Darn it. Double darn. Will Wilder: The Relic of Perilous Falls by Raymond Arroyo has me so frustrated! So much creativity. Such an interesting concept. Such a great infusion of Catholic traditions into the spiritually diverse genre of fantasy. Such a great opportunity to do what N.D. Wilson does so brilliantly: reveal how all good … Continue reading Will Wilder: The Relic of Perilous Falls
Cicero’s On Duties
“Cicero, like thoughtful men of every age, knew that the reason vicious leaders like Caesar could rise to power was because the Roman population itself had been corrupted and no longer pursued the old virtues; a leader is, after all, a mirror of the people who choose him or at least allow him to retain … Continue reading Cicero’s On Duties
A Tree for Peter
“...Some of you have steady jobs now. Most of you work off and on...there is not one among you who is not a man after me own heart. Kicked around by life you were, sure. Only, I am the cop on the beat and I know that there is not one among you who has … Continue reading A Tree for Peter
Virtue Book Club – September
The first meeting of my "in real life" Tending the Heart of Virtue book club was last night and I am positively glowing this morning. For a year I prayed about this idea. I knew that I wanted a local book club that would celebrate the role that books have in our quest for holiness … Continue reading Virtue Book Club – September
Little Britches in Hardbound
In our online Facebook group, Potato Peel Pie Book Community, we often bemoan the loss of good and great books which fall out of publication and quietly disappear while people forget about them. In fact, many of us have become vintage book hunters who are trying to build up our personal libraries with these kinds … Continue reading Little Britches in Hardbound
Tending the Heart of Virtue
“Becoming a responsible human being is a path filled with potholes and visited constantly by temptations. Children need guidance and moral road maps and they benefit immensely with the example of adults who speak truthfully and act from moral strength.” - Tending the Heart of Virtue by Vigen Guroian In Diane’s review of The Pleasures … Continue reading Tending the Heart of Virtue
Book Club: The Princess and the Goblin
"Reminding ourselves that Beauty is one in being with the Good and the True, we should remember that the beautiful always leads us back to love and reason. The lifting up of the heart in the presence of beauty enables us to give our hearts in love and to raise our heads in contemplation. This … Continue reading Book Club: The Princess and the Goblin
Anne of the Island
In this review, I lament how disappointed I was in Anne of Avonlea after having loved Anne of Green Gables so much. I am happy to report that I found Anne of the Island to be a vast improvement on Anne of Avonlea. Still not as good as the original, it is a worthy follow-up … Continue reading Anne of the Island
Bambi
Oh, Bambi! I had no idea. My husband inherited his dad’s copy of Felix Salten’s Bambi, so it was in our family library until we passed it on to our son. Though my husband assured me that it was nothing like the cartoon, for over 30 years I resisted reading it. I assumed that … Continue reading Bambi
In The Realm of Mist and Mercy
One of my favorite couples in the world each had a baby last week. Holding their sweet newly-minted little princesses in my arms I was struck, again, by how sacred the task of parenting is. At the birth of a child, a tender immortal soul is entrusted into our love and care so that we … Continue reading In The Realm of Mist and Mercy