Saint The Books

I was a "submarine" Christian for the majority of my life, and did not realize the tremendous gift in Jesus Christ until I happened upon this volume in my local library. I knew a small portion about St Alphonsus of Ligouri as a Doctor of the Church, but never really knew the great and wonderful price that God had paid for me and for all of us, until I read this book and realized that I must have it in my life for always. It is easy reading, fulfilling, contemplating, and riviting for me---and helped me in deeping my realtionship with Christ to better serve him and to answer the Call that each of us has to share and spread the Gospel. If you need a big hand in your personal relationship to God, I strongly urge this wonderful handbook. This literally lives out 1 Corinthians 13.

I bought this book on Amazon as I had previously read and continue to read the Glories of Mary by St.Liguori. I had it delivered and shelved it for about 6 months, and one day I was looking through my books and felt a sudden urge to read it. I have to say it is a very insightful book, and I have learnt a lot. The style of writing makes it very easy to understand, yet the message in very profound. This is a good book for all Christians trying to deepen their faith, and learn how to love God.

Alphonsus Liguori is one of the "doctors" of the Church. He lived during the late 1700s, and his work was written to inspire everyone one; not just one group, such as only the laity or a group of nuns, or a house of monks. The work is not preachy in tone, but written in a gentle explanatory style. He synthesizes knowlege from a variety of Christian sources.

This book is absolutely beautiful; phyisically with the font and cover, and content-wise, with the meaning of the text. The size makes it easily portable.

It is a wonderful tool for meditation. Each chapter contains brief paragraphs that contain exclamations of how much God loves us as demonstrated through Jesus' life, based on actions written in the Bible and their interpretations from writings of the early Christians. Paragraphs within each chapter also instruct us how we can adopt practices of various virtue in order to model our life in a way that pleases Jesus, to correspond with how much Jesus loves us. How to love with patience or how to love without pride...the chpaters correlate with the passage in 1 Corinthinians Chapter 13 about it means to love.

The different nature of the paragraphs work in tandemn to make you feel loved, and then to advise you how to implement this love in your life. It is a great feel-good book. Reading it makes one feel more valued by Jesus, and in turn, more eager to demonstrate to Jesus how appreciative one is of such value.

A great book to read any time, particularly if the phyiscal creatures in your life have you feeling a bit blue and unappreciated. But especially helpful to prepare for Lenten sacrifices or to cultivate an atitude of welcome for any holiday period.

'The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ' is a masterpiece. St. Alphonsus shows not only why we should love Jesus - but *how* we can love Jesus more. Chapter One is one of the most exquisite summaries of the Gospel that I have ever encountered.

I encourage everyone -- Christian or non-Christian, Protestant or Catholic/Orthodox -- to read this book. It is neither vain philosophy or a superficial 'how to' guide -- it reads like a man so profoundly in love with God that he could not stop the words from pouring out. Although he had a doctorate and is considered one of the greatest moral theologians, he devoted his life to working with the poor and preaching the simple Gospel message of salvation through forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

In this book, St. Alphonsus weaves Sacred Scripture and writings of other Christian writers from St. Augustine to St. Francis de Sales. Many of the quotes are unforgettable. Some examples -- Giorgio Tiepolo: 'Anyone who does not fall in love with God by looking at Jesus dead upon the cross will never fall in love'; and Blessed John of Avila writes of Jesus: 'Great thief of hearts, the strength of Your love has broken even our hard hearts...Let the whole world know that my heart is stricken. Sweetest love, what have you done?...Your love invites me to love You and to never forget You.'

Amen!

This book is the greatest of the "unknown" Christian classics ever penned. A detailed exposition of the true meaning of chapter 13 of Paul's 1st letter to the Corithian church word by word. What does it mean when we read love is: Patient, Kind, Not Jealous, Not Perverse, Not Boastful, Not Arrogant, Not Irritable, Not Resentful, Bears All Things, Believe All Things, Hopes All Things, Endures All Things. This book makes a Southern Baptist want to be a Catholic if he could love God with all his heart, mind, and soul the way St. Alphonsus has. This book was so great my wife made me get her a copy for her own. If you're serious about loving God with all your heart, mind and soul you gotta get your hands on this book as it can be a roadmap for the journey from your head to your heart.

