The Little-Known Saints Author: Susan Peek

 Hello, my friends! It's been a whole two months since my last post, but now that school's done (all my writing during these last months went into a 3600-word paper) it's time for another post. This week is also Catholic Blog Week, hosted by Sam and Megan. Please enjoy learning about one of my favorite Catholic authors and her wonderful books! 

Susan Peek:

Susan Peek writes about the saints who are often forgotten, including St. Magnus, St. Camillus de Lellis, and St. Dympha. She begins each book with the quote: "In many chapels, reddened by the setting sun, the saints rest silently, waiting for someone to love them." Her stories are historical fiction, as there isn't a lot of information known about these saints. However, the information is accurate and the dialogue enriches the story and will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

The King's Prey: Saint Dymphna of Ireland: 

"An insane king. His fleeing daughter. Estranged brothers, with a scarred past, risking everything to save her from a fate worse than death. Toss in a holy priest and a lovable wolfhound, and get ready for a wild race across Ireland. Will Dymphna escape her deranged father and his sinful desires? For the first time ever, the story of Saint Dymphna is brought to life in this dramatic novel for adults and older teens." (Goodreads)

Saint Magnus the Last Viking: 

"Come back in time 900 years, to the fierce and desolate Northern lands, where Norsemen ruled with ax and sword. A dying king, a shocking death-wish, his heirs divided with an oath of blood... In this fast-paced new novel by the highly popular Susan Peek, the conflict unfolds between Magnus Erlendson, a heroic young prince aflame with the love of God, and his outlawed cousin Hakon, who blames Magnus for his banishment from their kingdom. What follows is a tale of betrayal and revenge, bravery and forgiveness, as Magnus seeks to restore his father's vanquished kingdom to its rightful hands. Entertaining and inspiring from start to finish." (Goodreads)

A Soldier Surrenders: The Conversion of Saint Camillus de Lellis: 

"At last... A Saint for Strugglers! Soldiering, gambling, brawling, drinking. As a young man, Saint Camillus excelled at them all. Add to that his fiery temper and innate knack for getting in trouble, and Camillus de Lellis seems the last person who could ever achieve holiness. But God had plans for the stubborn young soldier, whether Camillus liked it or not..." (Goodreads)

Crusader King: A Novel of Baldwin IV and the Crusades: 

"A new historical novel about the unusual life of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, the leper crusader king who- despite ascending to the throne at only 13, his early death at 24 and his debilitating disease- performed great and heroic deeds in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds." (Goodreads)

Each book by Susan Peek will teach you something new, while bringing exciting adventures alive. I read all of these books in less than a week, and Crusader King took me one afternoon because I could not put in down. Peek has a lovely writing style and you can never predict what she will make the characters do. I really enjoyed all four of her novels, but my absolute favorite is "A Solider Surrenders" because it shows how someone can go from having no belief in God to attempting to join an order of monks. In addition, Peek also tells how St. Cammillus started his own order and was the original founder of Red Cross, not the well known Clara Barton. There are many more facts throughout all her books, but instead of spoiling here, I encourage you to go out and become a fan of her books! 

Have you read any of Susan Peek's books? Are any of these saints familiar to you?

 

-Miss K

Reading a Book Twice: Is it Worth It?

*A month ago it was February and I started writing this post. I'm not sure how an entire month escaped, but here is the post now*

Have you ever reread a book? 

No, you haven't? 

Then, you need to get busy because some books just need to be reread!

Just kidding, you don't HAVE to reread, but it might be a good idea, especially since one of my favorite authors once said, "I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once". That would be C.S. Lewis of course!

Benefits and Reasons to Reread:

When you were younger, I'm sure you had a favorite picture book that someone always read to you. I sure had plenty of those! As you grew up and learned to read chapter books, the stage of rereading faded and now your to be read list keeps growing, right? That's what happened to me, but you can still make time to reread. 

• Find details you missed: Details, details, details. Surely, you won't remember every detail of a book, even if it's your favorite. J.R.R. Tolkien was a master at putting details into his novels, but there's no way I can remember every detail. Maybe it's just me, but sometimes I just need to remember a certain detail, so a reread will fix that. 

A J.R.R. Tolkien display at a museum
(including a copy of the original Hobbit book!)

• Travel to another time period or season: Books let you travel without leaving your house. Some have wonderful descriptions and make you think that you've actually been there, such as the world of Narnia or Middle Earth. Similarly, historical fiction can bring you back in time to your favorite time period. 

