Review: The Daughter's Walk

Imagine yourself in eastern Washington state in the late 1800s.  You are the eldest daughter (barely 20 years old) living in a Norwegian immigrant family, a family of farmers.  Your family has hit hard times:  your dad was ill and the farm has been mortgaged and your mother has found a solution.  The solution involves you.  The solution involves giving up all that you want to do to save your family. You are told (not asked) to sacrifice all for your family.

This is the premise of the based-on-fact novel titled The Daughter's Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick. The Estby family, a family of Norwegian descent, are about to lose their farm due to lack of funds to pay the mortgage.  The family is desperately trying to find a solution and the mother of the family discovers a solution.

The solution?  The mother has worked out a deal with some New York fashion moguls who want to spread the word about the new "reform dress" -- above the ankle dresses for women.  This is a dress that many see as indecent (remember, it's the 1890s) but the fashion pundits want to encourage.  The deal is that if the Helga Estby and her daughter Clara walk from Spokane (WA) to New York City within a set amount of time, gathering dignitaries' signatures as they go, the Estbys will earn $10,000 -- enough to save the farm, send the children to college, and better the lives of this immigrant family.

What would you do?

The book doesn't stop with this harrowing (true) journey these women take.  The book continues with their return to Mica Creek, Washington and the family's reception of the women.  The story, told through the voice of Clara, than takes a sharp turn -- Clara is ostracized and for 20 some years is denied her family for whom she sacrificed so much.  Clara finds community, finds family, with two older women showing that we all need someone, that God never meant us to walk our earthly journey alone.

This is an amazing story.  This is an amazing tale based on the actual walk the Estby women undertook. This is an amazing tale based on the daughter's actual rejection by her family when she returns to Mica Creek.  This is an amazing tale, pieced together through family records, newspaper articles and family legends that Kirkpatrick weaves together to make a fabric of forgiveness, love,  family and courage.  With a bit of suffragette history thrown in, this really makes a great read.  Kirkpatrick also does a wonderful job explaining the fur business (in all its many aspects), the coming of World War I and its impact on the homefront, and other work that respectable women of the early 20th century could do in the West.

Kirkpatrick has wonderful notes at the end that explain what was based on verifiable facts, what came from family reminiscences and what was pieced together as "probably happening" in the lives connected to Clara Estby.  This is what I would call a living book ... a book where the author revels in her story and shares that joy with her reader.

I would highly recommend this book for high schoolers and above, especially those interested in American social history ... in the suffragettes' movement ... in the lives of immigrants ... in the stories of family who cling together in good times and bad.

As a side note:  I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of early 20th century Spokane -- I went to Gonzaga University in Spokane and I knew the places discussed, the street names and the area.  Very cool personal link.

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Disclaimer:  I received this book as part of WaterBrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program.  I received no other compensation and only was required to write an honest review of the book.  The critique above is my honest impression of The Daughter's Walk.
 

Review: Linking Your Beads: The Rosary's History, Mysteries and Prayers

I went to Catholic schools for almost all of my education:  9 years parochial elementary, 4 years in a Dominican highschool, 4 years in a Jesuit college -- these were wonderful years of learning with a bit of a Catholic tint.  Unfortunately, all this schooling was from 1966-1983 -- not exactly the heyday of good, solid Catholic education.  It was post-Vatican 2 and on the West Coast at least, alot of what we loved, lived and learned previously was thrown out with the proverbial bath water.

One of the "holes" in my Catholic education was understanding the Marian devotions -- to this day, I can't remember all the mysteries of the rosary without some prompting, nor do I have a clear understanding of why folks for centuries have been praying these beads.

Enter the opportunity to review the new book by Patricia Ann Kasten:  Linking Your Beads: The Rosary's History, Mysteries, and Prayers.  Reading a bit like a doctoral thesis (but with a light-hearted touch as to make it very readable), this book has explained so much to me.  Kasten starts with the background devotion of using beads or other markers when reciting prayers.  She links the rosary to the Desert Fathers who would recite each of the 150 psalms while they went through their work-day.  To keep track of which psalm they were on, the good men would used beads on a string.  These beads eventually shifted to people using them to recite the Our Father or other prayers -- beads on a string help us to keep track (something that is quite important in our hectic modern world!).

