Jenny:
You are a breath of Fresh Air here in the Land of David Flick and Ed Pettibone.
I think you are gonna love the good souls and virtue of Haruo, Dave Roberts and Lamar Wadsworth here on this board as you get to know them.
As a companion piece to Monkey Town, grander deeper perspective, acquaint yourself with Marilynne Robinson's Absence of Mind, UK Guardian Review easily googled.
Grand stuff indeed.
Keep an eye on Lauri Lebo's pieces as well at
www.religiondispatches.org . She may be doing something on Rachel fairly soon. We'll keep an eye out for it.