Conversion of the Heart and Mind: Apologia Pro Vita Sua

Apologia Pro Vita Sua 

by St. John Henry Cardinal Newman

This book is recommended for Level 6 Year 2 in the Mater Amabilis high school religion plans (twelfth grade). It's one of the three books currently in the lesson plans of readings by modern saints. St. John Henry Newman is one of our family's patron saints, so I was excited to read this book.

St. John Henry Newman threw the English religious world into turmoil when he, a revered intellectual and leader in the Anglican church, converted to Roman Catholicism, a faith viewed with particular patriotic contempt. In the years after his conversion, Newman struggled through the loss of many friends and skepticism from many in his new faith. 

Finally, in response to a personal attack on his integrity and that of his new faith, Newman decided a thorough response was necessary, one which meant sharing the development of his faith from childhood through his rise in the Anglican church and his eventual conversion. He gathered as many of his personal letters and writings as he could and published it all in an astoundingly short amount of time. The result, through a couple of revisions, is Apologia Pro Vita Sua. The edition I read is that edited by Ian Ker, which contains much of the original content, such as the pamphlet from his most prominent accuser which prompted the book.

Newman spent years reading and praying, on the brink of converting but hesitating. His Apologia offers some explanation for his reticence.

I could not continue in this state, either in the light of duty or of reason. My difficulty was this: I had been deceived greatly once; how could I be sure that I was not deceived a second time? I thought myself right then; how was I to be certain that I was right now? ... To be certain is to know that one knows; what inward test had I, that I should not change again, after that I had become a Catholic? (p. 206)

So, like the rest of us, he decided to write a book (Essay on Doctrinal Development) and, if he felt the same way when he was done, he'd become a Catholic. 

And I hold this still: I am a Catholic by virtue of my believing in a God; and if I am asked why I believe in a God, I answer that it is because I believe in myself, for I feel it impossible to believe in my own existence (and of that fact I am quite sure) without believing also in the existence of Him, who lives as a Personal, All-seeing, All-judging Being in my conscience. (p. 182)

Newman's early years as a Catholic were difficult ones. Many of his friends and family abandoned him. Many Catholics were wary of him. His first endeavors as a Catholic ended in failure or mediocrity, but he never looked back and trusted always in the Lord who had been leading him all along.

I read the book and the appendices. I assigned the book itself to my oldest when he was a senior. He struggled at times with all the different groups of people, because Newman writes to an audience who knew all the people and all the controversies. I think there might be benefit in reading the papers and essays going back and forth in order, so you would read what others wrote and then how Newman responded, but it's hard to always sort that out in the book. (If you've read Charlotte Mason's books, you'll find the same sort of essay writing here; where the author is obviously responding to something or someone specific, but modern readers are a bit in the dark.) The Introduction of this edition of the Apologia also has some background, but I hadn't thought to assign it to my son; that might be a good idea. It's really only a problem when Newman is describing the activities of the Tractarians and the responses to his conversion. When Newman is writing about himself and his own thoughts, the book is clear.

When my son was reading it, we paused reading a few chapters in to read Joyce Sugg's John Henry Newman: Snapdragon in the Wall, which was helpful in providing Newman's basic background and some context for the Apologia. I plan to assign Sugg's book to my future kids, but it could also be a good family read-aloud.

If your high school student struggles a little with dense texts, you could assign Sugg's book and some excerpts of the Apologia. That would still provide an excellent foundation for learning about Newman's life.

A friend of mine especially loves reading St. John Henry Newman because he wrote in English. For those of us used to reading the words of saints through a translation, it's a great blessing to read such rich and beautiful prose in our own language. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, even if it was sometimes a challenge.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I purchased this book. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links.

Martyrs in England: God's Secret Agents

God's Secret Agents: Queen Elizabeth's Forbidden Priests and the Hatching of the Gunpowder Plot 
by Alice Hogge

This book was recommended multiple times by a friend of mine (Sally Thomas) so I was thrilled when I was offered a copy on PaperBackSwap.com (not an affiliate link). 