The entry of the rosary -- with it's now-four sets of mysteries (Venerable John Paul the Great added the 5 Luminous Mysteries to the traditional Glorious, Joyful and Sorrowful mysteries in his apostolic letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae in October 2002), has been prayed with slight modifications for 500-600 years.  Although traditionally attributed to St. Dominic (1170-1221), Kasten explains that the popular use of the rosary only dates to about the 15th century -- but the spread of its usage throughout Europe is definitely from the Domincan preachers who traveled Europe, catechizing the peoples.  

Kasten than walks the reader through every piece of the rosary -- from the sign of the cross at the beginning of the devotion, through the Apostle's Creed, the Our Fathers, the Hail Marys, the Glory Bes (also known as the "doxology"),  the Salve Regina, and the final AMEN.  She explains the background behind each of these prayers and why they are included in the rosary.  She also quickly points out that the rosary, as with all prayer, leads us to a devotion to Jesus and God's love; the rosary does this through meditation on the life of Jesus:

• in the Joyful Mysteries:  the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth, the Presentation and the finding of the Child Jesus in the temple
• in the Luminous Mysteries:  baptism of our Lord, wedding feast at Cana, proclamation of the kingdom, transfiguration and the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper
• in the Sorrowful Mysteries:  the agony in the garden, the scourging at the pillar, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross and the crucifixion
• in the Glorious Mysteries:  the Resurrection, the Ascension, Pentecost, Assumption of Mary and the coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Kasten does a fabulous job at explaining each one of these mysteries, giving the reader something to meditate upon when "saying the beads". She ends her book with details about some of the variations (including additional prayers such as the Fatima prayer), the myriad chaplets that can be said using the rosary beads, and even the different colors used for rosaries and why.

This is an amazing book -- filled with the author's deep love of the rosary, a deep love she wants to share with her readers.   I highly recommend this book -- especially for those of us who have this "hole" in our Catholic understanding.  This book will fill that hole!

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This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Linking Your Beads:The Rosary's History, Mysteries and Prayers. They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

 

Review: Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn is a wonderful story -- very thought-provoking, well-drawn characters, and a good message. 

That said, let me say first that I don't much care for the name "sisterchicks" as it is supposed to be about women who are hip and groovy -- puh-lease!  But I do like the sentiment behind the appelattion: girl-friends so close, so sympatico, that they are like sisters. I like this idea as a theme for books. This is the 8th in the series, but the first I've read and I might just have to read the others.

Second, I've never been to the Netherlands but have always wanted to go and see VanGogh's homeland as well as the fields of tulips, the windmills (especially after reading The Winged Watchman!), and the canals. This book made me want to go see this amazing country even more. Gunn does a great job of describing the sites, sounds and even smells of the Netherlands. At the end of the book, she includes pictures and information of her own, fact-finding trip to the this tiny country. Lovely stuff.

The premise of the book is that Summer Finley and Noelle van Zandt have been penpals since 4th grade but have never met in person.  Finally, at the age of almost 50, they finally meet, in the Netherlands. Summer initiates the visit when she gets a "bad" mammogram; rather than dwelling on the "what ifs" she takes the bull by the proverbial horns and emails Noelle about coming to visit. As Summer's trip unfolds, both Noelle and Summer learn many truths, the first and foremost being that there are things we cannot impact and anxiety and worry are worthless; only God can help in those time of paralyzing fear or fixing past issues.
I like this book. I like Summer's character and Noelle's; I like Noelle's husband and the other sub-characters (incl Summer's husband -- a man who has just a bitty part in the story but obviously a large influence on Summer's life). I like the Christian element woven into the story without sacrificing the plot or seeming an obvious add-on.  I love the descriptions of this fantasy country -- the tulips and wooden shoes and canals and museums and other magical bits they call the Netherlands.

I highly recommend this well-written, thought-provoking story of letting go and letting God!   Having experience a "bad" mammogram myself, the fear and trepidation portrayed by Gunn are very true to life.