Dr. Nadieszda Kizenko has truly mastered defining and illustrating the life of "A Prodigal Saint" It is written in a solid and cohesive manner that makes it a pleasure to read. I too, have had the pleasure and honor to have been one of Dr. Kizenko's students I would unequivically recommend this book to any individual interested in Russian History.
I look forward to her next literary work!

I have the immense pleasure to have Dr. Nadieszda Kizenko as my professor of Russian History at the University at Albany. This book is a must read, it clearly illuminates the life of "A Prodigal Saint" during a time period of religious revival in Russia. Wonderfully written, easy to read, and follow.

I find myself reading this book since I had to do a 10-page book review for my Russian history class and I have to say it's a very good book. It's not a hagiography, just as the author states at the beginning of the book, which means the reader won't find any phrase like: "The most holy, most righteous, Father John of Kronstadt."

It's a well-researched book. Kizenko employs primary sources such as Father John's diaries as well as popular press representations of him. She also uses the thousands of letters sent to him by people asking for his prayers. These are also good sources when trying to find how others perceived him. Many of these letters were from women and Kizenko makes a good argument about the importance of women in religion.

One interesting point that Kizenko makes is the conflict between a saint's or a priest's two bodies - body public and body private - and how Father John dealt with this conflict.

The only weak point of the book is Kizenko's attempt to condemn the Ioannites, a cultic sect of the Orthodox Church who believed that Father John was kind of a savior. Kizenko does not entirely succeed in arguing that the Ioannites were a blemish in Father John's reputation.

An well researched, insightful and VERY WELL BALANCED look at the life of St. John of Krostadt. A must read for any Russian Orthodox Christian.

The book chronicles the life of Father John of Kronstadt, a controversial and highly profiled religious figure during the pre-revolutionary period. Details of his life and his world are fascinating. Seeing how he is approached for help and his actions indirectly reveals much about those living in Russia during that time. the book was also very helpful in dispelling some of the myths that commonly surround this man.

I think this is an excellent read for Orthodox Christians and ALSO anyone interested in Russia during that time period.

The entire series has been exceptional. I have learned a lot about charitable organizations while enjoying the mysteries. Mindy Starns Clark is one of my favorite authors and she did a great job on this book. Each book has had a major mystery, but a secondary one in the person of Tom. It has been interesting as we have learned more about Tom in each book. I think a movie series could be made of these outstanding stories - expecially this one.

The first book in the Million Dollar Mysteries that you get to see Callie and Tom work so closely together. Clark drives the story along amongst breathtaking scenery, and mounting action. She kept me turing the pages and I finished the story in a short time. The Christianity part wasn't overbearing. I enjoyed being able to see a bit more of Tom, and can't wait to read what the next book will tell of him and Callie.

The only flaw with the series is that the story is "told" to you. I feel as if I don't get to feel and see as Callie actually does, that she is holding me slightly at bay. For a story written in FP POV, I'd like to have more of my senses involved. But it still is a good read.

The latest in the Million Dollar Mysteries series is, as always with this author's work, better than the last (and that was pretty good to begin with). Her characters are deepening, she has a gift for plot and structure, and she leaves you wishing she could write the next book fast enough to read as soon as you're done with this one. As Callie and her new beau (and still boss) Tom investigate the shooting of an old, dear friend, the stakes are higher than usual, the emotions are more intense and the story is propelled forward more forcefully. The secrets are many, the solutions make sense and the reader is left wanting more. Can you ask for more than that?

Tom and Callie finally get to spend some time getting to know each other in person. Almost alone at a retreat in North Carolina, one week has stretched into three, but the real world is calling again and they must reluctantly part ways.

