March Book Bracket
March had a slow start when it came to reading books, but a strong spring break performance helped boost the book count.
The Year of Miss Agnes, by Kirkpatrick Hill
Fred (short for Fredericka) and the other kids in her Alaskan backwoods village experience a year of wonder and growing love for learning under the tutelage of Miss Agnes.
Why I picked it up: I think this was recommended in Honey for a Child's Heart, and when I saw it on the shelf of a coworker, I boldly asked to borrow it.
My impressions: This book is best primarily when considered as a window into the lives of Alaskan Indians in small, isolated villages after the second world war. Reading it seemed like I was getting a feel for old-timey schooling, like one gets from the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. It was neat to track how one new individual could change so much in the lives of the residents, from relationships improving between parents and children to the inspiration the students felt to pursue more for their lives. There was one comment the narrator made about wanting to pursue and education and not wanting to have kids like so-and-so, which rubbed me the wrong way a little bit because it seems to reflect the statistic that more education leads to women wanting and/or having fewer babies, and the implication that family and personal betterment are mutually exclusive...of course, that's just a personal irritant and I'll step off the soap box to continue the review. There was little plot to the book, so that's a shortcoming, but it's a quick read and I came to care about the characters. It's a fine little book if you're wanting to introduce someone to Alaskan experiences (kind of like Switherby Pilgrims was a cool glimpse into the Australian outback).
Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation, by Josef Pieper
A philosopher who was thinking and writing deeply after the second world war composed several essays, compiled in this book, about leisure, contemplation, and art.
Why I picked it up: I had read a little of Pieper's work before, so when I saw two titles from my to-read list at a local secondhand bookstore, I scooped them up! Picking up this book a year or so later was part of my resolution to read more of the books that I actually own.
My impressions: I was a big fan of Pieper's Leisure: The Basis of Culture, and found this book would be an excellent companion text to it. He covers similar points in a few places in the first essay, but it's not simply a condensed version of Leisure: The Basis of Culture. He had an interesting insight into how our culture creates a lot of visual "noise," as well as sound noise. He touches on silence, music, contemplation, art, and the how and why we have festivals (or feast days). This collection makes me think that perhaps Pieper was deeply convicted of the utter necessity for festival, feast days, and the leisure necessary to make them happen, and that personal conviction helped focus the train of his thoughts. It makes me think that, perhaps, I could benefit from determining what ideas really move me and dedicate more time to diving more deeply into them, rather than spreading myself wide across many areas. In any case, it was a quick read, but a good read that had some good points to ponder, too. It's nice to get back into a little philosophy again, and I think any high schooler or older who wants to contemplate contemplation, rest, music, and art would enjoy this book.
Prayer, by Pope Benedict XVI
The pope gave numerous general audiences focused on prayer, and this work is essentially the compilation of these weekly talks.
Why I picked it up: This was the book chosen by our small book club.
My impressions: Pope Benedict XVI is another author whose works I've been telling myself I need to read for years, and I think this book is a good representative of his work. He is understandable, but his clear manner doesn't mean he fails to go deeply - he does. When I read this book, I had the sense that I was learning from someone who is devoted to loving God and exploring the richness of His words in Scripture. I appreciated how the pope looked into so many different parts of the Bible to discuss prayer. There is so much in this book, but I think that Biblical view was what I appreciate most. It's like having a fantastic, trustworthy commentary for many parts of the Bible, both Old Testament and New Testament. I really should have sat down with the Bible passages he discusses and read them in tandem with his insights on them - I think that would be the best way to approach this book. I think any Christian who takes their faith seriously and wants to go deeper would do well to consider picking up this book.
Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism, by Douglas Brinkley and Julie M. Fenster**
This biography discusses the life of (now) Blessed Fr. Michael McGivney, the son of Irish immigrants who created the Knights of Columbus organization.
Why I picked it up: This is one of the books I decided to use an Audible credit on, since it was on my to-read list and didn't look like a book I'd be able to find more cheaply somewhere else.