Review: The Mountains Bow Down

Well, this was a disppointment!  I'd only give this one 2 stars, maybe 3 if I was feeling extra-generous.

The Mountains Bow Down: A Raleigh Harmon Novel is the first Raleigh Harmon book I've read (seems there are three before this one). So what I have to say may not be true if you've read the previous books.

Raleigh Harmon is an FBI agent who goes up to Alaska on a cruise with her mom, aunt and Claire the Clairvoyant on "vacation" only to get caught up in a suicide/murder and major gem theft. She is helped by Jack Stephanson, a man she worked with earlier when she was working in the Seattle FBI office. An added twist (or complication) is the fact that she is now back to working in the Richmond FBI office, newly engaged to a Southern aristocrat and her widowed mother is bordering on having a nervous breakdown.  This would probably make better sense if you'd read the earlier books ... but it SHOULD stand-alone and not be quite so confusing as this one is.

That's just the synopsis of the plot affecting Raleigh.  This doesn't include the sub-plots of ship-board crimes (including a rather graphic description of Turkish ship-workers who are also pornography-film makers), narcissistic Hollywood types and their issues and .... well, sex drugs and rock and roll pretty much sums it up. See what I think it's a bit convoluted?

That all said, the primary mystery is a very good mystery although I don't think the author, Sibella Giorello, plays fair in that the stolen rocks are a very rare, found-only-in-California, mineral that even Raleigh (who is supposed to be a geologist) has never seen before. The reader doesn't understand the point of the rocks as the key until right near the end ...

I also don't much care for Raleigh Harmon's character -- she is self-centered, a work-aholic, who says she loves her mentally ill mother but doesn't drop everything to help her, being caught up in the case instead. She lies to "protect" her mom but actually just makes it all worse.  She is engaged to an old sweetheart who she ignores when he repeatedly calls her and when she does finally talk to him is angry that he's partying with old school friends. She's supposed to be a "forensic geologist" and yet she spends more time being just a detective ... why have her constantly reminding other characters about her "geology education". A further irritating character-flaw with Raleigh is that she is supposed to be so smart and such a great agent and yet is very cynical and sarcastic and rude to people she's trying to get to help her.  Her former boss in the Seattle office is treated almost as a buffoon and yet he does everything he can to help her.

The other characters include Aunt Charlotte who is quite odd and hard to understand while her friend Claire the Clairvoyant is truly over-the-top weird but then she ends up helping Raleigh set up the bad guys. Very strange.  The character of special agent Stephanson is much better drawn and believable. And I love the character of the Dutch ship's captain, Geert! The victim's family and friends are not very sympathetic and the other cruise customers are ridiculed throughout the nove.

I also have to say that this particular book, although supposedly Christian fiction, is not that at all. The reference to Christianity and organized religion are all snide slurs including comments from the ship's chaplain of "well, it's ok that the Cross was ripped off the wall ... it's such a bummer for people" or Aunt Charlotte's new ageiness that has her saying that she used to be like Raleigh's mother until she stopped buying into the whole Episcopal thing. I don't know how the other Raleigh Harmon books read .. but this one is not a winner!

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Disclaimer: I received this book at part of Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze program. The critique above is my honest reaction to this work of fiction.





 

Fabulous Movie for Family Movie Night!

The recently re-issued movie, Saint John Baptist De La Salle: Patron Saint of Teachers, is a marvelous movie to watch for Family Movie Night. Starring Mel Ferrer as De La Salle and Fernando Rey as one of his young recruits, the movie is a wonderful overview of De La Salle's life from being named canon at the Cathedral in Rheims at the age of 28 to establishing the Brothers of Christian Schools at 41 and then dying at the age of 68, having established Christian Brother schools throughout France.

De La Salle (1651-1719) was from a wealthy French family, orphaned in the midst of attending seminary. As the eldest, De La Salle was made executor of his father's estate and guardian of his younger brothers and sisters. The movie opens with him and his family in their lavish home and a layman asking him to help set up a school for the poor in Rhiems. As De La Salle commits more and more of his own personal resources to helping educate the poor (as well as teaching teachers to be teachers), he begins to move from being a Courtier Churchman to being a helper of all, educating the poor and rich alike. Once he starts on this path, he never looks back!

