February 2024 Book Reports

The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg - I came across this book at a library used bookstore. In this novel, an elderly Swedish woman, Doris, writes her life story in order to inspire her niece, Jenny, who is struggling in the throes of motherhood. It was an engrossing read, but ultimately not one I recommend. The woman's one true love is unreliable and untrustworthy, which always annoys me. And Doris mostly lives a selfish and self-centered life. (purchased used)

True Grit by Charles Portis - This was my book club book for February. It was such a fun read! I have a lot of questions about the reliability of Mattie Ross's account, not to mention reservations about her decisions, but thoroughly enjoyed the book. My book club chose the John Wayne version for our annual summer movie night, another fun event! (purchased copy)

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - I love Cather's writing; I find it achingly beautiful, and love how it often reminds me of the landscapes of Illinois, my birth state, and Kansas, my current home. I am slowly collecting and reading all of her books. This novel is one of sacrifice, hard work, and tragedy. (PaperBackSwap.com)

Call the Doctor: A Country GP Between the Wars: Tales of Courage, Hardship and Hope by Ronald White-Cooper - This is a book of bits and pieces of writing by a British doctor collated and organized by his granddaughter and intermingled with letters he received from his patients. His personality shines through the candid stories. I didn't always like what he had to say, but it was honest. It's a fascinating book, a bit of primary source material, for anyone interested in British life and specifically the medical field in Britain in the interwar period (and a bit beyond). (purchased used)

Fides et Ratio by St. Pope John Paul II - This encyclical is scheduled in the Mater Amabilis lesson plans for Level 6 Year 2 (twelfth grade). I assigned it to First Daughter in eleventh grade because she had read one of the earlier ones. (We assigned some Vatican II documents her seniors year.) I love that encyclicals are included in the lesson plans. They become much less intimidating for students once they start reading them. I hope it helps them feel confident and interested enough to keep reading new ones after they go on to college. Fides et Ratio is such an important one for our times, as it discusses the relationship between faith and reason, something much misunderstood amongst many young people. (free on the Vatican website)

How to Listen to and Understand Great Music by Robert Greenberg (Great Courses audio lecture series) - link to my post (purchased audiobook)

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

June 2020 Book Reports

This Country of Ours by H. E. Marshall (along with First People: An Illustrated History of American Indians by David C. King) - link to my post (purchased copies)

Force for Good: The Catholic Guide to Business Integrity by Brian Engelland - link to my post (purchased copy)

Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth) by Pope Benedict XVI - This encyclical addresses development in terms of aid, international trade, culture, technology, and faith. His words are careful and nuanced, providing guides for organizations, businesses, and governments. The language is rich but difficult. Pope Benedict doesn't supply any easy answers, but instead directs everyone to consider always the true development of individual people in every programmatic decision. I had thought this might be a good encyclical for my high schooler to read at the end of his economics and social responsibility course of study, but I think it's better suited for those who are contemplating actual programs. (printed from the Vatican website)

The History of England for Catholic Children, a reprint from Hillside Education - link to my post (purchased copy)

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

Challenging Reading: Divini Redemptoris (On Atheistic Communism)

Divini Redemptoris

On Atheistic Communism

Encyclical of Pope Pius XI

March 19, 1937

The book cover is from Amazon, but it's out of print. I've linked to a free online source for the text above.

First Son read this encyclical in his study of Russia and the Collapse of Communism in twentieth-century history. It's listed as one of the key resources for the Level 4 history program at Mater Amabilis™ in this unit. Because it wasn't very long, I assigned it to read in a single day along with a few pages from another of his books. (My plans for this study can be found in the Facebook Mater Amabilis™ group.)

In this encyclical, Pope Pius XI, reiterates how Communism denigrates the dignity of man, how it is inherently anti-religious, and some of the ways Catholics, including those in the laity, can combat it's pernicious spread. In reading it, I felt like a lot of different ideas settled into place for me. (I'm actually really enjoying the whole unit on Russia!).

The encyclical is focused, of course, on Communism, but I was surprised how many statements seemed to be applicable even today.

As in all the stormy periods of the history of the Church, the fundamental remedy today lies in a sincere renewal of private and public life according to the principles of the Gospel by all those who belong to the Fold of Christ, that they may be in truth the salt of the earth to preserve human society from total corruption.

Novel idea - live a Christian life both in public and private! Many of the ideas, too, reminded me of the two encyclicals I have read, both by Pope Francis.

The rich should not place their happiness in things of earth nor spend their best efforts in the acquisition of them. Rather, considering themselves only as stewards of their earthly goods, let them be mindful of the account they must render of them to their Lord and Master, and value them a precious means that God has put into their hands for doing good; let them not fail, besides, to distribute of their abundance to the poor, according to the evangelical precepts.

Not that it was only written for the rich:

But the poor too, in their turn, while engaged, according to the laws of charity and justice, in acquiring the necessities of life and also in bettering their condition, should always remain "poor in spirit," and hold spiritual goods in higher esteem than earthly property and pleasures. Let them remember that the world will never be able to rid itself of misery, sorrow and tribulation, which are the portion even of those who seem most prosperous. Patience, therefore, is the need of all, that Christian patience which comforts the heart with the divine assurance of eternal happiness.

Later he talked about how the oppression and injustice endured by the poor create a spiritual environment that leaves them vulnerable to the false promises of ideas like Communism.

But when on the one hand We see thousands of the needy, victims of real misery for various reasons beyond their control, and on the other so many round about them who spend huge sums of money on useless things and frivolous amusement, We cannot fail to remark with sorrow not only that justice is poorly observed, but that the precept of charity also is not sufficiently appreciated, is not a vital thing in daily life. We desire therefore, Venerable Brethren, that this divine precept, this precious mark of identification left by Christ to His true disciples, be ever more fully explained by pen and word of mouth; this precept which teaches us to see in those who suffer Christ Himself, and would have us love our brothers as Our Divine Savior has loved us, that is, even at the sacrifice of ourselves, and, if need be, of our very life.

I couldn't help thinking about these words in terms of immigration today in America, from countries suffering from war and the fear of terrorists sneaking in with refugees, and from countries suffering from violence and poverty and the fear of illegal immigrants disproportionately using resources or abusing support systems. I also thought of people in our country who turn to gangs, drugs, or violence because they feel abandoned and excluded by the economic system. I don't know what the answers are in these complicated issues, but I do think injustice and a lack of charity (love) exasperate desperate and frightening situations and encourage people to seek answers from troublesome sources.

Pope Pius XI offered a few suggestions, and perhaps they would contribute to alleviating some of the problems we continue to encounter. I believe Pope Francis also encouraged the same kind of changes.

To be sure of eternal life, therefore, and to be able to help the poor effectively, it is imperative to return to a more moderate way of life, to renounce the joys, often sinful, which the world today holds out in such abundance; to forget self for love of the neighbor. 

First Son struggled a bit while reading this text. When asked to narrate, he could only manage the most basic ideas from the encyclical, but he did get that! We worked through some of the paragraphs together, talking about the vocabulary and tracing the ideas as Pope Pius XI connected them. I explained that he would be reading encyclicals regularly starting next year and that he should be prepared to be challenged in doing so without giving up.

I printed this text from the online source linked above. The book cover is an affiliate link to Amazon. The opinions are my own.