Kristy Kiernan's Matters of Faith takes us inside a family whose little girl has profound food allergies, a growing condition among our nation's children. My grandson has very severe allergies. He is allergic to dog fur and to many foods and chemicals. "Matters of Faith" educates those who skoff at these conditions with the reality of life for a child facing these challenges.

The child, Meghan, is narrated as an outsider at her school. I would have liked to see some scenes with the child experiences not filtered through her controlling mother's viewpoint.

An older son, Marshall, has been seeking his way through world religions, to the pride of his mom, Chloe, and the frustration of his fisherman father, Cal.

Once Kiernan mixes in a religious girlfriend (Ada) on a college break with Marshall, things get complicated, from Chloe's initial fears of seeing her son grow up to Meghan's hero-worship of the other girl. Ada believes in the power of prayer for healing, so she says.

The book moves right along, provides many complications, and some good local color. I would have liked to read another 100 or so pages to get the full understanding of who Ada is and what her motives with Marshall are.