I laughed and cried my way through this book. Working with gang members on the streets myself, I related on a visceral level to Gregory Boyle's joy and heartbreak in working with these kids. I resonated with his message: We are all puzzle pieces, interlocking with one another. We are not called to serve, but rather to "be with" and to unconditionally love one another. To love and to "be with" are parts of a process with no guarantees of success. Outcomes are left to God. Our job is just to show up! Reading Tattoos on the Heart has the capacity to change all of us for the better.

The book was okay. I enjoyed all of the stories and our club had a good conversation about it, but you have to be a spiritual person to really enjoy it, which I am not. I do however respect what Father Boyle has done to change so many lives.