Lilli’s Question by Michael O’Neill

A fulfilling narrative about one man’s search for deeper meaning in his vocation

Lilli’s Question tells the story of Jim McGann, a young man who plans to enter the priesthood but begins to question his path after a chance encounter while traveling in Europe. A story with heartfelt and poignant moments galore, Jim’s spiritual journey spans decades and yields plenty of surprises.

Jim McGann is on a bus ride from Cologne to Barcelona when he encounters the lovely Lilli. Lilli seeks an engaging conversation and believes that Jim can provide it, so the pair commence a diverse discussion covering topics from relationships to politics to Lilli’s youth spent in Europe. The conversation proves engaging enough to Lilli that she asks to tag along as Jim travels from Barcelona to Madrid. 

While nothing overtly romantic occurs between Lilli and Jim, there is a perceptible attraction between the two. But the spark appears to be extinguished when Jim reveals his plans to enter the priesthood, and Lilli is perplexed if not downhearted.

During his priesthood, Jim faces his fair share of moments that test his faith in his calling. In 1970, news arrives of his brother’s untimely death while serving in Vietnam. While Jim becomes the rock for his family, the senselessness of his sibling’s passing shakes Jim to his core. 

Jim attempts to cope with his grief by maintaining a stoic nature, but to no avail, as he nearly comes unglued during the funeral service. Jim’s brethren in the clergy urge him to take some time away from the church and give himself time for self-reflection. A friend and colleague suggests a retreat to the desert where Jim can use the solitude to commune with God and nature.

The next test of Jim’s allegiance to the cloth comes from a soulful waitress named Sally. Sally shows Jim the importance of meditation and how to learn to forgive yourself. Jim disaplys a pure and unsullied love with Sally, but they both know that, despite some misgivings, Jim is a natural priest meant for great things in the church. Jim’s future looks bright, but his frame of mind could be upended by the niggling doubt that harken back to the question posed by Lilli: “Why be a priest?”

Lilli’s Question is an emotional and inspiring story about a man who experiences a recurring existential crisis in his profession. Jim McGann is a devout and often selfless man who desires to serve God and does so in exemplary ways. Readers drawn to the ministry—whether in vocation or interest—will love the direction of this narrative.

The challenges to his devotion are authentic and poignant, especially when it comes to sacrificing love for his service to God. The early dynamic between Lilli and Jim evokes memories of the movie Before Sunrise, a genuine magnetism developing between the young man and woman, before Jim’s revelation abruptly pulls the plug. 

Author Michael O’Neill has written this book with exactly the right amount of emotion, conveying the vulnerability of his characters without allowing the moment to become overwrought. Lilli’s Question is a thoughtful, introspective novel that will absorb those readers fascinated by life’s biggest questions.