Book Reviews

Idols vs. the true God in new short story collection

“Ephphatha: Catholic Fiction for Modern Times” by Philip J. Martin. Full Quiver Publishing.

Catholic novel reflects on the nature of work

The first of May is recognized in countries around the world as a day celebrating the contributions of labor, and in the Catholic Church particularly as the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. This great feast day encourages Catholics to ask some important questions: What is the nature of work? Is it just an activity for making money, or does it have some higher purpose? What makes work dignified, and what, if anything, makes for a “good job”?

Short story collection perfect Lenten read

Although this writer usually makes an effort to select works for review according to the season, sometimes the appropriate book is not so much chosen as falls into her lap. Such was the case with Joshua Hren’s “In the Wine Press: Short Stories” — an appropriate Lenten read if there ever was one.

‘Faith as real as the people who practice it’: short story collection set in Brazil paints vivid picture

Located almost exclusively in Brazil yet spanning several decades, Arthur Powers’ 2021 short story collection, “Padre Raimundo’s Army and Other Stories” makes real the truth that faith without works is dead — and likewise, just how alive a faith lived through works truly is.

Themes of grief, grace in new short story collection

A short story collection is often among the most difficult works of fiction to review. Unlike in a novel, where the decisions of a cast of characters over time reveal a story’s underlying motifs and purpose, a short story collection requires careful consideration of each piece to understand how they fit into a unified whole.

‘An awfully big adventure’: novel sends readers on journey through purgatory

“A Hiker’s Guide to Purgatory: A Novel” by Michael Norton. Ignatius Press. (San Francisco, California, 2022). 269 pp., $15.36.

North Shore novel portrays hope in darkness

“But still the desire is there, that hope for salvation, for love, for truth. Sometimes that desire to believe in something might just be enough. These are the new martyrs. No more burnings at the stake, no beheadings or crucifixions. But those who simply hold fast to that tiny possibility of hope, of love.”

Novel set in Dante’s ‘Inferno’ perfect reading for November

The month of November is a natural time to turn one’s thoughts to death. The seasons are changing, leaves are flaming in brilliant color before dropping to the ground; summer fruits and vegetables become scarce on grocery shelves; the air itself grows colder and foretells the coming of winter. It’s no surprise, then, that during this month the Church invites us to pray for the dead and ponder what’s popularly known as The Four Last Things: death, judgment and either eternal union with God in heaven or eternal separation from him in hell.

Historical novel set in the Philippines contrasts violence and peace

We live in conflicted times. As war and bloodshed continue to escalate in many places throughout the world — including Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East — the Holy Father has called the world to embrace peace. We Catholics pray for peace every day in our parishes and homes. And yet, here in Minnesota, many of us (though certainly not all) have spent our lives sheltered from the realities of violent conflict. It can be tempting to see “peace” as a given, instead of something precious and in need of preserving, something with real value.

Historical novel illuminates the value of the saints

“Eternal Light of the Crypts,” by Alan Van’t Land. Full Quiver Publishing. (Pakenham, ON, Canada, 2021). 292 pp., $16.99.

Retelling of Noah’s Ark breathes new life into ancient story

We seem to live in an era of catastrophes. Plagues, political strife, wars and natural disasters increasingly haunt the public consciousness; probably such it has ever been, of course, but each new generation experiences catastrophe as freshly as the day our first parents ate of the fruit.
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