Just as they reach the airport, Callie gets a phone call from Stella Gold. Her husband Eli has just been shot by a sniper and is in surgery. Before loosing consciousness, he specifically asked for the two of them to come. Since Eli is such a good friend, they drop everything and rush to his bed side.

A PI, Callie wants to figure out what happened to Eli. The only clue is a warning from someone named Nadine. When Eli and Stella's condo is searched, it is further proof that someone is after him. Where might he have hidden his notes? And why did Eli request Tom's presence?

As this series has progressed, the plots have only gotten strong, and this book is no exception. It starts with a bang and keeps right on going. Every time an answer comes, it only leaves more questions. Yet Callie and Tom keep digging, getting themselves further and further in trouble. While some things seemed obvious a little early on, there are still several nice twists along the way that keep the reader guessing.

Fans of the series will be happy to learn that Tom is a very active part of this book instead of only a presence like in previous entries. In fact, we even get to learn what he does, finally. His relationship with Callie continues to grow as she continues to move on from her husband's death. In fact, one of the strong points of the series is watching Callie finally truly deal with her grief.

The writing style is still a little rough, keeping the reader a little more at bay by telling instead of showing. It's not a big problem, however, and I found myself staying up too late reading every night to see what would happen in the next chapter.

The only problem with this book is the cliffhanger ending. Even though I saw it coming (I've read the back of the next book already), it still left me wanting to pick up the next book right away. Which isn't really a bad thing at all.

With a strong plot and great characters, this Christian mystery series is wonderful entertainment.

Charity investigator Callie Webber finally seems to be having some joy in her life. Although heartbroken by the death of her beloved husband in a boating accident, she has just started to explore a relationship with Tom Bennett, Callie's boss and the philanthropist behind the J.O.S.H.U.A. Foundation. As they are ending their vacation together in the North Carolina mountains they receive a devastating call; Eli Gold, Tom's friend and Callie's mentor, has just been shot and his last words before sliding into unconsciousness were to ask for the couple's help.

After rushing to Eli's bedside they discover that he had been tracking down a woman he had thought was dead but is apparently very much alive. Callie also learns that Eli has been hiding his own secret past, namely his history with the National Security Agency and his ties with the mysterious woman. As Tom and Callie follow the trail to the Caribbean island of St. John they find themselves involved in a complicated scheme involving art fraud, secret identities, and double-crosses. Complicating matters is that just as Callie allows herself to believe that it's possible to find two loves in a lifetime she must confront Tom's own past and whether she has enough trust left in her to believe in him.

Although labeled an inspirational Christian mystery, Quarter for a Kiss easily crosses into the mainstream thriller genre with its fascinating plot and fast pace. The action speeds up as Tom and Callie use his rock climbing skills to stage an elaborate break-in into an extensively guarded home and coordinate their investigation with federal agents. One of the most entertaining scenes is the detailed description of Callie's attempt to place bugs within the home of their suspect by using actual bug traps. Additionally, Clark so vividly paints a picture of St. John that the reader feels the breezes and sees the clear ocean. The author successfully creates great characters that are conflicted and very real, from Jodi, Eli's immature adult daughter, to Sergeant Abraham Ruhl, the St. John's police officer who is unwilling to give up his investigation to Interpol or the NAS. Of course, Clark's greatest achievement comes with Callie and Tom, who are both very engaging and slowly building a stronger relationship together. Callie's wit, investigative skills, perseverance, and faith will ensure the success of this fourth entry in the winning Million Dollar Mystery series.

This delightful story tells the tale of a boy who meets a kindly dragon on the edge of town. The boy and the dragon become friends and start spending a lot of time together. Then the people of the town find out about the dragon and send for St. George. The boy meets with St. George and takes him to meet the dragon. All three soon become friends and find themselves in a quandry. George doesn't want to kill the dragon and the dragon has no desire to kill George. A plan is hatched and at the end of the story everyone lives happily.

