Serving and Saving: A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove

by Fredrik Blackman

My book club read this book for our June meeting. It's a story of rebirth for an elderly Swedish man who believes there's nothing left for him in this life until his new neighbor insists he open his eyes to the needs he can fill for those all around him.

Ove is a man of principles, principles established in his youth by watching and learning from his father, a quiet man of honesty and integrity.

Had Ove been the sort of man who contemplated how and when one became the sort of man one was, he might have said this was the day he learned that right has to be right. He contented himself with remembering that on this day he'd decided to be as little unlike his father as possible.

I felt like the author dumped about every tragedy he could on poor Ove, but I guess he also showed that Ove's love for his wife made everything else unimportant.

But then he saw her on the platform with all her rich auburn hair and her blue eyes and all her effervescent laughter. And he got back on the outbound train. Of course, he didn't quite know himself why he was doing it. He had never been spontaneous before in his life. But when he saw her it was if something malfunctioned. 

Doing what is right saves Ove's life and his heart.

I checked this book out of the library and received nothing for this post, but the links above are affiliate links to Amazon.

Serious Piety: The Face in the Flames

The Face in the Flames: A Story of Saint Bridget of Sweden

by Brother Roberto, C.S.C.

In the Footsteps of the Saints series, Level 2 (reading level)

I wrote back in January about Hide the Children, a book from the same series as this one and recommended by our history program, volume 3 of Connecting with History, but that we would not be reading. It seemed appropriate to write a little post about this one, which I pre-read and decided to assign to First Daughter (fifth grade, grammar level in the Connecting with History lesson plans).

Like others in the series, this book reveals some of the odd piety of books written in the 1950s. For example, there was quiet awe when St. Bridget seemed to know of her daughter's husband's death when the women were visiting each other in Italy, but not really any sorrow from either of them despite the fact that this second husband was described as a good man earlier in the book. (Her first husband was not a good man and they seemed relieved and grateful when he died young.)

There was one really extreme example. Late in the book, Bridget is traveling to the Holy Land with her daughter and her son (both grown) when her son falls in love with a princess, although both are married.

When Bridget heard of their desire to marry, she was overcome with anxiety and turned at once to Our Lady and her Son in prayer.

Her prayers were quickly answered. Karl became violently ill while in Naples and after a sickness of two weeks quietly died in his mother's arms. Thus, death ended the evil love affair.

So there you have it. She was apparently better pleased by her son's death than by such a mortal sin. I will probably never be a saint, because I'd rather my son sinned and repented but still lived or (better yet) repented before sinning and lived.

First Daughter will still read this book. I doubt she'll be concerned with this part much.

According to the RC History website, the Level 2 books in the In the Footsteps of the Saints books are written at about a fourth grade reading level. Because of their format (large print and generous white space on the pages), they are not intimidating for younger readers who might be confident enough to read them. I think my third grader could read this book easily, though she has a July birthday and is therefore older than most third graders. But I'm happy to leave it as assigned just for the more advanced level.

I purchased this book new from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts (not an affiliate link) and received nothing for writing this post of my own opinions. The links above are affiliate links to the RC History website.

February 2015 Book Report

Stout Hearts and Whizzing Biscuits: A Patria Story by Daniel McInerny is the first is a series (of two novels and one novella, so far) that has been highly recommended to me from a variety of sources. I was a little nervous because it looked like they might be self-published and sometimes those books were refused by publishers for good reason. I thought it was pretty fun and offered it to First Son (11) who declared it fantastic and read it in a few hours (over two days). First Daughter (8) is reading it now and also enjoying it. It seems to be just challenging enough for her. I had to request it through inter-library loan, but after I suggested it to the library, they have ordered both of the books. My kids are really excited to read the second one! (inter-library loan)

Happy Times in Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren is a sequel to The Children of Noisy Village (recommended by Mater Amabilis for Level 1A and a truly delightful book). I learned only recently about the sequel and was thrilled when the library purchased a copy. It's just as delightful. The first book includes a bit more than a hint that Santa Claus does not actually deliver presents which I modified a bit when I was reading it aloud because we like St. Nicholas around here and I didn't want to ruin the fun too early for the girls. There's nothing like that in this book, so I'm comfortable handing it over to First Daughter (8) who will read it independently for her lessons when she finishes the Patria book. (library copy)

