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TWELVE
THE BULLETIN OF TOE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
DECEMBER, 22, 1945
BOOK REVIEWS
By EILEEN HALL
LITTLE SISTER, by Mary
Fabyan Windeatt, (The Grail),
$1.25.
Miss Windeatt apparently tried
1o stretch a few known facts about
Blessed Imelda, 14th century
child-saint, to book length. She
made of them, with the help of
an artist and her publishers, a
neat, attractive juvenile book,
especially for First Communion
age children.
But we can’t help thinking, not
only from our own reaction, but
alsojferom that of our eight-year-
old ivho listened to the reading
of "Ijiillle Sister”, that the charm
ing Jtory might better have been
told snore briefly and simply.
In* spite of that criticism, how
ever, we gladly recommend it to
you >as a happy addition to your
very young reader's bookshelf.
Little Sister Imelda is a delight
ful acquaintance to make, and if
the saints can supplant Superman
to sotne extent, tomorrow's Church
Miiltanl will benefit no end.
tJe STORY OF JESUS FOR
BOYS AND GIRLS, by Catherine
and Robb Beebe, <Bruce), $2.00.
'Reviewed by Margaret Ilatta-
way).
Just as the title says, this book
is the life of Jesus given in story
form. Mothers, read it to your
small boys and girls. A pre-school
child can understand its simple
and clear wording. And for those
childen—yes, and grown ups, too
—who can read it for themselves,
it is thoroughly enjoyable.
Some of you older boys and
girls might have wondered about
some things—little things, I mean.
Such as Jesus’ baby days and
His boyhood. Was He like other
boys? Did He like to play as
well as to study and pray? Did
He ever help His mother around
the House? Was Jesus ever
tempted, ever really hungry?
You’ll find all the answers here.
Then, too, you will like hearing
the whole Bible story of Jesus
over again in words you can under
stand. You will laugh when you
read of Jesus’ first steps and you
will feel sad when you read of
Mary, His mother, sorrowfully
holding her Son in her arms after
He had been cruelly tortured and
killed.
Catherine Beebe's story itself
would be enough to hold your
interest, but the beautiful illustra
tions by Robb Beebee add greatly
to the book. It is surely a must
for children's bookshelves.
CLIMBING UP TO HEAVEN,
by Henry Brenner, O. S. B., (The
Grail), $1.00.
(Reviewed by Margaret Ilatta-
way).
The title is really the key
the whole book, for that’s exactly
what it tries to show vou—how to
climb up to Heaven. We are shown
what chances we have of reaching
this goal. We are told that it is
never too Utc to learn and never
too early <o start.
While reading we begin to real
ize why \ye are not always think
ing of saving our souls. As
Father Brenner says, “It *vould
be an easy matter if everyone
around us were climbing up—join
ing the crowd would be easy—but
it’s not that way. However, those
wlw continue climbing to Heaven
will? drag along many more with
thcip. They will not arrive there
alonp. ’
Each chapter is about a different
topic, such as desire, fruitfulness,
perseverance, etc. A practical
example of the subject is given
in each e .apter. Also scriptural
references on the subject.
This book will help you keep
spiritually warm and responsive
but don't try to read it when your
mind is on something else. It has
to hr really absorbed to be en
joyed, and for you to profit by
its reading.
NOW AND FOREVER, by Mary
V. Jordan, (Bruce), $2.00.
Miss Jordan’s first r.ovel is the
fascinating story of Madelon Mur
ray, torn between her desire for
the peace of rcliglo is life in the
convent and her love for brilliant
Dr. Michael Murray, who did not
even believe in God.
Madelon’s place in the Divine
Plan was to sacrifice the serenity
which might have been hers as
a nun, to devote ner life to the
salvation of this one man. And she
accomplished her mission by her
love for him, her prayers and her
steadfastness in her faith.
Humanly, she faltered more
than once. She w'nt so far as to
abandon her Churcli once for
Michael Murray, as other women,
tragically mistaken, have done
for the love of a man
and men for women! But God,
who causes good to result even
from our mistakes, showed her
in a short time, as He has shown
others who loved Him ’even while
they wandered from the one
straight and true path, that neither
she nor her beloved could pos
sibly gain anything by such sac
rifice of the greatest treasure,
faith, for an inferior if overwhelm
ing one, human love.