It's really great reading this to younger children. It's got a great message about not prejudging others. It also shows how people can sometimes get everything they want, without anyone having to get hurt by it. That doesn't happen often, but it's nice to be reminded now and again that it can.

I love this story but am interested to know the illustrator. If it is Marlene Ekman's illustrations in the hardcover version then it is the best publication. Her pictures add real life to this wonderful child's story.

Author of historical fiction.

This book is a treasure for your library. It brings endless pleasure, and is the kind of story that spans all ages.

It is the tale of a boy and his dragon who lives up on the Downs. In spite of the bad reputation dragons have, the boy and he become quick friends. Saint George shows up to do battle with the reluctant lizard, and the boy arranges a mock battle, unbeknown to the villagers that pleases everyone.

(...) THE BOOK IS ABOUT THIS BOY WHO MEETS THIS DRAGON AND THEY
BEACOME FRIENDS THE DRAGON TELLS THE BOY STORY AND NONE ARE
TRUE. BUT ONE IS TRUE THE DRAGONS FAUTHER DIED WHEN A KNIGHT
FOUND OUT ABOUT HIM WHEN THE DRAGON WAS LITTLE. THE KID
HEARS ABOUT A KNIGHT NAMED ST. GEORGE HE TELLS ST. GEORGE
ABOUT THE DRAGON. THE NEXT DAY THE KID SHOWS ST. GEORGE THE
THE DRAGON THE DRAGON DID NOT WHANT TO FIGHT. THE NEXT DAY
ST. GEORGE TOLD SOME OF THE DRAGONS TALES TO THE VILLAGE.
THE TALES WHERE ABOUT KNIGHTS AND DRAGONS FIGHTING. THAT
AFTER NOON THE DRAGON HID IN THE CAVE AND ST. GEORGE FAKED
TO KILL THE DRAGON AND WAS FAMOUS.

(...)

This is a wonderful story that can be enjoyed by all ages. But because of some of the archaic phrasing I would not recommend it to students under the age of 8.

I throughly enjoyed this book. As a Catholic girl I have considered becoming a nun at various stages of my life. Reading this book helped me to get a better perspective of what nunhood might be like. Mother Mary Francis discusses the ups and downs, and the beauties and the horrors of being a nun. I reccomend this for any one who wants to understand the beauty of religious life.

This book was actually published first in 1961; I discovered it in the early 70's and have enjoyed it time and again since then. For anyone who wants to know what life was like in every Poor Clare monastery before Vatican II and the decimation of the religious life, this is undoubtedly the book to read. The lifestyle still persists in a few monasteries and you might want to visit their websites. If you enjoy this book, Sr. Mary Francis has written others as well (though none is quite as good as this one!).

I loved this book so much, that I marked passages of it to share with other women I know who are discerning religious life. Mother Mary Francis tells us about a group of Poor Clare nuns beginning a new foundation in New Mexico. But that is just the superficial framework of the book. What she really gives us is a superb view of the theology of life as a Poor Clare nun.

In her writings on Saints Francis and Clare, her pen paints pictures that make these wonderful saints come alive for us. Mother Mary Francis shares with us their teachings to their nuns, and what impact those teachings have on their lives. So many consider the cloisered religious life to be a dark, solitary, very solemn life, but that is far from the truth. A monastery is a place of love, and light, and laughter, and no one tells us that so well as Mother Mary Francis.

I highly recommend this book to any and all, but especially to those discerning religious life and to those with a devotion to St. Clare. This book may be old, but it is far from outdated.

What a fabulous book this is! The author is a paragon of wisdom and a gifted writer to boot. Her joyful love for God, for Saint Clare, for the life she has chosen (or been chosen for), and really, for all of frail humanity, practically bound off the page. I didn't expect to laugh out loud while reading a book of this nature, but I certainly did! Mother Mary Francis has such a wonderfully whimsical way of looking at the most ordinary things and events; the reader is enfolded in her charm and warmth. At other times I found myself reading through a film of tears; the whole book is a subtle torch that melts the heart.