The Call of the Wild by Jack London was a book I was going to pre-read for First Son, but decided we'd just listen to it when I saw the library had it on audio CD. I have never read anything by Jack London myself. There were a few scenes in which animals were cruelly treated (most often by other dogs) and one fairly gruesome scene at the end where Buck attacks and kills a large number of people. As far as I know, it was all historically accurate (though fictionalized) and it was certainly beautifully written, but I probably would not have let my girls (6 and 8) listen to it if I had read it myself beforehand. They handled it without comment or gasp, though. It would have been worthwhile independent reading for First Son (11) either for school or summer reading. (audio CD from the library)

The Little Oratory: A Beginner's Guide to Praying in the Home by David Clayton and Leila Marie Lawler - my review. (purchased copy from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts)

The Bad Beginning: Or, Orphans! (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1) by Lemony Snicket
We listened to the audio CD read by Tim Curry. It was delightful. Though awful things happen to the children, just as promised, there are frequent moments of laughter and ridiculousness. We love Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, and can't wait to hear more about them. (audio CD from the library)

The Bible Compass: A Catholic's Guide to Navigating the Scriptures by Edward Sri was recommended as background reading for Volume 1 of Connecting with History (Ancient History). I read The Drama of Scripture, which Kansas Dad recommended, but thought it would be nice to read this one as well for a Catholic perspective. The first part of the book was a little frustrating as I felt like he was telling me only what the Catechism would tell me about the Bible (which I could look that up myself), but as the book progressed there was more detailed information about Scripture and how to read it. Overall, I feel like it's a good overview, especially for someone who is feeling intimidating about reading the Bible. (purchased copy from Sacred Heart Books and Gifts)

Miss Happiness and Miss Flower by Rumer Godden is recommended by Mater Amabilis in year 2 of level 1A (third grade) for People and Places. I did not consider it for First Son when I saw the plot focused on Japanese dolls, so this is the first time I've read it. A family comes together to create something beautiful and perfect, in the process providing a path for a young girl to establish herself in a new home. First Daughter is going to love it! (library copy)

In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World by Gabriele Galimberti - my review. (review copy from Blogging for Books)

Bleak House by Charles Dickens - my review. (library copy)

Priest on Horseback: Father Farmer, 1720-1786 by Eva K. Betz is a book I read about but was always daunted by the high price as it is out of print. I was delighted to discover it on LibriVox coincidentally as we were studying colonial American history. First Daughter loved the story but the others were not as interested. This book gives a look at what colonial life was like for a traveling priest at a time when many people distrusted or outright hated Catholics. The reader is not my favorite, though I am glad she recorded this book. (listening with the children on LibriVox)

Marriage: The Mystery of Faithful Love by Dietrich von Hildebrand - my review. (inter-library loan copy)

Books in Progress (and date started)

• Open Mind, Faithful Heart by Pope Francis (January 2014) 
• The Education Of Catholic Girls by Janet Erskine Stuart (February 2014)
• Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol 2 (sixth edition) (August 2014)
• The Religious Potential of the Child: Experiencing Scripture and Liturgy with Young Children by Sofia Cavaletti (September 2014, with a book club at our parish)
• Good Poems ed by Garrison Keillor (October 2014) 
• Evangelizing Catholics: A Mission Manual for the New Evangelization by Scott Hahn (January 2015, with our adult education class at our parish)
• For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (January 2015, with my Start Here book club)
• The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit (February 2015, listening with the children on LibriVox)
• The Story of a Bad Boy by Thomas B. Aldrich (February 2015)
• The Best of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (February 2015)
• The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning by Simcha Fisher (February 2015)
• Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (February 2015)

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). My homeschooling budget is always grateful for any purchases. 

Links to RC History are affiliate links.

Links to Sacred Heart Books and Gifts are not affiliate links.

These reports are my honest opinions.