The movie is not glitzy, glamorous or even very high tech. Done probably in the 1960s (although I couldn't find an actual date), this movie does its best to tell the story of this man who put others first ... this man who discerned God's will for himself and did it ... this man who ignored the criticism of family and friends to help all people learn! This is a cozy, "Sunday-afternoon family movie" type of movie. It tells a great story (some bit of truth-stretching for story-telling's sake) of a great man.
Mel Ferrer becomes this humble priest, with loving eyes and actions throughout. The viewer has a sense the Ferrer truly understood De La Salle's theology and philosophy -- not playing the role too high-brow or insipid. Fernando Rey starts the movie as a young, tough, street kid and ends up as one of De La Salle's most active brothers. The rest of the cast -- all European actors -- add wonderful support to the movie.

One thing you can always count on with Ignatius Press videos is the booklet that they package with the DVD. The booklet included in this movie includes a detailed biography, information about De La Salle's teaching philosophies (or "pedagogy") , and an overview of the Christian Brothers today (with website links for further information).

Thanks, Ignatius Press for republishing this wonderful look at a man many teachers, especially Catholic school teachers, should try to emulate!

You can purchase this DVD here.

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Disclaimer:  I wrote this review of Saint John Baptist De La Salle for the Tiber River Blogger Review program, created by Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, your source for Baptism Gifts and First Communion Gifts. For more information and to purchase, please visit Aquinas and More Catholic Goods.

Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.






 

So much ______________________, so little time!

Fill that particular blank with either:
a.  knitting
b.  reading
c.  sleeping
and you'd have a summary of my week!  There just aren't enough hours in the day to get it all done and yet I so want to! 

Knitting:  I've got a deadline of Tuesday morning to finish a design for upcoming Cast On! magazine (the knitting is just about there and then I have to write it up and get it packed to mail).  I've finished another design for Spring Gate (which I'll give her when she comes next Friday to brush up her knitting skills) -- that gives me a few days to write-up THAT pattern.  So, on the knitting front, it's not like I'm doing nothing (and have even booked a Friday two weeks from now to teach two dear friends to knit ... they also homeschool their kids so we'll make it into a family affair!)  I do have a backlog of three designs for Knit Picks I've got to finish and get out ... so I'm definitely swamped (but THAT is a good thing).



(see http://www.book-games.com/featured-book-games/agatha-christie-peril-at-end-house.html for this cool game)



Reading:   I'm doing pretty well on this front, too.  I finished a couple of books for review (see this review of Fr. Groeschel's book and a Christian chick-lit) and the Chesterton book mentioned in this yarn-along post has been finished and the review just needs typing up.  Whew!  The problem is I went to the library the other day .... and serendipitously found a fabulous book, one that I didn't had been published (in 2009, no less -- I must live under a rock), and that I'm SOOOOO excited to read .. but NO TIME!  I just want to curl up and read Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks: Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making, by Christie scholar John Curran.  This a book that discusses Christie's 72 notebooks filled with her writing notes ... plot changes ... development of her stories!  How cool is that????? I've loved Christie books since I was little ... have read all 66 crime novels and 150 short stories (and read them all more than once).  I am a writer-wannabe (have long had an idea for a mystery tied to, what else, knitting!) and this is a treasure trove of info for all writers.  I'm so excited ... and I saw on Amazon that this hard-cover is a "bargain" book so it's my very own copy is winging it's way to my doorstep as we speak (gotta love Amazon!).  So it's ok ... I have to keep telling myself this ... that I don't have time to read it this weekend, as I'll soon have my very own copy (and then I can make notes in the margins ... dog-ear the pages ... and study this book to my heart's content!).

Sleep:  Max is getting better about sleeping thru the night.  But the kids, in their innocence (bless their hearts), taught Mr. Max to leap the baby gate keeping him in the boys' room till I'm ready to take him out.  So yesterday and today, Mr. Max got me up early to go potty -- a good thing in its way but does cut into the sleep factor!  This too shall pass ... this too shall pass ... [my new mantra!]