Though this book is about life in an enclosed order of nuns, it's not just for Catholics. I'm not a Catholic myself, but I feel like I gained about as much from it as anyone could, and I don't feel any separation or strangeness between myself and the sisters. I strongly recommend this book to seekers of God from whatever path or religion, because don't we all share the same human nature and face the same struggles? And this author kindly shares one way of gracefully navigating the difficult waters. Since the Poor Clares have been following the same path for over 750 years now, without dying out or changing their ways, we know that it is one road, no matter how unusual, that does work, and we can all take something from it.

Finally, I appreciated the prefaces that Mother Mary Francis added to this 2001 edition of her book. Since the book was written in the 1950's, don't you want to know what has happened in the Roswell monastery since then? I did! So the additonal material from the years 1973 and 2000 was most welcome. I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone, but I'm happy to report that the monastery is thriving. Lucky them: Mother Mary Francis is apparently still the Abbess, God bless her beautiful, wise heart.

Note: Feb. 2006 addition to this review from February 2005: I have just learned that Mother Mary Francis passed away this month. May she rest in eternal peace.

Mother Mary Francis wrote a wonderful little book about her life as a Poor Clare nun. Her life in the convent was a happy one. She and her sisters laughed, danced and sang. This is a lovely peep into the cloistered life given to us by an eminently sensible and jolly woman.

I have read all the deryni series and this one is a good one. There is a really good twist in this book that will affect the events in all the other books in the series. It is also action pact with a hint of mystery, magic, and suspence. A good read, should be the 2nd one read in the whole series. Enjoy!

This is a very fast moving, action packed, enjoyable book! A great compliment to the previous Deryni novels. A must read and a gauranteed favorite of all ages.

Suspence, intrigue, mystery, and humor, all packed into one book. This book goes into the Protocol of Orin, a guide to many ancient, complicated Deryni practices. The plot is excellent and this book is guarenteed to keep you on the edge of your seat!

I continue to enjoy this book, just watching Camber getting himself into more trouble.

Camber, the elderly Deryni lord who led a human revolt against his own magic-wielding kind in the land of Gwynedd, begins to cope with the aftermath of the successful coup.

King Cinhil, once a monk, blames Camber for the loss of his vocation and the infinite difficulties of his new life and is not coping with them (or his ertswhile magic-wielding allies) well at all.

If Camber's priestly son Joram knows his father, Camber will do whatever it takes to make sure Cinhil--and Gwynedd--come out right. Even risking death...or worse, his soul!

Camber, in this book and it's sequel (Camber the Heretic), is at his strong-willed, best-intentioned, and soul-searching best. His dilemmas and solutions to them, bad and good, make an impression on the reader as well as the kingdom he serves.

This review is actually directed at all Deryni novels. I havent read them for a few years and have moved several times and only have 5 or 6 of the total deryni series but am going to buy all of them again. They are among the best books I have ever read and I have a large collection of about 150 books. If you are a fan of SciFi/Fantasy you will love this book. Without giving away too much this is one of the most pivotal of all the books by giving away some of the intrigue and a double person?

Fine, absorbing literary novel follows the exploits of expatriate American stuck in Singapore because he has neither the ability nor the luck to go anywhere else. The novel has a nice atmosphere which reminded me of Graham Greene, Saul Bellow and Gore Vidal, and effectively evoked the sleazy underbelly of Singapore that still exists in that now outwardly squeaky-clean, but sinister city-state. I read this book while living in S'pore and was surprised how many attitudes and actions of the eastern and western characters were reminded me of the Singapore of today. So I felt the book worked in two ways, as a great, entertaining read for anyone interested in just a plain good book, and also as a fine evocation of the eternal aspects of Singapore. Saint Jack was also filmed - the film version is interesting because it captured the old colonial look of S'pore before the current regime of Harry Lee Kuan Yew tore most of it down, replacing it with souless concrete tower blocks. Yet the sleazy atmosphere remains, and comes out at night especially. Theroux's Hong Kong novel, *Kowloon Tong,* captures perfectly that other Far Eastern city state at the time of the 1997 Handover (I was living in HK at the time) and is also recommended, both as a fine read and as a fine description of the place. For a good non-fiction account of Singapore, try Stan Sesser's *The Lands of Charm and Cruelty,* with a great essay on S'pore and "the fear that even the best educated Singaporeans feel towards their government."

