Once again, an episode of what I read during the year. Dan also wrote a couple blog posts on what he read (many of which he passed on to me to read); read his summaries here and here.
We are studying Canadian history this year for school. In advance, I began picking up books on Canadian history and caught a bug. There are some treasures out there. I'll begin with them.
Shadows on the Rock
by Willa Cather
by Willa Cather
My father-in-law rescued a ton of old books a while back. I picked up Shadows on the Rock from this collection, remembering a brief mention from a friend. Set in Quebec during the late years of Samuel de Champlain and St Francois de Laval, the non-Catholic Cather captures poignantly the Catholic culture of the early settlement. Passages will stay with me forever, especially ones highlighting the saintly Laval and his devotion to his flock.
Maria Chapdelaine
by Louis Hemon
I read Maria Chapdelaine as an assignment for a course in Canadian Literature during my first year of university. As it was out-of-print at the time, the version we read had difficult typos. I'll chalk it up to that instead of my youthful lack of depth, but I didn't enjoy it half as much as it deserves. This is a treasure of Canadian beauty: life in the backwoods of Quebec, Catholic culture, and simple, youthful romance.
by Ethel C. Brill
Another Canadian history pick. One snowy weekend in November, we house sat for my in-laws and I read Madeleine Takes Command to the kids. We were all spellbound. I'd read it at least a couple times before, but it never gets old. The true story of Madeleine de Vercheres: with her two young brothers and a few soldiers, she commanded the defense of her family fortress on the banks of the St Lawrence in a week-long Iroquois attack. It is a gripping tale and one we'll never forget.
Divine Intimacy
by Fr Gabriel of St Mary Magdalen
Divine Intimacy was my daily spiritual reading throughout the year. I came to realize it was a necessity for my spiritual life - especially, dare I say - in 2020. Beginning with basics and tying everything in to the traditional liturgical year, Fr Gabriel brings the soul from the beginning of the spiritual life to the heights - that is the hope, anyway. When I began the cycle at the beginning of Advent again, I felt like I was back in familiar territory, right at the beginning of the spiritual life.
by Peter Kwasniewski
I'll admit, I haven't read Reclaiming from front to back. I read the sections on children at Mass. Kwasniewski gets it. He understands as a parent our difficulties in bringing children to Mass, especially of late. He provides practical advice and deep insight all in one.
Christus Vincit: Christ's Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age
by Bishop Athanasius Schneider with Diane Montagna
Again, I didn't read Christus Vincit in its entirety. But I read Bishop Schneider's memories of his life under Communism as a young boy and his family's escape into "free" Germany. I read his take on the darkness of the age, especially in our beloved Catholic Church. His insights are prophetic and have the ring of truth. We are living in troubled times and we must hold fast to the truths of our faith, passed down through the ages.
Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury
I'm a bit of a copycat when it comes to book reading. Many of my titles are books Dan passes on. This is one of them. What happens when you burn all the books? What does a socially engineered society without books look like? I read this book in early 2020. It's scary when I look at the world around me now and realize the stark truth of a society that is so out-of-touch with reality, clear thinking and reasoning, and simple living.
Family Be Damned
by Kennedy Hall
Kennedy Hall is a Catholic writer and podcaster living in Ontario. Imitating C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters, Hall taps into a devil's temptations of a modern family during Covid lockdown. This is not Screwtape Letters. But it is very entertaining, thought-provoking, and chilling. Hall brings the story to the depths of (believable) spiritual despair and ends with a hope we can all use. We bought the Kindle edition; well worth it!
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers
by Maria Augusta Trapp
"How do you solve a problem like Maria?" Have you ever wondered whether Maria von Trapp really did cause such disarray in the convent as they sing? Spoiler: Yes. Sort of. One of my favourite films from my childhood (really, I'm sure we girls watched this 30+ times - sorry, Grandpa), The Sound of Music is really, the real life story. But this is so much better. Their beautiful and unconventional romance, their family escape from Nazis-invaded Austria, their poverty and first successes and failures in America, their family traditions and, above all, their unwavering faith - the Trapp family is a delightful read.
by Maria Augusta von Trapp
We and Our Children: How to Make a Catholic Home
Defending Boyhood
The reason I read Story of the Trapp Family was because a Protestant friend saw this book on my piano and told me I had to read the original story. Around the Year is Maria recounting the their family traditions following the traditional Catholic calendar, ones they observed in Austria and brought with them to America. It is beautifully full of memories, meditations, recipes, songs, and advice. I refer to it often and keep it handy.
by Mary Reed Newland
Instagram, Facebook, and Etsy are full of Catholic wives and mothers' beautiful incorporation of our Catholic faith into all aspects of life. Newland is one of the original, if you will, Catholic mom bloggers. Newland deals with discipline, sacraments, morality, liturgical living, and much more in a simple and straightforward manner. I especially referred to her when teaching for sacramental prep this year and studying the Mass with my kids. I keep this book handy and refer to it often.
by Anthony Esolen
I finally read an Esolen book. Dan might ask: Have you even lived until you read Esolen? Defending Boyhood lived up to everything I've ever heard and read about Esolen (and the snippets I'd already read). Esolen is deep and witty, a profound writer and filled with literary references. Here he taps into the essence of boys and, well, defends them as God made them; he instructs the ignorant on the proper care for a boys' true nature.
by Robert Hugh Benson
My favourite read of the year! Benson is incredible. A master storyteller, a deep spiritual thinker, and an avid historian. It helps that my favourite genre of literature is historical fiction, but marry that with spiritual depth and what a winner! The novel is set in the Elizabethan reign of terror. Catholics risked their lives and all earthly possessions to profess their faith, even secretly. And yet, the martyrs abound. Benson gets to the heart of the ordinary man and woman. We might think of them as glorious and strong, but he reveals their hidden fears, sorrows, and temptations.