So, what word(s) would you be using to fill in the title blank?

Review: Fr. Groeschel's Travelers Along the Way

First, a disclaimer:  I love Fr. Benedict Groeschel ... I love listening to him on EWTN, have read others of his books and just really admire this long-time evangelist/crusader for ecumenism/example of God's great love for us all.  I mean, look at the cover of his latest book, Travelers Along the Way, doesn't he just look NICE?

So, I was set to like this book ... and after spending the weekend reading it, I can assure you, that this book exceeded my expectations.  Fr. Benedict Groeschel, a founding member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and EWTN host, takes us on a journey through his life; a journey where the reader gets glimpses of some of the many men and women who have shaped and affected Fr. Groeschel's life.

He has vignettes about Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Mother Angelica, Terence Cardinal Cooke and Blessed Solanus Casey ... and these are remarkable (and very personal) stories he tells; glimpses of the sanctity inherent in each of these well-known and well-loved characters.  But he also has a story about the Jewish cleaner who gave him such sage advice 50+ years ago when Fr. Benedict was heading to seminary:  "be a good boy".  This simple phrase ... and the deeper meaning behind the philospher-dry cleaner's words ... has stuck with Fr. Benedict ever since. 

Or the story he tells about Ruby, the woman who came every year to get the holiday food basket for her neighbors who couldn't come themselves and her simple faith and love and sheer happiness she exhibited every time Fr. Benedict saw her.  When Fr. Benedict asked Ruby what made her so happy all the time, she explained that her mother told her when she was little: at noon everyday thank God for your blessings.  Ruby, in taking time to thank God daily, brought a special love to everything she did.  Fr. Groeschel paints this lovely woman and her simple faith for the reader in words filled with love and tenderness.

He has stories about young folks he's met on the streets of New York ... and stories about the religious he's met on retreat ... stories about people who have worked for him for years .... and stories about people he knew just briefly.  Some of the stories have happy endings and some have sad endings; but EVERY story is about people who each have a message and meaning for Fr. Groeschel and he shares that message, that meaning, with his readers.

The subtitle of this book, "the men and women who shaped my life", doesn't go quite far enough.  Through these stories, the reader not only understands more about Groeschel's life, the reader also begins to see how our own lives are shaped by our encounters. The reader begins to see a path to sanctity in all walks of life ... to see that each person that comes our way is a gift from God, a chance to grow in holiness.  As I read these stories, I began to think about some of the travelers with whom I've journeyed: the teachers from grammar school ... the co-workers ... the other moms ... the people who have hated me (and thus made me re-think what I was doing, either confirming or negating my actions) ... the kids in college.

What a great and wonderful gift God gives us in and through others we meet.  Fr. Benedict Groeschel's book will get you thinking about these fellow travelers and ones you've met.  Trust me, you'll enjoy the journey through his life and begin to see the blessings in your own.

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This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Travelers Along the Way . They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

 

Review: Divine Appointments ... Christian chick-lit at its best

For the past year or so, I've been reading a lot of escapist Christian chick-lit ... as a way to rest/relax after a particularly hectic week.  Chick-lit, especially Christian, is a nice way to de-pressurize ... to enjoy a light read with a cup of coffee and (if I'm lucky) the ability to knit at the same time.  But there has always been something less-than-satisfactory about the Christian chick-lit I've read: the Christian part always seemed tacked on to the story rather than an integral or organic part of the story. 

With Divine Appointments, this "tacking on" aspect is non-existent.  Charlene Ann Baumbich is able to weave a Chrisitan story that is magical and believable and the Christian part is an integral piece of the overal1story.

First, I have to say, when I started the book, I had low expectations:  the protagonist, Josie Brooks, is the least-attractive type of career woman:  a hard-hitting, hard-driving, unfeeling, self-centered consultant who goes into companies, determines how to make them more efficient, and then recommends new systems and layoffs.  Josie Brooks, a late-40s spinster, doesn't care about the people she's recommending to axe ... she doesn't care about the people left in the wake of her project: she's off to the next assignment, a larger house, a bigger paycheck and alone.