Theroux is a well-traveled, workmanlike writer with a fondness for the raffish and louche, apt to find in it a premature redemption in order to wind things up in a snappy Yank fashion. To his credit younger and shallower readers think he has a Bad Attitude, which is one of the names under which Moral Seriousness goes these days.

Saint Jack's original may be found throughout the formerly Far East, on many a bar-stool and in many an AA meeting. The hero of this novel is undistinguished by wealth or fame and is instead of the so-called Greatest Generation, who served in WWII.

Writers of the immediate postwar like Bellow celebrated the American "logistical tail", which was extensive and included any number of typists; Tommy Wilhelm in Seize the Day, for example, flew a desk.

This may have been for the writer a labor-saving device. Having the character serve in a rifle platoon would mean the writer would have to deal with the large issue of how the combat affected the hero.

As the reader, you should realize that Saint Jack is a creature of the 1970s and a Singapore that is, as the guy below me in the postings here says, no more. He dates in other words from an era when a middle-aged and undistinguished guy could carry a message, the twilight of the Common Man as opposed to the trooping masses, destined, if they know what's good for them, only for approved lifestyles, dragging the kids to Disneyland, or Camp Snoopy in Sha Tin, their hopes for a better world downsized permanently.

Thanks to the guy below me for the suggestion of Theroux's novel Kowloon Tong. I shall definitely give it a read.

One great benefit from reading Saint Jack was a number of jokes, wheezers and gaspers popular twenty years ago in the saloon bar of the Peninsula or Raffle's after the women had left the room, to conspire.

I loved this book - it captures a spirit that has gone far away in the sterile atmosphere that surrounds that tiny island. Read this book!

Below his somewhat crusty exterior, Jack Flowers cares - sometimes deeply - about the "flotsam and jetsam" he bumps up against - on the streets, in the bar, in his brothel. He really won't show it ... nor, perhaps, will he even admit it to himself ... but he does. And he has "all the time in the world" to do so, in his own backhanded way.

Paul Theroux cut some of his teeth on this early novel, and it holds up remarkably well on second reading. Somewhat acerbic, sometimes touching, "Saint Jack" is a true pleasure.

Sure, lots of authors have done their take on the expat lifestyle, but few have done it better than Mr. Theroux has in St. Jack. This is a smart, deceptively simple take on the 'allure' of life abroad. A great book, even if you've traveled no farther than your mailbox; though, for those who have, the desriptions of people living abroad not so much because they want to---but because they're afraid to go home--- are right on the mark.

I learned of Eliot Kahlil Wilson from a poem made available on RefDesk. I am taken with the compact lines, accessibility, and joy. The words flow and reach back to sounds and incredible images. If you like poetry even a little, get this book.