How could you tell apart the man who behaved like a secret agent and was a secret agent, from the man who behaved like a secret agent, but was a man of God (even if you, yourself, had forced that mode of behaviour upon him by your laws)? (p. 296)

The answer, according to God's Secret Agents, is not very well. 

This book thoroughly explores the context and conditions of the Catholic priests of the English Reformation. The extensive research reveals thoughts and declared intentions of Catholics in England, government officials, Queen Elizabeth, and the priests caught between them all. It's an invaluable book for anyone interested in the Catholic Reformation, and an excellent background for books like Edmund Campion by Evelyn Waugh. The Gunpowder Plot is actually only a small part of the book, though as an American Catholic, I found those chapters as enlightening as the rest.

One of the interesting things I have noticed about English history and literature is how often being Catholic is just unacceptable to proper Englishmen. For example, Winston Churchill's History of the English-Speaking Peoples seems to frown worriedly at any Catholic he mentions. According to Ms. Hogge, it began centuries ago, as a Catholic invasion from Spain was thwarted on their very shores.

What remained unclear, though, was how many of their countrymen would still be prepared to welcome them in, now that Catholicism had been linked so strongly with un-Englishness in the public consciousness. For if to be Catholic was to be an unnatural Englishman, then to draw attention to that unnaturalness in the weeks and months following the Spanish Armada was tantamount to signing your own death warrant. (p. 98)

Late in the book, she argues such bias continues today. She recounts how newspapers published a flurry of worrying articles when the Prime Minister was spotted in a Catholic cathedral in 1998.

It was as though the voices of long dead Tudor, Stuart and Hanoverian MPs, churchmen, and pamphleteers had suddenly crackled into life again and centuries on were venting their old bias. (p. 391) 

The author did a magnificent job presenting all sides of the issues arising in the course of the book. The martyrs are heroic in their service to their countrymen, the politicians are often simply trying to make peace and smooth things over, and the pope doesn't always ease the situation.

Pope Pius V, responsible for excommunicating Elizabeth in 1570, and releasing her subjects from their allegiance to her. This act, more than any other single event, defined the English Catholic dilemma of divided loyalty. (second photo insert)

It was a time when men and women of much and little learning were working out their salvation amidst uncertainty, mortal and immortal, with wise and trusted individuals often disagreeing about not just the proper response to questions, but the relative importance of the questions themselves. It is a reminder not just of the danger of easily vilifying (or idealizing) people of the past, but of the present as well.

St. Nicholas Owen was one of the most fascinating people in the book. A brilliant carpenter and devoted Catholic, he designed and crafted priest holes all over England. Eventually, he was captured and martyred under torture, apparently without divulging any of his secrets.

In life he had saved them, in death he would too: not a single name escaped him. (p. 365)

I love his example of humble craftsmanship in service to God, and he's now one of my new favorite saints. (Coincidentally, an artist recently recommended in the Mater Amabilis Facebook group, offers a lovely icon of him with St. Joseph.)

There are graphic depictions of torture and gruesome deaths, not for the faith of heart, though many of these public executions led to conversions of heart also described in the book.

I do wish there had been some sort of a list of people in the back of the book to reference. Many men appear and reappear in the pages, sometimes with different names (those English have a distressing habit of becoming Lords or something and getting a new name). If I had known how very many there were, I would have made my own list as I read.

I wouldn't assign this book to a high school student, but only because it's rather long. You would have to dedicate a substantial amount of time to the English Reformation to justify it. I will definitely include it on a list of recommended reading for an interested student.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I received this book from PaperBackSwap.com (not an affiliate link). Links to Bookshop are affiliate links.

The History of England for Catholic Children

The History of England for Catholic Children

originally published by Burns and Lambert, London without an author listed

republished by Hillside Education

When this book was published last year, I bought a copy without any real plan for using it. I ended up reading it aloud to all of the children (tenth grade, seventh grade, fifth grade, and third grade). We enjoyed it so much! None of us have ever read Our Island Story and, until the starting high school, none of us had studied much British history beyond the colonization of North America.