My impressions: This book is great for learning about the Knights of Columbus organization, and certainly is a solid biography of the man who started it. The reader is given good background information about the standing of immigrants (and Catholic immigrants, especially), which very much shaped the course of Fr. McGivney's life. The social climate of the time helped me understand the importance of the Knights of Columbus - as well as why they chose that name (which I have wondered for a long time). It seemed like the authors drew assumptions here and there, sometimes from necessity, sometimes not, but the variety of documents they combed through, as well as the incorporation of so many people who met or worked with Father McGivney, is evidence of how thorough the authors were in their research. This is a good work that introduces readers to the life and work of a man who could become one of the United States' first native-born male citizens to reach sainthood, and I think any middle schooler or older could read it - but maybe high school age might be a better match of interest in this book. This could be a good book for those who are interested in learning about the Knights of Columbus.
A Common Life, by Jan Karon
Though the sixth book written in the Mitford series, this one would actually fall in the #3 slot in the timeline, going through the period of Father Tim's engagement to Cynthia and their wedding.
Why I picked it up: It was time to get a fun read in instead of a required one or a serious one! I knew I'd need a light read or two for my spring break trip.
My impressions: This was another great addition to the Mitford series. I wish I'd read it in the order it falls in the sequence, but it was still great reading it in publication order. It had seemed weird to jump from engagement to newly married, but this book perfectly filled that gap. It was a fast read, too - I finished it during what was probably a 24-hour period, but probably shorter than that. This is a great book for any Mitford fan - but read it third, not sixth!
Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination, by Vigen Guroian
A college professor, in this expanded version of the original work, takes a look at what he calls the "moral imagination" and walks through classic children's fairy tales and stories that help form this capacity in children.
Why I picked it up: This book had been on my to-read list for ages. It had been sitting on my shelf for six months. It was time!
My impressions: I'm glad I finally sat myself down with this book and read it! As it seems to happen with surprising frequency, I found my favorite part of this book might have been the introduction! Well, the intro and the first chapter. This book is like many others in that it takes a look at either a single work of literature, or multiple works, and explores them on a level deeper than that of a simple story. In Guroian's work, he states the concept or virtue being considered and looks at several different works that depict it. As with much criticism of literature, some stories could be interpreted through a different lens, or another critic might have drawn different conclusions. I can't say that I would enjoy the original "Little Mermaid" more now than when I first did as a child, but I do appreciate it more because of this work. I was reminded of my great love for other stories, such as the Chronicles of Narnia series and the Princess and Curdie books. I suppose that something I'd have liked in this book would be the author's ideas on how to discuss these stories with children so that we can appreciate their deeper meaning. Or, would he think it's best to just let children enjoy these stories as stories, and hope that an appreciation for these moral elements will sink in through mere exposure? I imagine that some adult interaction would be necessary to help make those connections, but the key would be finding a good balance so that the story isn't engaged merely as a means to attaining a virtuous end. This book was great and, not only a resource for parents looking for good books and discussion content, but a sort of class in literary criticism in itself. I'd recommend this book to parents of young children, but also to any high schoolers or older who just want to engage with children's literature at a deeper level.
In This Mountain, by Jan Karon
The seventh Mitford book covers a lot of ground - more run-ins with old enemies (diabetes being one), as well as the onset of depression, take a lot of Father Tim's time and effort as he hunts for missing Barlowe children and tries to be a good husband to his wife and friend to his hometown neighbors.
Why I picked it up: This was one of the light reads I was looking forward to reading on a spring break trip.
My impressions: This was a strong Mitford book. It was hard to see Fr. Tim experience depression, but it was also so good to see him fight his way through it with the love of his wife, his community, and, always, by the grace of God. Development of his character, and of several people around him, kept this book from being a same-old-same-old, a rehash of everything we've seen in the series already. However, the book has not lost any of its cozy charm and makes me want to pick up yet another one! I'll have to wait, I'm sure (looking at you, neglected books that I've made commitments to others to read), but fans of Mitford will certainly have lots to like about this book.
The King of the Golden City, by Mother Mary Loyola**
This allegory for children depicts the soul as a little girl, Delecta, as she matures and prepares to enter the Golden City, the home of the King who has met with her and loved her from the start. (Don't mistake this work for this similarly-titled The King of the Golden River, which is a different but excellent work.)
Why I picked it up: I was going through my to-read list when visiting a sister during spring break. My list was way out of hand, and I decided to sit down and actually research the titles on my list a little more to figure out if they are really books that I want to read. This was one book (possibly the only one) that I found out was public domain and available on Librivox.
