"Prosecutor, marathoner, and heartbroken sister Joan Nockels Wilson combines investigatory skills, endurance, and a thirst for answers—possibly even revenge—in a harrowing quest to track down and confront the priest who molested her brother. Wilson’s stunning memoir succeeds on multiple levels, evoking a Chicago childhood steeped in firefighting lore, the Cubs and Catholic ritual, while also transporting us to modern-day Rome and the Vatican, places rich in beauty and hypocrisy. Some books are disturbing, yet should be read regardless. This one equally unnerves and uplifts, using both pathos and dark humor to illuminate the plight of a writer dedicated to family, complex faith, and the tireless pursuit of understanding."—Andromeda Romano-Lax, author of Annie and the Wolves
"The Book of Timothy is one of the hardest stories I’ve ever been privileged to read. Since it must have been an even harder one to write, Joan Wilson deserves great applause for ushering her readers so gently, yet fiercely, through its many layers.
A warrior on behalf of her beloved younger brother, Tim, who was, for several years, sexually abused by her family’s Catholic priest, Joan, the lawyer, ushers his case through unwelcoming efforts to find legal remedies. But it is Joan, the sister, who understands what it will take for Tim, and for herself too, to reach some version of peace. And it is Joan, the warrior, who travels to Rome to seek out and confront the criminal priest given shelter at the Vatican by church authorities doing everything possible to evade responsibility.
This story shines a light, rarely seen, on deep sibling love. It also examines the rarely examined consequences, to a whole family, of sexual abuse specifically perpetrated by a spiritual mentor—consequences that leave this author in a deep conflict with the church in which she was raised. She had always, previously, trusted that church to provide support through such trials of the soul, but in this case she can trust only herself, all the way to Vatican City."—Judith Barrington, author of Lifesaving: A Memoir
"Joan Wilson’s two feet on the ground, spiritual journey towards a hard-won compassion begins as a quest for revenge and becomes something else, which I want to call grace. This is an important story for victims of abuse, first by priests then, in its failure to protect children, by the Catholic Church itself. It’s an important story, and I’m grateful to Joan Wilson for telling it."—Beverly Donofrio, bestselling author of Riding in Cars With Boys: Confessions of a Bad Girl Who Makes Good
“Searching, righteous, uncompromising—this is a powerful tribute to a brother’s courage, a sister’s perseverance. In the end, The Book of Timothy transforms into a book of redemption.”—Alison Smith, bestselling author of Name All the Animals: A Memoir
“Partly a crusade for justice, partly an exploration of Catholic theology and history, and in all ways the soul of a determined, loving, faithful sister, Joan Nockels Wilson’s memoir The Book of Timothy will remain in your heart forever.” —Jo-Ann Mapson, author of Hank & Chloe, Solomon's Oak, and Owen's Daughter
2025-07-23
A riveting nonfiction account of a sister’s dedication to and love for her brother.
Debut authorWilson’s work is a searing indictment of abuses by the Catholic Church, specifically about what her sibling, Timothy, suffered at the age of 13.The memoir opens just after the 47-year-old author lands in Rome in 2012 after a flight from Alaska, on a mission to confront her brother’s abuser—a priest who was sent to Rome years ago. The narrative pieces together the author’s long, complex journey to that point. She and her brother speak openly about the past in these pages, and this memoir’s guiding light is her deep, moving love and devotion to him: “If Tim was to have despair, I willingly asked God to give me that despair instead,” she writes. Throughout, Wilson displays a gift for historical details, from her childhood inklings that something wasn’t right about a priest who saw children alone in closed rooms to her observations of her brother’s moodiness before she knew the reasons behind it. Wilson’s language throughout is visceral and specific, which is fitting for a former prosecutor; from the outset, she details the lingering impact that sexual abuse has on its victims as well as on their families and loved ones. Wilson jumps back and forth in time a fair amount, which is occasionally confusing, but it effectively showcases the reality that working through trauma is far from a linear process. The author’s investigation becomes entangled with her own religious questioning, and she provides lengthy considerations of the Bible and its treatment of women that will draw in readers interested in spiritual matters. Although Wilson’s devotion to her sibling is at the heart of this work, she also presents a timely meditation on religion’s role in the modern world and in her life as she struggles with the Catholic Church’s hypocrisies.
A moving depiction of one women’s abiding love for her brother.
