Welcome to the April 2024 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

I’ve almost finished Karen Ullo’s forthcoming historical novel, To Crown with Liberty (Chrism Press). A split-time novel set during the French Revolution and late 18^th century Louisiana, the story of Alix de Morainville of the French nobility, is told through her own eyes. The reader experiences the persecutions and executions of the Reign of Terror and the wilds of the American south as farms and plantations bring civilization to the swamps of Louisiana. Some prominent historical French and American figures appear throughout. The faith interwoven in the story makes it stand out from purely historical and less personal sagas. Even without having read the conclusion, I highly recommend this novel, which will be launched on May 1.

I received a copy of The Family That Prays Together Stays Together: A Bead-by-Bead Family Guide through the Mysteries by Fr. Willy Raymond, CSC from Catholic Mom. It is a good introduction to the Rosary, designed for the reader to focus on a single mystery each day, working through the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious mysteries in four weeks’ time. For those already familiar with the Rosary, it offers a chance to slow down and focus on each mystery with its scripture reading and reflection.

If you’d like a copy of this helpful guide, you can receive 20% off The Family That Prays Together Stays Together though December 31, 2024 by using the promo code FRPEYTON at Ave Maria Press.

I also had the opportunity to read an advance copy of Maria V. Gallagher’s forthcoming Glorious Encounters with Mary. The author shares her deepest sorrows and greatest joys, drawing you in as if she were inviting you into her living room, where you can share your triumphs and challenges in the light of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. From the Resurrection of Jesus to the Coronation of Mary, the reader can see in the Blessed Mother’s experience their own encounters with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The celebration of virtue and the examples of the saints help foster the reader’s own response to the universal call to holiness.

My college son has been enjoying the audiobooks available on Spotify. He recently listened to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. He enjoyed what he called the Monty Python-esque humor. He thought it worked particularly well as an audiobook because of its lightheartedness and randomness.

He also read ‘In the Beginning …’: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall by Pope Benedict XVI. A portion was assigned reading for class, but since it was rather short, he proceeded to read the entire text. Translated from German, these homilies provide a Catholic understanding of the early biblical writings. My son expected the text to be heady and hard-to-understand but found them easily comprehensible and informative.

My high school daughter has been reading The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare with her class. This is her first time reading a Shakespeare play, and she’s really enjoying it. In this comedy set in 16^th century Venice, Bassanio wants to impress wealthy Portia and turns to his friend Antonio for help. Antonio becomes indebted to a Jewish lender, Shylock. Under the terms, Shylock is entitled to a pound of Antonio’s flesh. It’s Portia who saves the day.

My middle school daughter is reading Saint José: Boy Cristero Martyr by Fr. Kevin McKenzie. This novel, which my older daughter and I previously read, is an engaging, realistic portrait of Mexican teen Jose Sanchez Del Rio’s piety and courage. Its focus on Saint José’s bravery rather than his captors’ brutality makes it appropriate for young readers. It serves as an excellent introduction to Mexican history, Church history, and sainthood.

I’ll be sharing a longer review at Catholic Mom, but Our Lady of Sorrows: Devotion to Mary’s Seven Sorrows for Children by Patrick O’Hearn is a treasure for families. It explains the devotion and for each of the seven sorrows, it provides the relevant scripture verses, an introduction written from Our Lady’s perspective that helps foster compassion for the Blessed Mother in children, the Hail Mary (in both English and Latin), a concluding prayer, and beautiful illustrations. Adalee Hude’s beautiful artistry depicts both the individual sorrows and Mary’s immaculate heart, pierced by swords. I look forward to praying this devotion more frequently with my family.

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