I feel like this book was a great little introduction to British history. It gave a bit of background that will be useful for the younger ones when they get to high school. The British story is much more integral to the personality of American government and history than I had realized.

As we were reading, the youngest ones would eagerly look at our fun rulers of England ruler to see who was next in line. (Yes, Kansas Dad and I bought ours at Westminster Abbey when we visited last year. It's also where we bought the other gift we brought home to the kids: Shakespearean insult magnets. I'm...not sure what that says about us.)

Isn't it odd that the book doesn't have an author? I even contacted the publisher to be certain. Whoever it was certainly wasn't afraid to offer opinions on the characters, personalities, and virtues of the people of history, or for the entire American form of government. The children and I enjoyed the comments and assertions, though. We debated them ourselves around the table as I read. When writing about the end of the Revolutionary War, the author declares the American non-monarchical government the "most dangerous and least lasting kind of government." The kids erupted with comments and assertions at that!

Near the end of the book, approaching the present of about 1830, the author wrote:

In painting, and sculpture, and architecture, England made some progress; but it is impossible for any country, cut off from the Church, to possess that genius in art which only the Church can inspire. English painting has for a long time dwindled down to mere mechanical efforts to imitate natural objects; and until the love of our blessed Lady and the glorious chorus of the Saints and Soldiers of the Church inspires our dear country with love, art must continue in this degraded state.

 We had such a great discussion about art, beauty, faith, non-Western art, and so much more!

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I did purchase the book at a discounted price, but with no expectation or promise of any kind of review. Links to Bookshop and Amazon are affiliate links. 

For Love of a Prince: Katherine

Katherine

by Anya Seton

I found this book on my shelves while trying to thin by collection. (I have to make room for three more years of school!) I don't know if it was my grandmother's, or if my mom picked it up somewhere; I certainly don't remember buying it myself. After a quick glance at the summary and reviews online, I decided to read it. Coincidentally, it matched perfectly with my ninth grader's readings in British history and his third term introduction to The Canterbury Tales.

Katherine, the heroine of the novel, was a minor noble during the time of King Edward III. His third son, John of Gaunt, employed Geoffrey Chaucer. Katherine's sister married Chaucer. She herself was John's mistress, the mother of four of his children, and eventually his third wife. John of Gaunt was never king, but his son (from a previous wife) became Henry IV of the House of Lancaster.

The novel is one of adultery, healing, and redemption. Katherine lives many years as John's mistress, quite in the open and with the inevitable knowledge of his lawful wife. Their actions fulfill their own desires, but cause sorrow and heartache for many. Katherine suffers a great shock and loss. She is contemplating the end of her life when a strange priest draws her away from a cliff. He introduces her to Julian the Anchoress who shows her the great love and forgiveness of the Lord. With their assistance, she renounces her sinful ways and rebuilds a life of honor and dedication to her home and children.

What a weary time it took to learn how homely and direct the answer was, that it needed no thunderbolts and flaming wonders for Him to fulfill His promise, I will keep thee full securely. That He had as many ways of loving as there were droplets in the ocean, the ocean that was yet all one sea.

It's a magnificent depiction of life of the times of Geoffrey Chaucer and the English monarchy. It covers the Peasants' Revolt and much royal intrigue. Reading it alongside our Churchill helped me immensely in keeping the royal family members straight and in imagining what life was like during that time.

At first, I considered adding this book to our list of potential historical fiction for ninth grade. I think if one of my children (in ninth grade or high school) asked about reading this book, I would allow it. It's certainly one that reveals the insidiousness of sin and points toward confession and redemption, but it is a book in which the acts of adultery are a key point of the plot. Some of acts of infidelity are described a little more explicitly than I might wish for my fifteen year olds. So I would allow it, but I don't think I'm going to add it to our independent reading list for ninth grade. I do, however, recommend it to any homeschooling mom who is looking for historical fiction of this time period.

