At age ten, Benedict carries massive chips on both shoulders. Having passed from bad foster homes to worse, he dreads the uncertainty of new surroundings and new rules. When he arrives at The Sunshine Ranch, he doubts the sincerity of his new foster parents, David and Martha Credence and […]
Fight for Liberty, by Theresa Linden
Fight for Liberty, Book Three in the Liberty trilogy, climbs to a dazzling climax, filled with plot shifts that will tantalize adult, juvenile and young adult readers. In Book One, Chasing Liberty, an inner voice she calls “My Friend” directs nineteen-year-old Liberty 554-062466-84 of Aldonia to the realization that there is […]
Life-Changing Love, by Theresa Linden
Theresa Linden weaves three story lines throughout this second volume of her West Brothers trilogy. At the conclusion of volume one—Roland West, Loner—Roland finds a measure of happiness with his new friends, especially Caitlyn. He and she enjoy hanging out without the pressures of a “relationship.” When Roland tells Caitlyn […]
Being Pro-Life In A Pro-Choice Political Dynasty
We must admit that the practice of mercy is waning in the wider culture. In some cases the word seems to have dropped out of use. However, without a witness to mercy, life becomes fruitless and sterile, as if sequestered to a barren desert. Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, para. 10 […]
Euthanasia–Celebrating the Destruction of God’s Greatest Gift—Life
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME Euthanasia (aka assisted suicide), is a pathetic concept promoted under the guise of compassion, mercy and kindness. It is no such thing. Euthanasia is not compassionate. It is not merciful. And it is not kind. It is an abomination because it celebrates the destruction of […]
Laudato Si, by Pope Francis
The scientific community, particularly ecologists and economists have praised Pope Francis for his leadership in the discussion of the environment and the dangers of climate change. Laudato Si has addressed scores of topics related to the common good, with a more intense focus on human life, not only the lives […]
Rosa, Sola, by Carmela Martino
In Rosa, Sola, Carmela Martino extended an invitation for her readers to meet Rosa Bernardi and share the hospitality of her Italian immigrant household. Martino spiced the text with Italian dialogue and painted her chapters in domestic minutiae that placed a fork in the reader’s right hand and a […]
Healer: A Novel, by John M. Wills
Healer reminds me of a Norman Rockwell print. Rockwell could transform the most ordinary, everyday events into the most extraordinary images. He filled his portraits with warm, happy, generous, uplifting people. Hidden among a cohort of typical high school kids, Wills finds the extraordinary, the superhero — the healer. Of […]
Another Secular Triumph–Helping Laura Kill Herself
Her name is Laura and she is 24 years old. She is a healthy woman who lives in Belgium. She wants to die. Why does she want to die? Because, as she says, “Life, that’s not for me.” My initial thoughts were that this young woman is severely depressed or […]
Down Right Good, by Karen Kelly Boyce
This story of social media with training wheels follows ten-year-old Angie’s Saturday deliveries of newspapers and baked goods. Each customer along Angie’s route receives her gifts and shares conversations, usually revealing vexing problems. Angie gathers problems at each stop, not as burdens but with an intention of finding solutions. Angie’s Down […]