July 2022 Book Bracket
Lots going on this month, but thanks to a variety of book types and consumption methods, I was still able to fit in a few.
Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, by Astrid Lindgren
The eponymous heroine comes to know, hate, and then befriend the son of a rival robber band.
Why I picked it up: I was working through a good but dense academic work and needed a quick break. I had received this book as a birthday gift from my younger sister after it had been on my "to-read" list for a while.
My impressions: This is a book that, at least in genre specifics, defies description. Yes, it is a children's book - a chapter book - but beyond that, it is hard to categorize. It is part fairy-tale insofar as it features mythical creatures like harpies and author-created rumphops, but it has none of the classic fairy tale story elements. It is a story that happened in the past, but it has no definite dates or locations, so it's not historical fiction. Certain sequences discuss the tasks necessary to survive in a cave in a forest, but it's not a survival guide. I suppose this book is a general sort of "adventure" with an interesting mix of elements. The book is unusual in that Ronia's family, though loving, has a disreputable trade - that of robbing travelers. I am not used to children's books where the family is not morally upstanding, I suppose! But the robbing is never glorified - two of the most important characters question it and refuse to follow that line of work. It was, at times, a bit of a wild ride due to the extremes of emotions some characters experienced and the unusual situation of the characters, but a few parts were a bit slow. This would probably be a fun read for a child and children's-literature-loving-adults like me, but there were a few occasions of borderline questionable language for a young audience. I might end up reading the book again sometime, but I don't anticipate it will end up on the shelf of "beloved children's books".
The Word on Fire Bible: Gospels
This is the first release of the evangelizing Word on Fire ministry's massive multi-volume Bible project.
Why I picked it up: I wanted to own this beautiful Bible.
My impressions: This (Catholic) Bible is quite excellent! It's a slightly different translation than the one I'm used to, but that made it interesting to note slight differences in the text. I love excerpts pulled from works by well-known Catholic theologians and authors, including Church fathers such as St. Augustine, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, G. K. Chesterton, and Bishop Robert Barron. Longer essays punctuated the volume and provided deeper insights into some key texts. I especially loved the full-color reproductions of works of sacred art that included a short explanation of how the work is connected to the Gospel passage being depicted as well as notes about artistic composition. I would highly recommend this Bible to any Catholic.
Charis in the World of Wonders, by Marly Youmans**
A teenage girl named Charis in pre-Revolutionary War Massachusetts escapes massacre and the dangers of the wilderness to make a new life for herself in a sometimes dangerous colonial society.
Why I picked it up: The book first caught my interest as I perused the Ignatius Press catalogue, so when I saw the ebook was on sale, I snatched it up.
My impressions: I enjoyed reading the book - a mix, it seemed, of historical fiction and fairy tale - but still have mixed feelings about it. Or, perhaps, I'm still sorting out my thoughts on it. Well-researched, and certainly beautifully written by a poet/novelist, it portrayed multiple dynamic characters of depth and development. The Catholic French, who make just a few appearances in the story and character's thoughts, were portrayed as vicious, but that isn't surprising considering that the main character, a Puritan, suffered great loss at the hands of the Native Americans and their French allies. I do find it interesting that Ignatius Press, a Catholic publishing company, sells this book. I had to skim a few parts - some just a little too depressing, and some a little too borderline as far as appropriateness goes for me. Nothing was, I'd say, graphic, but the romance was a little strong and more intense intimacy talked about pretty baldly a few times. Some of the scenes of violence were disturbing, so all that combined would have me saying that really maybe only adults should be reading this book...which is strange, because much of it reads like books like "Johnny Tremain", a children's historical fiction book set in a similar time period. Lots of deep thoughts and complex emotions are explored, including lots of loss and coming to terms with death. I will warn prospective readers that there is a suicide in this book. The atmosphere of this work was well-woven and quite believable. As stated earlier, I'd recommend this book only to adults, and that with the warning that they still might find it an emotionally trying work that could require skimming here and there. I wouldn't be surprised if I looked into the author's other works at some point.
Stories of the Saints, by Carey Wallace; illustrated by Nick Thornborrow
An illustrated book shares short tales of saints through the ages, beginning with Roman martyrs and ending with Mother Teresa.
Why I picked it up: A friend gave me this lovely book as a belated Christmas present. I ended up reading one or two stories at a time before turning off the light for bed.
My impressions: Overall, this is a pretty neat take on the children's hagiography compendiums I sometimes read as a child. The shorter length of these stories make them readable in short chunks, like what one might read a child as a bedtime story. There were a few mistakes in a few of the stories and/or illustrations, such as stating Fra Angelico is a saint (he isn't yet) and including too many of a certain item in an illustration. Some of the illustrations really wowed me (e.g., the Fra Angelico illustration was done in the style of one of his own paintings), and some didn't do much for me or came off as creepy. I appreciated that there was an illustration for every saint included in this book. Another likeable feature was the information box that precluded the story; included in the box were (estimated) dates of the years the saint lived, location, items or images associated with the saint, patronages, and feast day. One thing I would have liked would to be know which saint stories were based more on legend and which had historical evidence or accounts. One last thing that rubbed me wrong a bit at the beginning was that the focus at times seemed more on the deeds of the saint with little attention to God. However, I think that with a subheading like "Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage", it isn't surprising that the author really dwells on the "exciting" story elements. In conclusion, I think this book would be fine for kids to read, but just with the knowledge that some illustrations may be a little creepy for young readers, there are a few inaccuracies, and the stories of necessity are very truncated hagiographies.