My impressions: It had been a long time since I'd turned to Librivox for an audiobook, and I was pleased that the version I found had been completed by the same narrator. I don't usually go for straight allegories, preferring works that have some symbolic or allegorical elements, but I found there were some good points to listening to/reading this one. I found myself thinking more about my soul and the appetites my body has, particularly during this season of Lent. I liked that the allegory was pretty simple, so that children and even adults like me (I, who struggle with anything more subtle than clear symbolism) can grasp the realities that the story hints at. No, it's not really an exciting read, although I found some of the imagery appealing. It can certainly come across as preachy, but I didn't really expect anything else from an allegory, and it didn't have a better-than-though tone that would have bothered me. This work might help parents talk about spiritual realities with a child, and could be a great work to foster discussion, including when kids are approaching the time to receive the sacraments. However, I think it can also be helpful to older kids, teens, and adults who might be so used to thinking of God and the path to Heaven in a specific way that a fresh take on familiar truths would be an aid to deeper reflection.
Bracket Play
Happy day! An even bracket! There were no standout poor books this month, so I did have to think about the first round lineups. Between the two books written for children, I opted for The King of the Golden City because it had me thinking more about my spiritual life. While The Year of Miss Agnes had a unique "flavor", it wasn't as likely to be impactful as Mother Mary Loyola's book. Next, I decided that Tending the Heart of Virtue deserved to win over Only the Lover Sings at least partly because Guroian's work was a single, unified work with concrete ideas I could talk about with others. Pieper is great, but a collection of shorter essays on connected but varying themes is a little harder to explain to others - or remember well. Prayer was an incredible reflection on prayer, especially as it's seen in Scripture, so it won easily over Parish Priest - although that book was a good biography of an influential priest. In the matchup between the Mitford books, I gave the win to In the Mountain because it delved into the triumphs and struggles of life in a way that A Common Life did not - and was not meant to, either, being a book focused on the excitement of a wedding.
The second round was quicker to determine, because the two standout reads easily beat the others. Mother Mary Loyola's allegory is an allegory for Catholic children, and while it had its merits, it's just not my usual reading fare, and likely to resonate with a smaller audience. The pope's book easily put down the comforting, cozy Mitford book. And, while the pope's book definitely deserved to win, I decided to award the victory to Tending the Heart of Virtue. That book has had me thinking about it periodically since I read it, and I'm excited to share it with others. Even though I didn't mark it as such, Prayer certainly is worthy of being a very close runner-up this month. That's three months in a row of being conflicted about which worthy book deserves to win!
Books Attempted and Put Down
The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Henri J. M. Nouwen
A priest reflects on Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son masterpiece.
Why I picked it up: I thought meditating on the Prodigal Son parable would be a good Lenten activity. I thought maybe a saint had written it, and it was one book that had been previously read by a book group I now belong too. Also, the Rembrandt masterpiece appeared in another book that I previously attempted (and ultimately, failed) to read.
Why I put it down: The author, it turns out, is not currently a saint - he died in 1996 and I think I was confusing him with St. John Neumann. The author, a priest, was sharing about his personal experience with the famous artwork - and that's fine as an introduction to a work, but at some point in the intro, I decided to research the author a little bit. Catholic Answers indicates that his writing may not have a super strong theology in them: "He was not a dissenter, but some critics argue that he could have been stronger in advancing Catholic doctrine in his writings." This might be something I revisit someday, especially if I want a great dive into the parable, but I lost interest in it for now.
Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton
This classic work explores a father's search for his son on the streets of Johannesburg, South Africa, amidst the rising racial tensions just prior to the institutionalization of Apartheid.
Why I picked it up: This book was chosen for a book club that I'm in.
Why I put it down: I made it about a third of the way through on the first day of the road trip, and the part describing the shanty town was starting to get to me. I decided that I wanted to dedicate more time to reading Tending the Heart of Virtue during the road trip, when I would have lots of mostly-uninterrupted time to get it read (I have at least one person waiting to read it when I finish). I read this book in high school, so I didn't feel too bad about not finishing it. However, the gals at book club talked about liking it so much that I kind of do want to see if I can finish it. It's possible that this paragraph gets deleted after being posted in case I'm able to do that.