We're long overdue for such poetry." says Tim Seibles of Eliot Khalil Wilson's stellar debut. And we are. The poems in this collection are large of heart & mind. They are not elitists or obfuscators but generous, brilliant companions with sly, wry, souls, with dark visions, with grand, grand good will and wicked humor. When political, Wilson's work is never didactic, but never timid either. The poems feature complicated characters such as Isaac, "our Arab gunner...and just how mixed he was, dropping incendiary bombs and Hershey bars at the same time, Viet'smores we called it..." When damning and in despair--as when considering human cruelty in a poem about Vietnam called "Blank Verse for the Man we Threw from the Sky," the speaker humbly reminds us: "I'm not offended at our likeness: demon-apes, empty of everything else, prehensile hands, demon hands, just like mine." This collection is loaded with some of the most exacting imagery and some too, of the most gorgeous; yet the poems never shy away from the ugly, the mean, the unflattering descriptions and depictions when those seem most necessary. Necessary is what this book is--timely with the wish for mercy & the disappointed chaser to that wish at the world's tendency to cry out "the way a half-ruined thing cries out to be ruined utterly". From Virginia to Spain, from Wedding Vows to crucified Barbie dolls, from "mourning to morning", this book carries the reader through time, war, thrift shops, Mexican villages, love, a child's burn unit,strip clubs, bowling alleys, pecan groves, Vietnam, mortuaries, talk shows--even the Argentinas of the mind and the afterlife supermarket where Earl feeds on exotic fruits with the dead Uncle Brownie. The imagination is superb, the images flawless. An important, pressing collection.

It's hard to capture what these poems manage to catch with their well-cast lines. This book is articulate, sensitive and humorous. It's poetry that poets admire and yet it is able to be read and understood on some levels by any readers everywhere.

As a student of Eliot Wilson I have a pretty good idea of his resounding wit and intelligence, but this collection of poems seems to go beyond anything I could've comprehended. Each poem has such sincere, complicated, yet applicable speakers. "Ginsberg's Ghost: Atlantic City" is something to be cherished with its poignant, angry social commentary on a synthetic and superficial lifestyle. Many others will make you reevaluate your beliefs and tranform your social consciousness. I challenge and urge you to delve into this work of art.

The Saint of Letting Small Fish Go is well-seasoned, wicked smart on wry, with a side of love and collards.

Mr. Noyer's knowledge of the A.D. Fifth century will amaze-but this is a mystery for all time. Vandals and politics, religious fanatics and pagans, all collide and combust as the Roman Empire skids to its death...

Roman Empire, fifth century -- murder, suspense, characters whom you can identify with, set in an era that piques ones interest. THE SAINT'S DAY DEATHS is a fun read.

Albert Noyer knows how to make history come alive. Readers will find themselves caring and learning about a time when it was not at all certain that a peculiar sect calling themselves Catholic Christians would construct the ideological foundations for as new Western culture.

Author Albert Noyer has brought history to life through a novel that has something for everyone - murderous conspiracy, political intrigue, warring sects and religious motivations - in "The Saint's Day Deaths." This evocative, historically accurate fictional mystery provides twists and turns never anticipated by the reader. The story is set in the year 406 CE, and the Rhine River has frozen over, making the city of Mogontium a target of three factions vying for empire. It is the beginning of the fall of the Roman Empire, and barbarian tribes are planning an invasion over the frozen river, while Christians and pagans clash inside the city to acquire religious and political power. In the midst, each month a citizen is murdered on their namsake's Saint's day in the same way the saint was martyred. [With Presbyter Modestus,] husband and wife team Treverius and Blandina, mapmakers, investigate the murders for an ailing governor and must find the culprit, as well as a way to prevent more deaths while they sort through a mingling of politics and religion combined with deception, treachery and greed. Noyer is an obvious passionate savant of Roman history and superbly combines it with many literary elements such as foreshadowing, allusion and dialogue. His first novel is a glorious accomplishment combining historical fact and setting, intriguing fictional characters and mesmerizing events. A glossary of names and places and the addition of three maps create an authenticity rarely found in literature. Review by Shawn Childers, East Mountain Telegraph.