When summer comes and the snow leaves, it will be
 time to reread "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" 
so I can imagine living in this winter wonderland
(credit)

• Visit with your fictional friends: Cuddling up with your favorite book a second time (or more) allows you to visit with your fictional friends, and pick up scenes that you missed on the first read. It can remind you of your favorite friends and why it's your favorite book. 

• Become a better writer: Have you ever considered the writing techniques that your favorite author uses? On a reread, you might catch some of the techniques that makes you enjoy the book, and use them in your next piece of writing. 

If you've never reread a book, I hope you'll consider doing so after having read this list! It's always worth it. :)

 

Are you a fan of rereading? What is the biggest number of rereads you've given a book?  

-Miss K

January Review

January was a great month and since it's almost the end, it's time for a review. This month was my absolute favorite for a couple of reasons: I turned 18 and school is finally back in session (yes, I'm that unusual one that looks forward to school). 

We had a whole week with frost on the trees... beautiful!

On the Blog:

I did three posts this month on this blog and five on my other blog: 

Books of 2020

Book Review: Memories of Glass

Saints from A to Z: Letter T

Fill the World with Mail: 52 Letters in a Year

Week 2: 52 Letters in a Year

Week 3: 52 Letters in a Year

It's National Handwriting Day!

Week 4: 52 Letters in a Year

Books:

"School, why do you never allow me time to read books for fun?" 

"Because you read enough in your textbooks"

Alright, I'll keep reading my textbooks but hopefully I'll get a book or two more read next month. 

• Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson
• Crusader King: A Novel of Baldwin IV and the Crusades by Susan Peek
• The Shadow of the Bear: Snow White and Red Rose Retold by Regina Doman
• The Minnesota Driver's Manual (Does a manual count as a book? I did read it cover to cover to study for my permit test...) 

School/Other Happenings:

Spring semester started for college, which has been pretty fun and interesting. I have three classes right now, with a fourth starting in March. Interpersonal Communication, Exploring Biology, the Research Paper, and Geocaching. I also have Calculus for high school, but second semester just started so I haven't done any real work for it yet. So far Exploring Biology is my favorite class, but the Research Paper might pass to first next month when I actually start researching for the big paper. 

Something else exciting happened this month: In person band started! Band is the one class that has been affected by you know what because it's the only class I take at the high school. Virtual band just doesn't work, but most other high school classes do. It's hybrid right now so I only get to rehearse with half the class, but it's better than not rehearsing at all. We also get to have the school's first outdoor concert, so Minnesota please bring us some warm weather in May! 

The last exciting event of the month is that I turned 18 on one of the twelve days of Christmas. Officially an adult! Besides doing the normal cake celebration, I went on an 18 mile bike ride, which was totally worth it. :)

February Plans:

• Continue with school and start researching for my 3600 word research paper 
• Read more books, hopefully!
• Take down our Christmas Tree on Candlemas, which marks the official end to Christmastide 
• Begin Lent
• Survive the cold that is supposed to come (below zero weather next week)

How was your January? Am I the only one who looks forward to school? Do you have any exciting plans for next month?  

-Miss K

Saints from A to Z: Letter T

Hello! I'm back after a short break. :) My brother Esteban and I decided to do a collaboration together back in April, but I've been slacking (maybe procrastinating is a better word). Esteban has set out on a mission to draw 52 saints, one male and one female, for every letter of the alphabet. I will be writing some biographies to go along with his drawings. Be sure to check out the series here. He's already done eight drawings and I've done zero biographies, so here's to hoping I can catch up soon. :) 

If it was my choice, we'd be starting with letter "a", but according to Esteban, it is boring to do everything in line and perfect because that never happens in real life. So, if you like orderly fashions and going from a to z, be prepared because this series will be a bit out of order. 

Female Saint for T:

Before I introduce today's saint, I'll give you three clues, but if you have come from Esteban's blog, then you probably already know who I'll be writing about.

CLUE 1: The cause of my death was tuberculosis. 

CLUE 2: My father was a watchmaker and my mother was a lace maker. 

CLUE 3: My mother died during my childhood, so one of my sisters become my second mother. 

Were you successful? If you guessed Saint Therese of Lisieux, then you are correct and have a strong knowledge of her life! Along with being the patron saint of France and missionaries, she is also the patron of florists, pilots, and illnesses. 

credit

Marie Francoise-Therese Martin was born in Alencon, France to Louis and Zelie Martin on January 2, 1873 and baptized two days later on January 4, as Marie Frances Therese. Due to an illness, her mother passed away in 1877 and  the family moved to Lisieux. Her father was left to take care of his five girls, while teaching them to have a Catholic life. Eventually, Therese's older sister Pauline took on the role as her second mother by becoming her first teacher.  