From Slave to Priest, by Sr. Caroline Hemesath, S.S.F.**
This biography details the life of Father Augustine Tolton, the first black priest to serve in his native country, the United States of America.
Why I picked it up: This audiobook from formed.org seemed of interest when I needed a break from podcasts.
My impressions: I am glad to now know the story of Father Augustine Tolton. This book did a great job of portraying the hardships Father Tolton encountered during his life, both in the struggle to gain acceptance to the seminary, and after ordination in his diocesan ministry. It is rough to see the racism of United States Catholics in action at that time, especially compared to the respect shown to Father Tolton in Rome, and to wonder how much change has happened in the American Catholic Church since then. "Perseverance" is probably the word most suited to this amazing priest. Fr. Tolton is deemed a "Venerable" in the canonization process as of 2019, and I hope that I may celebrate his canonization in the future. I recommend this book to American Catholics, especially if someone is needing a saint biography fix.
If Your Mind Wanders at Mass, by Thomas Howard**
The significance of the different parts of the Mass are explained and pondered.
Why I picked it up: The ebook has been languishing on my list for a long time - I even started it once and couldn't get very far into it. When I saw it was a relatively short audiobook on formed.org, I decided to listen to it to squeeze in one extra book for the month.
My impressions: The best way to experience this book is, I think, to read it and ponder it, perhaps in adoration. As an audiobook, it was easy for my mind to wander (which is a terrible irony, considering the name). There were lots of great explanations about the beauty and importance of the Mass, but listening to it was not the way to encourage deep reflection on it. In some ways, I found myself wishing for more details - like what I learned about in middle school, including technical names, the positioning of the priest's hands, etc. Great overview and some detail, but no practical tips for paying attention better. This book would be a great read for Catholics new to the faith or who have not been well catechized in what is happening at the Mass; also a good refresher for those who are more familiar, including myself.
Tolkien's Modern Reading, by Holly Ordway
Scholar Holly Ordway explores the modern literature Tolkien is known or likely to have read while debunking myths about his life and reading habits that resulted from an unfortunate official biography.
Why I picked it up: I knew I wanted to read this book but didn't decide to until my reading-club-of-two partner agreed to it.
My impressions: This is an academic work and therefore prone to move slower than a novel, but it was an excellent read for serious Tolkien fans. Ordway did a great job of synthesizing when she described some of the books she listed (not all were explained in such - minimal - detail). I felt that she ventured into speculation at times about what influence these works could have had upon Tolkien, but she stated at the beginning that she was going to do so. And, as someone who did some detailed research (the depth is incredible), and as someone who has an intimate understanding of Tolkien's works, I think she is warranted the space to speculate. No amateur is she. There's no way of knowing for sure, but Ordway certainly made the case for Tolkien's imagination working in a certain way - as a "leaf mould". I doubt that anyone's full imaginative workings can be pinned down, but she had good evidence to back up her explanation. This book made me despise Humphrey Carpenter's official biography of Tolkien and wonder how Tolkien may have differed from Carpenter's portrayal. This book took me two summer months to work through (with some other books mixed in), but it was an impressive work that led me to start a letter to the author. I still have to finish it, but I'll get there. This book is good for Tolkien scholars and super-nerds, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it to casual fans or even big fans, unless they want to get into the more academic side of things and critical essays aren't enough.
Bracket Play
I did not include the Gospels in the bracket because I feel like the Bible would win hands down, every time. So, excepting the Gospels, this is how bracket play went:
Two of the first round games were easy to decide - Ordway's academic work won out over the beautiful but imperfect "Stories of the Saints". The audiobook of Father Augustine Tolton definitely held my interest much better than "If Your Mind Wanders at Mass", which would probably have been a better read for me as a physical book. However, the two fictional works (I'm certain of only one of them being for children) was difficult to decide. "Ronia" felt like a wild read, but I thought "Charis" was beautifully written and did not shy away from the ugliness and beauty of life. However, this work lost to "From Slave to Priest" because I think (on-his-way-to-being-a-)saint stories are important - and this, one, about a black priest in post-Civil-War America, strikes me as a very important one for today. For this reason, it also beat Ordway's book, which was very good, but probably not as likely to find general appeal.
It looks like the bracket this time was dictated more by what I thought was the better book to be read; it I went off of enjoyment, the winner could have been either fictional work or parts of "Tolkien's Modern Reading."
Books Started and Put Down
Triss, by Brian Jacques
A squirrel with a warrior's heart escapes slavery and battles the evil creatures who try to hunt her down.
Why I picked it up: I felt the urge to read a book from the beloved Redwall series and this was one I hadn't read in a while.
Why I put it down: Honestly, the German accents of several key villains really bothered me. Jacques usually gives interesting accents to side characters, but a pretty major one was sporting a strong accent in this book and I couldn't get past it. I recall from past reads that the story has pretty much all the Redwall adventure tropes one could ask for, but I didn't want to have to fight irritation from one character's voice the entire book. It's one thing to hear an accent in a movie and another to have to read it spelled phonetically in a 300+ page book. I'd still recommend this book to any Redwall lover, even though now was not the time for me to read it.