This is a historical novel in the best sense of the word. A good history book makes the past come true, and a good novel breathes life into something that never happened. This book accomplishes both. An amazing feet! The story plays at around 400 AD in the Roman outpost Mogontium at the river Rhine. With the historical finesse that makes this book so enjoyable, the author selected for Mogontium a location that roughly coincides with the modern city of Mainz, thus making the settlement half fictitious, half real. At the time, the Rhine marked the boundary between two cultures: Supposedly civilized Rome west of the river, and barbaric Germanic tribes to the east. It was a time of frequent clashes between the dying paganism of the past and the budding religion of the future. This struggle, which provides the background for the story, becomes plastically alive through the deeds and the dialogues of its finely chiseld characters. The historical setting, in turn, heightens the story's suspense that would be considerable even in a more ordinary environment. The story is a classic whodunit. The stage is set when a worker, acting on behalf of Presbyter Modestus, attempts to erect a Christian cross on a former temple of Jupiter and is struck by lightning. Treverius and Cyril, who witness the incident, are terrified, but for different reasons. Treverius, the map maker, who has adopted the Christian faith, considers the poor man's death an accident, while Cyril, a rich merchant, who still clings to orthodox pantheism, views it a Jupiter's revenge. Many more deaths will follow, Cyril darkly prophesies, while Triverius attends to the daed man and his widow. Cyril's prophesy comes true, or so it seems, when Mogontium is rocked by a series of grisly murders. Triverius, his beautiful wife Blandina, and Presbyter Modestus are faced wirh the challenge to solve the mystery, and they attend to their mission with the bravura of a lay detective of a modern thriller.

Are the murders solved? If so, how? Where they hate crimes of the kind we know today? What was the role of the competing religions in these trgedies? Last, but not least, did Cyril's prophesy have some truth in it? Read it yourself. You will not regret it.

As a Catholic educator I have read and used many books on the saints, but this book was unlike any I have ever read. Its spiritual dimension is hard to articulate, but you know you have read a holy book when you are finished.

This is an outstanding book. It should be required reading for all Catholics. Who knew we don't pray TO the Saint but rather we ask them to pray WITH us? I do not have a disability but I loved the historical information the author provided about the life and times of the saints.
Well done..way to go.

Karyn Grace

I bought this book even though I do not have a disability. I was drawn to it because I look to the saints for examples and advice. I try to "prepare myself" for any struggles that may come my way. I am already familiar with many of the saints, but this book includes many saintly and blessed people I had not heard of--so I learned something new. I recently met the author (Janice McGrane). She is a wonderful storyteller and a very humble and kind individual. She knows from first-hand experience that disabilities can bring us closer to God if we allow ourselves to place "radical trust" in Him. The saints are our friends who who are eager to help us and comfort us if we just reach out to them.

Saints to Lean On by Janice McGrane, S.S.J. provides a compelling look at eleven different "spiritual companions". Each biographical vignette looks at a member of the "communion of saints" who have gone before us on their own paths, which included pain and suffering. In her introductory comments, McGrane rightly discusses the line between praying "to" saints and praying "with" them. Not all of the eleven have been formally canonized, but each provides a role model of strength and courage in facing adversity. While the book is addressed towards those suffering illness and disability, I found it an uplifting resource for taking on any adversity in life. I was particularly moved by the chapters on St. Therese of Lisieux and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

Author Janice McGrane, who has suffered with rheumatoid arthritis since she was 25, was prompted by her own experience to write about 11 Christian saints and mystics who offer us inspiration and spiritual companionship in times of disability and illness. In the introduction, McGrane clarifies the Catholic position on praying "to" saints. What we really mean, she notes, is asking the saints to pray "with us" to God. She adds an explanation of the Catholic belief in "the communion of saints," the relationship between the living and the deceased whose prayers, stories, and companionship are available to us. She also addresses the old practice of "offering it up," stressing the importance of acknowledging the pain of life and "consciously and continually" giving it over to God in whatever way seems best.

At the heart of this book are men and women from different times and places who experienced different physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. One, Catherine of Genoa, is presented as a model for caregivers. What all of the subjects have in common, McGrane explains, is that "their writings and their powerful witness to others demonstrated great spiritual lessons on how to live with a debilitating illness or disability."

In each chapter the author provides biographical information, particularly the individual's spiritual journey, and effect on others during life and after death. Most chapters also include information on the cultural and medical responses to the disability or illness at the time the subject lived and today. McGrane wraps up the stories with ways we might enter into spiritual companionship with the individual.