I have received nothing for this post which contains only my honest opinions. The link to Amazon above is an affiliate link.

Marriage, Work, and Worth: Middlemarch

Middlemarch

by George Eliot

This is a long book encompassing the lives of a nineteenth century English manor, village, and country-side, so it is full of lots of different stories, if not a lot of actual "action." Though all inter-twined, the stories themselves cover a variety of circumstances from romances and surprising heirs to disreputable pasts and tenuous futures. The whole is far more than I could write about in my little blog post.

One of the themes explored in the novel is that of making a good marriage. Two marriages in the novel are apparent failures though for different reasons: Dorothea finds herself in a marriage to a man who refuses to fully accept her as a wife.

He distrusted her affection, and what loneliness is more lonely than distrust?

When Dorothea married Mr. Casaubon, it was tacitly understood that he was the more educated and intelligent and that she would assist him. Before long she realizes his life's work is essentially meaningless. Her strength of character and innate goodness, her intelligence and continued devotion to him, repel him. He maintains a barrier between them and jealously attempts to control her life after his death.

Dr. Lydgate and Rosamond marry not after discerning they can be helpmates to one another, but because Lydgate finds her beautiful and Rosamond believes his high connections will raise her social status. Instead, he incurs great debt while continually failing to please her and her selfishness prevents her from understanding or adjusting to his life.

The strongest example is that of Mary Garth and Fred Vincy. Fred is a lackadaisical young man who lives in anticipation of an inheritance. His first and only love, Mary, refuses to marry him unless he makes something of himself in honest work.

"As if it were any pleasure to me to think ill of you," said Mary in a mournful tone. "As if it were not very painful to me to see you an idle, frivolous creature. How can you bear to be so contemptible when others are working and striving and there are so many things to be done--how can you bear to be fit for nothing in the world that is useful? And with so much good in your disposition, Fred, you might be worth a good deal."

Their relationship is assisted by the reverend Mr. Farebrother, who obtains Mary's promise to wait for Fred at Fred's request despite his own love for her. He later gently but firmly assists Fred in avoiding temptation and the loss of Mary.

"To think of the part one little woman can play in the life of a man, so that to renounce her may be a very good imitation of heroism, and to win her may be a discipline!"

Another example of a strong marriage is actually that of the Bulstrodes. As a young man, Mr. Bulstrode deceives his first wife into believing her daughter has died so he can inherit her fortune, a fortune built of ill-gotten gains in pawnshops.

There may be coarse hypocrites, who consciously affect beliefs and emotions for the sake of gulling the world, but Bulstrode was not one of them. He was simply a man whose desires had been stronger than his theoretic beliefs and who had gradually explained the gratification of his desires into satisfactory agreement with those beliefs. 

Throughout his life, Mr. Bulstrode sought wealth and power in order to serve God, but he did so in a pompous and arrogant way and callously threw aside the rights of others he deemed unworthy.

The service he could do to the cause of religion had been through life the ground he alleged to himself for his choice of action: it had been the motive which he had poured out in his prayers. Who would use money and position better than he meant to use them? Who could surpass him in self-abhorrence and exaltation of God's cause?...[snip]...There is no general doctrine which is not capable of eating out our morality if unchecked by the deep-seated habit of direct fellow-feeling with individual fellow-men. 

When his deception is revealed, destroying his carefully created pious persona, his wife sets aside her fancy gowns but does not desert him, humbly enduring his misery as she had enjoyed his wealth.

As Mary encourages Fred to undertake meaningful work, the idea of a legacy is interpreted through the thrwarted desires of Dr. Lydgate, who must give up his research to accommodate his wife and their life together and Caleb Garth, Mary's father, who steadfastly and skillfully manages estates around Middlemarch, repairing and building structures, shaping and improving the land.

The last paragraph of the novel speaks of Dorothea, who forgoes her desires to build something grand to improve life for great numbers of people when she marries for love and retires to a modest life.