I really didn't like her.

But Baumbich's writing and story-telling ability, wove a spell that had me cheering for Josie!  The supporting cast of characters help Josie to open up to others ... to see the people beyond the numbers ... to understand that although companies do have to "right size", the people need to be taken care of also. 

Baumbich leaves the Christian element to these supporting characters, particularly the 60-something widow who exhibits true charity ... true love of others because of her love of God.  I loved the character of Barb DeWiit -- a woman of grace who reminded me of many wonderful folks I've worked with thru the years. 

This book is a magical, wonderful escape into how the world is and how we can make it just a bit better through loving others.  A wonderful read that I highly recommend (and I got to knit while I read it!).

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DISCLAIMER:  I rec'd Divine Appointments as part of the Blogging for Books program from publisher, WaterBrook Press.  The views expressed above are my honest opinion of this work of fiction.
 

Review: Softly and Tenderly

Maybe it's because Sara Evans (the co-author of Softly and Tenderly) is a country singer ... but this book sure starts out like the stereotypical CW song:  cheatin' men, illegitimate babies, cheatin' women, even the ubiquitous old pickup (actually there are TWO in the book!).  Seriously, this is so replete with cliches, I didn't know if I could get through it.

Basically, Jade Fitzgerald Benson -- a 31-year-old raised in a quirky Iowa family with her own problems finally finds her paradise:  married to the only son of THE family in a Tennessee town, owning two successful retro shops, and loving her life.  But then it all hits the fan and becomes a cliche-laden soap opera.  I really didn't think I'd make it past the first 20 pages or so.

But then the story hooked me ... maybe it was the hippy-mom dying of leukemia and all her quirkiness and love that she shared with all around her ... or maybe it was the character of the mother-in-law who had finally had enough of her cheating husband and went to Iowa with Jade and her dying mother, Beryl ... or maybe it was because the authors worked hard to imbue their story with the Christian faith and the themes of love, faith, hope and trust.  It really did turn into a great story ... nothing super deep or philosophical ... but perfect reading for a couple of afternoons over Christmas break when the house was quiet.

The only issue I have with the book is that it ends abruptly with only one of the plot-lines fully resolved ... all the others are still left up in the air.  Which may be why they do mention a third book (the first book, which I haven't read yet is titled The Sweet By and By  and talks about Jade marrying Max Benson) to be released in 2012.  I hate that!  I don't mind reading series or sequels, but I do think stories should have closure.  But that's just me. 

My "cut to the chase" recommendation?  This is a good read with good characterization and a Christian flavor.  A perfect book for a few days' reading. 

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Disclaimer:  I received a review copy of this book from Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze program.  The above critique is my honest opinion of this work.



 

Review: Olivia's Gift

Following on the success of Olivia and the Little Way, Nancy Carabio Belanger has written an even better sequel:  Olivia's Gift.  This sequel does a great job in showing Olivia a little older (she's now 12) and a little wiser ... but still having the issues almost-teenage-girls have in life:  wanting to fit in, be popular, seem cool.  On a month-long visit to the beach, Olivia and her best friend Hayley learn the tough lessons:  envy, covetousness, lying and trying to fit in just don't work!  Also, that appearances can be deceiving and that that who we think are cool are often more un-cool when we really look at them.

The girls are assisted in ferreting out these truths by Olivia's parents and grandma; but more interestingly, Olivia discovers these truths through her relationship with St. Therese of Lisieux and her prayer life.

This novel is a great read for tweens/teen girls who are going through these same issues.  Belanger does a fantastic job of teaching without preaching, of getting her message of the Truth and the Catholic faith (scattering St. Therese quotes throughout) across to the reader without making the story goofy or far-fetched.

It is such a pleasure to read a book like this ... especially having an almost-11-yo daughter who will be dealing with these issues of peer pressure and fitting in in the next few years!  [An added bonus:  String Bean has a particular affection for St. Therese already, so this book will really delight her!].  Thank you, Ms. Belanger!