Madelon’s story is, fundamen
tally, the story of thousands . . .
yes, millions ... of men and
women. Fortunately, hers has a
happy ending. Many of the others
don't. Some, by 'God’s great grace
and a love for Him never quite
abandoned, like Madelon, win final
salvation for themselves and their
unbelieving loved ones as well:
not “New York’’
with the review.
as was given
DARK SAILS, by Helen Top
ping Miller (Bobbs-Mcrril), $2.75.
Historians have a way of pre
senting the victors in historic
struggles as the heroes, the. ones
who were in the right, while the r
enemies are steeped with deepest
dye. One wonders how often such
was not the case at all. Might does
not invariably make right, of
course. Besides, “there is so much
good in the worst of us, and so
much bad in the best of us” . . .
in nations and races, as well as
in individuals.
We read “Dark Sails” as a his
torical novel, and recommend it
as such, because it’s about Ogle
thorpe’s colony at Frederica and
the Battle of Bloody Marsh, the
clash which historians credit with
determining whether the English
or the Spanish should dominate
America.
There are a couple of incidents
objectionable to Catholics in the
references to duels and suicide.
(You’ll note them if you read it.)
Otherwise, even remarks of the
characters about the Spanish
“Papists” can be attributed to
historical accuracy. The English
probably used much worse lan
guage than Mrs. Miller’s char
acters do.
We had the pleasure of meet
ing Mrs. Miller when she was in
Atlanta recently, and learning that
our good neighbor and frequent
visitor, Lt. Cmdr. John D. Topping
of the Navy’s Public Relations
Office, is the brother of the well
known and prolific author. We
like her newest novel (with-the
few exceptions mentioned) and
find it enlightening concerning the
early events which guided Geor
gia's destiny.
AUGUSTINE’S QUEST OF
WISDOM, by Vernon J. Bourke,
(Bruce), $3.00.
To those of us whose acquaint
ance with St. Augustine has been
principally through such familiar
and soul-thrilling quotations us,
“Too late have 1 sought Thee, O
Ancient Truth; too late have 1
found Thee, O A icient Beauty;
for Thyself Thou hast created us,
O God, and our hearts are rest
less till they rest in Thee,” Dr.
Bourke's learned biography of the
illustrious Augustine is an invita
tion to explore still further into
the personality and writing of the
saintly African bishop.
The story of the young Augus
tine whose errors and wanderings
were the cause of that holy tor
rent of tears shed by St. Mon-
nica (Dr. Bourke spells her name
that way); of Monnica herself,
model of Christian mothers,
(Augustine’s mother, of course)
whose many years of valiant
prayers and weeping for her way
ward son brought the consoling
prediction from a bishop that “It
is not possible that the son of
these tears should perish”; that
story is well known to every
Catholic child and dull.
But of Augustine after his con
version, of the scholarly books he
wrote in defense o. the Church, of
his life and activities as the Bishop
of Hippo, loo little is known to
too many of us. We’ve hesitated
to delve into his ‘Confessions’’
or “The City of God”, the best
known of his many great literary
works, because we felt ourselves
unequal to such scholarly pursuits.
But Dr. Bourke's book helps fill
that lack of giving us an interest
ing outline of the mystical journey
of the Saint toward God, the
Source of all Wisdom, and in
stills a desire to investigate Augus
tine's work further if time ever
permits.
CORRECTION
The title of John Masefield's
book which was reviewed on this
page recently is “NEW CHUM”,
OUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
..The Grail Press, whose book of
poems, “The Sound From
Heaven”, by Alexis L. Hopkins,
reviewed here recently, informs
us that this book is available both
in paper covers at 25 cents and
cloth-bound at $1.00. Also, in
response to our “wondering”, in
our review, they tell us that the
author is a priest, and that the
book jacket of tlie cloth-bound
edition gives more information
about him. You’ll enjoy Father
Hopkins’ poems whichever edition
you buy.
DO YOU LIKE TO READ?
We earnestly urge that every
Catholic who likes to read investi
gate Bruce’s Catholic Literary
Foundation. You wil be well
pleased with any selections you
make from this publisher’s lists,
and will be further rewarded with
a free book for each six pur
chased. For a stamped, self-
addressed envelope we wilt gladly
send you more information about
the Catholic Literary Foundation.
Address Mrs. Eileen Hall, The
Bulletin, Southern Finance Build
ing, Augusta, Ga.
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