Her finely touched spirit had still its fine issues, though they were not widely visible. Her full nature, like that river of which Cyrus broke the strength, spent itself in channels which had no great name on earth. But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive, for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on un-historic acts, and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs.

Given its length and slow quiet pace, I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading this novel. It was a lovely way to spend my time.

Some notes on the edition: I read this Penguin Drop Caps edition checked out from our library. Despite its length, the book did not feel heavy in my hands. The pages are soft on the hands and gentle on the eyes without over-glaring white. The text is a nice size, too. However, there are quotes before most of the chapters. When these were originally in Latin or French, there is no translation provided by an editor. Also, I found the cover color glaringly yellow-orange.

Such a Lovely Book!

The Door in the Wall

by Marguerite de Angeli

We just listened to this on audiobook from our library for the third or fourth time. I think I love it more each time. It's a book of learning and growing in wisdom and stature despite adversity, beautifully written, and a delight over and over again. Even the 8th grade boy, who had heard it every time, enjoyed it again.

The links above are affiliate links to Amazon. The opinions here are my own. We listened to the audiobook from our library, but we own this book in hardcover, purchased used.

The Natural World in Daily Life: All Creatures Great and Small

All Creatures Great and Small

by James Herriot

This book is one of the suggested "nature reading" books for Mater Amabilis™ ™Level 4. These books are not for narration. I think a reading journal entry would be appropriate, but I didn't assign anything like that to First Son. Instead, he just read these books and appreciated them. All Creatures Great and Small is the book assigned for the third term.

[I] hadn't dreamed there was a place like the Dales. I hadn't thought it possible that I could spend all my days in a high, clean-blown land where the scent of grass or trees was never far away; and where even in the driving rain of winter I could snuff the air and find the freshness of growing things hidden somewhere in the cold clasp of the wind.

Herriot is the pen name of a real British veterinarian of who shaped his memories of 1930s rural Yorkshire into this and subsequent fictionalized collections almost like interwoven short stories. They are not novels in the strictest definitions but neither are they memoirs.

The children and I have read James Herriot's Treasury for Children, which is a masterpiece and a beautifully illustrated book. We've also listened to the audio version as well as James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories which all the children enjoyed. This is the first time I've read one of his complete books. There are enough references to drinking, smoking, women and dating, and rougher language, that I wouldn't recommend this particular book for young children, but it's not inappropriate for a Level 4 student (eighth grade for us).

This book is a wonderful choice for nature reading because it demonstrates an appreciation for the natural world as an integral part of a young man's life as he lives his vocation as a vet. The natural world becomes a salve to comfort him when his job is uncomfortable and to lift his spirits when he struggles.

Through May and early June my world became softer and warmer. The cold wind dropped and the air, fresh as the sea, carried a faint breath of the thousands of wild flowers which speckled the pastures. At times it seemed unfair that I should be paid for my work; for driving out in the early morning with the fields glittering under the first pale sunshine and the wisps of mist still hanging on the high tops.

One day, Herriot underestimated how long his appointments would take and, after a series of frustrating farm visits, found himself eating his lunch while driving through the countryside.

But I had gone only a short way when reason asserted itself. This was no good. It was an excellent pie and I might as well enjoy it. I pulled off the unfenced road on to the grass, switched off the engine and opened the windows wide. The farm back there was like an island of activity in the quiet landscape and now that I was away from the noise and the stuffiness of the buildings the silence and the emptiness enveloped me like a soothing blanket. I leaned my head against the back of the seat and looked out at the checkered greens of the little fields along the flanks of the hills; thrusting upwards between their walls till they gave way to the jutting rocks and the harsh brown of the heather which flooded the wild country above.

I felt better when I drove away and didn't particularly mind when the farmer at the first inspection greeted me with a scowl.

There are plenty of disgusting descriptions which will particularly appeal to young men. Once, Herriot watched his boss, Siegfried, operate on a cow:

[T]hrough the incision shot a high-pressure jet of semi-liquid stomach contents--a greenish-brown, foul-smelling cascade which erupted from the depths of the cow as from an invisible pump.

