Synopsis
In this luminescent memoir Dean Leo, a raconteur for God, charmingly threads a serendipitous line between the reverent and irreverent. Exits and Entrances catches a glimpse of one man's working faith. We see a young man, surprising even himself by blurting out in public his intent to enter the priesthood. We see a wounded priest ministering to a dear friend at the time of death. We see a workaday priest caught up in the pomp and intrigue of the funeral of the Duchess of Windsor. We see a faithful servant reaching out to casual acquaintances met mall walking. We share his memories of several faith communities including two great Cathedrals. As we see him reminisce and explore his life and faith, we gain insight into our own life decisions and faith experiences.BOOK REVIEWAlthough I had not intended to do so, I read every word of Exits and Entrances over the past weekend, finishing it in the night by kerosene lantern. It is a charming work. Author James Leo writes with an engaging and fluent style and the incidents which he chose to include from his eventful life were wisely selected. Often the problem with memoirs is that the author tries to cover everything and much of it isn't of interest to anyone else. The author does not do that. His story about his pastoral call paralleled my own (though my moment of realization was not in Hartford as an insurance company, but in Columbus in a department store)and I cackled at the tale of taking his family to the by-the-hour-hotel in France. I'm not much of a royalty buff, but I found myself reading with interest the chapter about The Dutchess of Windsor and Queen Elizabeth. I appreciated the author's insight into the character of Bishop Herbert Thompson, a man whom I had known only slightly, and as a regular worshiper at Christ Church Cathedral these days, I was grateful for some of the history of the congregation that was included. The
About the Author
James Leo grew up in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Bucknell University and served two years in the United States Army. Following a brief stint at an insurance company, he entered The General Seminary in New York City and became an Episcopal priest in 1962. After serving parishes in Pennsylvania and New York, he became Dean of The American Cathedral in Paris, France, for eleven years. He returned to the United States where he served as Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati, Ohio. He retired in 1998. He and his wife Patsy reside in Cincinnati. They have two sons and five grandchildren.
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