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I received this book from the author in order to evaluate its orthodoxy for the Catholic Writers Guild.  The above review is my honest reaction to this work of Catholic literature.
 

Review: The Virtues by Pope Benedict XVI

First, let me just say that I love Pope Benedict's writings.   They seem so much more accessible than the amazing writings of JPtheGreat (of whom I am an ENORMOUS fan and actually met one day in Rome!).  Pope Benedict, who is a career academician really knows how to write to his audience.  I was thrilled when Catholic Company had The Virtues as a reviewable item -- I quickly requested that one and here's my review:

The Virtues is an edited compilation of Pope Benedict's writings that mention the seven virtues of faith, hope, charity (love), prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance.  This is a great meditation book ... a book I'd pull out daily to read a snippet, spending almost a month (there is an average of 20 quotes per virtue) on each virtue. 

The quote include excerpts from Pope Benedict's encyclicals, homilies, specific-themed talks, and other chances he has had to teach the faithful about these virtues.

The first section of the book covers the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity:  first with a definition (from the Catholic Catechism) of each and then with their own quotes from Benedict's writings.  The theological virtues are those that are enfused from God -- the virtues that you will not see in the animal kingdom but only within the human species.  Then, the book moves on to the cardinal virtues (those that are "natural" virtues whether or not you believe in God): prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance -- again with an overview definition from the Catechism, but then moving on to specifics as mentioned in Pope Benedict's writings/talks.

This is a treasure trove of teachable moments for all who are trying to teach the Catholic Faith -- whether you're a mom/dad, a homeschooler or a Catholic school teacher, this book is for you!  We chose the virtue of charity/love as our theme for 2011 and this book fits perfectly into my need to teach/explain this theological virtue to my own kids!  This really is a wonderful meditative book, not heavy, but very attainable, that discusses these seven virtues ... definitely a book that will be well-used, well-read in our house!

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Disclaimer:  This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Virtues . They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.
 

Book Series for Boys ... part 2

Yesterday, I posted a review of a new book series my 11yo son and I have found ... the review was about the 5th book in the series, The Knights of Arrethtrae, told the story of two young men and the choices they make which lead them on quite divergent paths.

Some have asked for the series in order so that they may get them for their own sons (altho each book's story is self-contained):

1. Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione -- I'll be reviewing this one later this week
2. Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court
3. Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart
4. Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue
5. Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor -- review here
6. Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest

NOTE:  these books are from a Christian author; the sentiments included in the books may not reflect a wholly Catholic world-view.  The message is one of evangelizing the world about the King and His Son.  EXCELLENT reading for boys!
 

Looking for a book series for your sons?

Have I got a series to recommend to you! 

My 11 yo son and I both recently read Book 5: The Knights of Arrethtrae: Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor by Chuck Black.  My son and I both immediately than got Book 1 and are anxiously awaiting books 2-4!  Yes, the books are that good.  The books can be read out-of-order and are stand-alone stories so don't feel like you have to read each and every one. 

[The following review is specifically about Sir Quinlan.]

Sir Quinlan begins in a world where the Silent Warriors are in a battle with the Shadow Warriors.  In the village of Burkfield, two boys are raised together.  One, the son of the house, is an amazing teen-warrior.  The star of his academy, Tav has it all: skill, a loving family, even a local girl who likes him.  Twitch, an orphan raised as Tav's almost-brother, is not as fortunate:  not as skilled a warrior, loved but underappreciated by his adoptive family, noone to love him ... That's how the book starts, but positions quickly change when the young men each make their own choices:  Tav to stay in the village and not follow the Prince; Twitch, to give up all, go against his "family's" wishes, and fight for the Prince.  How these personal choices affect each boy and his whole life are the subject of the rest of the book.

This book has it all:  good vs evil ... scary creatures ... tough battles.  Chuck Black, the author and former F-16 pilot, brings to the story some amazing battle tactics and strategic warfare that makes the story shine.  Black also brings to the story his Christian faith -- which shouts out from each page in the classic battle between God and His people and Lucifer and his minions.  The theme of this book is the great danger of apathy and its insidiousness that allows diabolical events to occur unchecked.  At the end of the book are study questions for using this book a a teaching tool -- excellent reinforcement of the message!