The contents shot right onto Siegfried's face and then continued to pour forth.

Siegfried, still hanging grimly on, was the centre of it all, paddling about in a reeking swamp which came half way up his Wellington boots.

The operation was a success! But the drive home was nearly unbearable, even with their heads sticking out of the windows.

Encountering farmers of all types and kinds in the surrounding area, Herriot is able to tell stories of people of all backgrounds and dispositions. There are examples of heroic sacrifice for their animals, steady unrelenting hard work, and fears and victories. One elderly woman, devoted to her animals, confesses her sorrow her pets will not join her in heaven. Herriot disagrees and comforts her:

"If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. You've nothing to worry about there."

Animals do not have souls, but there are good reasons to believe they will be with us in heaven. If we need our pets to be happy in eternal life, they will certainly be with us. At the resurrection, the whole world will be remade, including animals. There are opportunities for contemplating what kind of life will lead to happiness. One story compares the petty disdaining daughter of a rich man with a sweet loving daughter of a poor man.

But I kept coming back to the daughters; to the contempt in Julia Tavener's eyes when she looked at her father and the shining tenderness in Jennie Alton's.

The ending is perfectly lovely. Herriot marries a young woman in the midst of a busy season in the practice and they decide to spend their honeymoon on the job.

I looked over at Helen as she sat cross-legged on the rough stones, her notebook on her knee, pencil at the ready, and as she pushed back the shining dark hair from her forehead she caught my eye and smiled; and as I smiled back at her I became aware suddenly of the vast, swelling glory of the Dales around us, and of the Dales scent of clover and warm grass, more intoxicating than any wine. And it seemed that my first two years at Darrowby had been leading up to this moment; that the first big step of my life was being completed right here with Helen smiling at me and the memory, fresh in my mind, of my new plate hanging in front of Skeldale House. 

I don't imagine First Son will read this book and think, I want to be a country vet! But I hope this book helps shape the hopes and dreams and thoughts of how his vocation might unfold and how the natural world might become a part of his life in a way many people neglect.

I purchased this book used. All opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are affiliate links.

October 2017 Book Reports

Henry V (No Fear Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare and the people of SparkNotes - link to my post (purchased copy)

Calico Bush by Rachel Field is a book about Marguerite, a French girl bound out to a family that moves to the coast of Maine during the French and Indian War. Marguerite is a Roman Catholic, and derided for being so by the family, but I think this merely serves to show a common prejudice of the time. First Daughter will be reading this in her American History course as independent reading, mostly for fun. (library copy)

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo is a fairy tale of sorts. A carefully crafted and much loved china rabbit is separated from his owner. Through trials of his own and of those he encounters, he learns to love. In the end, he's reunited with his original family, a finer rabbit for his travels. I think Second Daughter might appreciate this book as a break from her Little House reading, which is coming along slowly. (library copy)

Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara Willard was one of our world history read-alouds this year, chronicling a young boy's journey with Father Augustine who was sent to England by Pope Gregory. The children enjoyed it greatly. It provides an excellent picture of life in England at the time of his arrival and the kinds of struggles all missionaries face. (purchased copy)

King of the Golden River by John Ruskin is a fairy tale. Three brothers embark on a quest. The older two are greedy and unkind; their journeys end appropriately. The youngest shows sacrifices his own comfort and success, which leads to his reward. (free Kindle version)

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing - link to my post (purchased used copy)

Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together so You Can Live too by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish - This is a follow-up book to How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk, a book I've read twice and have found incredibly useful in all kinds of relationships. I found some useful advice in this book, though I've also found it difficult to implement it. It might be easier if I focused on one skill at a time. Still, I'm glad I read it and hopefully I'll be able to adjust some of my behavior to help my children interact with each other. (I did not care for the comparison of a new sibling to a new spouse, but that can be overlooked.) (library copy)

John Paul II: A Personal Portrait of the Pope and the Man by Ray Flynn - link to my post (purchased used copy)

