it as it is easy to read, engaging, well-written and the characters are rich and well-developed. It was a joy to read such an uplifting story.