Both Lego Maniac and I really liked this story; and the underlying message is one that a Christian parents wants her children to learn and take to heart.  Thank you, Chuck Black, for writing such a great series for tween/teen boys -- a group of readers that are often overlooked in deep, meaningful contemporary literature.

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Disclaimer:  I received a review copy of Sir Quinlan from WaterBrook Multnomah's "Blogging for Books" program.  The above review is my honest reaction to the book.


 

Review: A Franciscan Christmas

A Franciscan Christmas ... a tiny book that has a BIG message:  thoughts and explanations on each of the "characters" of the Nativity with a Franciscan slant.  This is a great book by the managing editor of St. Anthony Messenger Press, Kathleen M. Carroll.  She describes and defines each part of a traditional Nativity set in light of Francis and his Order's spirituality.

Carroll covers Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, Magi, angels, villagers, musicians, animals and the Star.  Each has it's own meditation -- a chance for the reader to not just learn about Francis and his thoughts but also apply that spirituality to today's world.  Her last paragraph of each "chapter" gives a rather thought-provoking statement of how we can best live out the Christmas message.

I would have wished that Carroll would have developed more about Francis' spirituality and reasoning for having each "character" in his world-famous "live" Creche; her own thoughts, although interesting, dilute the Franciscan message.  Further, I think the publisher (St. Anthony Messenger Press) lost a great chance to make a really beautiful Christmas gift book:  by including colored prints of Franciscan artistry depicting the Nativity and Epiphany with the meditations, this book would have been an amazing Christmas heirloom for families to share each year.  As the book is published now, it makes for an interesting read but I'm not sure of its longevity as a family-read tradition.

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Disclaimer:  This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Franciscan Christmas . They are also a great source for first communion gifts and baptism gifts.

 

Review: The Father Brown Reader II by Nancy Brown

I avoid adaptations, condensed novels and other “re-told by” books of the classics. If we have to wait to expose our children (or ourselves) to great works, so be it.  Adaptations are so ... "reader's digestish"!

That said I have made an exception on occasion. One such exception was Nancy Carpentier Brown’s The Father Brown Reader, published a few years ago and an excellent re-telling of some of Chesterton’s stories for the younger set. Today, I received the hard-copy of the sequel, The Father Brown Reader II: More Stories from Chesterton. Published by Hillside Education, Brown has done another phenomenal job of making Chesterton attainable for children, while keeping the rich imagery and language of the original.  I was fortunate to get an electronic copy for review a couple of weeks ago and so this review is based on that reading.

The difference between this second compilation is that Brown has chosen stories with murder as the theme. She is quick to point out (in the ‘note to parents’) that these stories are not “gratuitously graphic” and that she believes teaching children about life and death is important. I agree wholeheartedly. By choosing these stories to adapt, Brown has opened a world to children that allows them to see that untimely deaths and the finding of the culprit are a worthwhile endeavor that can be treated with dignity and avoid the voyeuristic themes of other books.

Reader II includes four stories that are classic Chesterton: “The Invisible Man”, “The Mirror of the Magistrate”, “The Eye of Apollo”, and “The Perishing of the Pendragons”. The retellings are well done, tightly written and accessible for the younger readers – I am starting these as a read-aloud for my children so that we can talk through the events and messages Chesterton develops in each of these stories.

A bonus from the first set of stories and repeated in this volume is the artistry of Ted Schluenderfritz. Schluenderfritz helps children really see the humble parish priest Father Brown, the dapper and debonair Flambeau, the criminals as Chesterton describes them. These drawings, scattered throughout the volume, are a lesson in illustration from text-description and will make a great drawing unit for my children.  His sketches really bring to life the dumpy Fr. Brown, the tall, svelte Flambeau and the other characters scattered throughout.  The cover is just gorgeous ... well done, Ted and Margot!

Bottom line: for those who can, read the original Chesterton stories; for those who can’t, feel confident reading this (as well as the first) collection adapted by Brown. You will not regret reading these “re-told by” books!