The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh is a weird book depicting a whole cast of characters from the deplorable to the callous to the ignorant. Waugh's sharp wit attacks everyone. Sometimes it's quite funny (in a deliciously nasty kind of way) but sometimes it's just sad. This was a book I picked for our book club, but we haven't had a chance to discuss it yet (inter-library loan copy)

Love in a Fearful Land: A Guatemalan Story by Henri Nouwen - This book tells of Nouwen's journey to Santiago Atitlan three years after the murder of Blessed Stanley Rother. It followed the biography nicely by providing a picture of life at the parish a few years after Bl. Stanley's death. It's a memoir of a trip and therefore intertwines Nouwen's life and feelings with those of the people of the parish and their new pastor. (library copy)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• A Century of Sonnets edited by Feldman and Robinson (May 2017)
• The Complete Ramona books by Beverly Cleary (July 2017), listening with the kids
• History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration from The Great Courses (July 2017), listening with the kids
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (July 2017), listening on my own
• Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time by Frank Cottrell Boyce (September 2017), listening with the kids and Kansas Dad
• Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (October 2017)
• The Curious Nature Guide by Clare Walker Leslie (October 2017)
• Beorn the Proud by Madeleine Polland (October 2017)
• My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (October 2017)

The italic print: Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). Try Audible - another affiliate link.

Links to RC History and PaperBackSwap.com are affiliate links. Other links (like those to Bethlehem Books) are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.

January and February 2017 Book Reports

Between the Forest and the Hills by Ann Lawrence is set in a Roman British town at the time of the Empire's collapse. We listened to this in the van along with Kansas Dad and it was a particularly good choice for the whole family to enjoy: witty dialogue, easy humor from the squawking raven, brave and wise characters, all set in an interesting historical period. This book is one of the many wonderful books of historical fiction available from Bethlehem Books. (purchased audio book at Audible)

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff is another novel of historical fiction set near the end of the Roman Empire's presence in Britain. This is one of First Son's books for volume 2 of Connecting with History (seventh grade). It's a tale of daring and mystery when the son of a missing Roman soldier ventures north of the wall to discover the fate of the missing Legion and recover (if possible) their Eagle. It's a good book for a middle school boy to read and contemplate the meaning of loyalty, friendship, slavery, and civilization. I haven't seen the movie, but according to the review at Common Sense Media, it's not as good as the book. (library copy)

Virginia's General by Albert Marrin is a biography of Robert E. Lee and an examination of the Civil War from the Confederate standpoint, though not always favorable to the Confederacy. First Son read this book for his American History. The chapters are well-written, but long, so First Son struggled a bit to read them. Originally he was assigned two chapters a day, but I decreased it to one a day. I appreciated greater insight into the Confederate side of the war and a favorable presentation of Lee, a distinguished man worthy of respect. (library copy)

The Innocence of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton - link to my post. (free Kindle version)

Oh, Ranger! True Stories from our National Parks edited by Mark J. Saferstein is a collection of short essays by National Park Service rangers covering just about every aspect of life as a ranger. It's a great peek at life in national parks from historical sites to the wilderness of Alaska, but I found the writing varied in quality. The photography, however, is amazing throughout. (purchased used on Amazon)

The Chronicles of Prydain (5 volumes) by Lloyd Alexander - link to my post. (library copies, though I have since acquired three from other members at PaperBackSwap.com)

Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse is, I think, recommended in our Connecting with History curriculum even thought it's not available at their store. It's a series of letters written by a young Russian Jew who barely escapes with her family on a daring attempt to join her older brothers in the United States in 1919. It's a good historical fiction book to read alongside a study of immigration through Ellis Island. (library copy)

Transforming Your Life through the Eucharist by John A. Kane - link to my post. (purchased from the publisher, Sophia Institute Press)

The Wright Brothers by David McCullough  - link to my post. (borrowed from my dad)