A few years later, when Therese was nine years old, Pauline left home and entered the convent. Therese was very close to her sister, so this left her saddened and she had much to suffer. Soon, she became very ill and suffered from headaches and insomnia. However, Therese was cured by "Our Lady of the Smile" on May 13, 1883. Soon after, when she was only nine years old, she decided that she was going to enter the convent. 

After many years of prayer and suffering, Therese was given permission to enter Carmel in 1888. She became a novice at the age of 16, and made her Profession of Vows two years later. She worked very hard in the sacristy and dining room, painting many pictures, wrote poems, and had a devout spiritual life, while taking charge and leading the novices. 

She lived a very peaceful life, although she endured much. She was spared from the influenza that spread throughout the convent in 1890, but seven years later she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. On September 30, 1897, at the age of 24, she died with the last words being "My God, I love You!"

Source:

https://www.littleflower.org/therese/

Some of my favorite books about St. Therese: 

• Little Therese: The Life of St. Therese for Children by Pere Carbonel, S.J.
• Saint Therese and the Roses by Helen Walker Homan
• Olivia and the Little Way by Nancy Carabio Belanger (Isn't directly about St. Therese, but teaches about the Little Way)
• St. Theresa the Little Flower by Sr. Gesualda of the Holy Spirit
• Mornings with Saint Therese: 120 Daily Readings by St. Therese compiled by Patricia Treece

I hope you enjoyed this biography and be sure to check out Esteban's drawing of St. Therese here. Hopefully the rest of the biographies will come soon, but until then you can follow along with the drawings. 

What is your favorite book about St. Therese? 

-Miss K

Book Review: Memories of Glass

A new year calls for a year of new reading. I've got a 1,000 page book to read for an English class, but before that is required, I had to finish a book. Thankfully, my local library still has curbside pick up, so I was able to read a new book called Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson. 

"This novel draws from true accounts to shine a light of a period of Holland's darkest history and bravest heroes. 

1942. As war rips through the heart of Holland, childhood friends Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden partner with a few daring citizens to rescue Eliese's son and hundreds of other Jewish children who await deportation in a converted theater in Amsterdam. But amid their resistance work, Josie and Eliese's dangerous secrets could derail their friendship and their entire mission. When the enemy finds these women, only one will escape. 

Seventy-five years later, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather William Kingston was not the World War II hero he claimed to be. Her work as director of the prestigious Kingston Family Foundation leads her to Landon West's Ugandan coffee plantation, and Ava and Landon soon discover a connection between their families. As Landon's great-grandmother shares the broken pieces of her story, Ava must confront the greatest loss in her own life- and powerful members of the Kingston family who will do anything to keep the truth buried." (Photo and text credit)

My favorite books are the ones that start right with the story and leave you in suspense as to what is happening, causing you to read the whole book in just a few sittings. However, this is not one of the books. The first five chapters were a bit slow, but after that it did get suspenseful and the characters came alive. If I had to describe this book in three words it would be exciting, heartbreaking, and uplifting. A novel about any holocaust is going to have sad parts, but this one has lots of good parts too. 

 Things I Liked:

• The alternating point of views: beginning with Josie in 1942, then going to present day Ava, and then back and forth throughout the entire book.

• The mystery: Ava lives with her grandmother and uncles, and is able to connect Josie and Eliese's past with her present life. It was breathtaking at times because the mystery gets very involved and complex.

• The friendship: Josie and Eliese each get their own chapters throughout, making it interesting to read their thoughts about each other. Similarly, Ava and Landon (and eventually Faith) have a wonderful friendship that ultimately lead to the success of the mystery.

• The faith: In both plots, the characters have a strong belief in God. The author uses them to show the message of forgiveness and love among all people. 

Things I Didn't Like:

• Nothing (It's a great read!)

Favorite Quotes:

    "Hatred stops at nothing to destroy, but love can break through the root of evil."

    "God is going to use you to bring people together instead of tear them apart."

Content: 

There are details of the usual things you would expect in a holocaust novel: gas chambers, deaths, and children being separated from their families. 

Age:

I recommend this book for ages 16 and up, especially those who enjoy historical fiction and reading about World War II. 

Rating:

★★★★

Do you like books that switch point of views or stay in one point of view?  

-Miss K