The Road from Home: The Story of an Armenian Girl by David Kherdian is a fictionalized memoir of a young girl's experience of the genocide of Armenian Christians by the Turkish government and military during World War I. Mostly, the girl experiences the genocide in disease-ridden camps but there are scenes of terrible deaths and great fear, so it's not a book for young readers. I hadn't read of these events before and I think the book could be a good addition to a study of World War I to show that genocides are not the product only of Nazi Germany. It's a good book, too, to begin or continue discussions of harboring refugees from war-torn and unsafe lands. I hesitate, however, to recommend it whole-heartedly and share it with my children because I worry they will conflate the actions of Turkey in 1915 with Muslims in today's world. There's no doubt there are Muslim terrorists, but there are also Muslims in our own city who seem to be kind and generous people. With the news what it is today, I would probably wait a bit longer to share this book. (library copy)

Saint Herman of Alaska is a booklet published to celebrate the canonization of St. Herman by the Orthodox Church in America. It shows a glimpse of life for the brave missionaries of Russia who journeyed to Alaska to spread the Orthodox faith. You can read the first half of the book at the OCA website. The second half is the liturgical services, some of which you can hear on the site. There is an incident reported in the book of a martyr for the faith, someone who traveled down to California and was allegedly tortured and murdered by Jesuits. I can't say it's not true, but it's certainly not how the Jesuits behave today. (copy picked up at used book sale)

The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis is a short clear evangelical response to the problem of pain - that there is pain and evil in a world created by an omniscient omnipotent God. There's nothing I can say about the book that hasn't already been better written by another. I was glad to read it because it is so often referenced by others. (Kansas Dad's copy)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol (January 2017)
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (January 2017)
• The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White (February 2017)
• Ember Falls by S. D. Smith (February 2017)
• Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (February 2017)

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Other links (like those to Bethlehem Books) are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.

Homeschool Review: 2012-2013 Family Read-Alouds in World History

I already wrote about our American History read-aloud books. The ones below were selected to match up with Connecting with History Volume 3 (mid-11th century through the end of the 17th century).

This year, First Son was in third grade and First Daughter was in kindergarten. Second Daughter (age four) and Second Son (age two) were often around at read-aloud time as well.

Adventures of Robin Hood (Classic Starts) adapted by John Burrows from Howard Pyle's original - First Son could have read this himself, but I knew the girls would enjoy it as well. I don't know how it compares to the original (since I've never read it myself), but we all enjoyed this book and it's appropriate for all ages.

Alfred of Wessex by Frank Morriss should have been first on our list, but I forgot about it. I own this for my Kindle and thought First Son would enjoy the exciting story of the king who fought off the Viking invaders, but he and the girls were all ready for it to end before we finished it. (This book is not listed in the Connecting with History syllabus.)

Saint Thomas Aquinas for Children and the Childlike by Maritain Raissa is a nice introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas for children, touching on much of his intellectual work. First Son could have read the words, but he understood it much better because I read it aloud and we could talk about it a little.

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli is one of my very favorite books. It's a wonderful book to read for early medieval England, but it's also a marvelous story of courage and perseverance all on its own. We listened to this one on an audio CD from the library and the children all enjoyed it immensely. Highly recommended anytime.

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray is another one of my very favorite books. Separated from his father and his sweet dog, Adam is courageous and resourceful. He learns patience, perseverance, dedication, and how many wonderful people there are in the world to help a young man on his way. This is truly one of those historical fiction novels that are always worthy of being read, aloud or independently.

Madeleine Takes Command by Ethel Brill is the story of a young Canadian woman who takes command of her family's manor when it is under attack by Iroquois. It's recommended for the Logic level, but I owned it and thought it would be alright to read it aloud. It fostered some interesting discussions and the children were thrilled with the exciting story. The chapters were short enough to keep them eager for more.

With the exception of Alfred of Wessex, all of these books can be purchased from RC History, along with Connecting with History Volume Three.


The links above are affiliate links, but I received nothing in exchange for writing these reviews. I purchased all of the books above, and Connecting with History Volume Three.