Category Archives: Family Life

Remembering Mom – #Free on #Kindle

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In honor of my mother and Mother’s Day, I’m offering my book Remembering Mom for #FREE on #Kindle tomorrow, May 11 through Tuesday, May 14th. It’s usually 2.99 but will be free during those days.

Amazon Synopsis: In Remembering Mom, author Ellen Gable shares memories of her beloved mother, an unconventional woman who was often thrust into situations by necessity. She endured having to watch her first husband spiral into psychosis and schizophrenia, then have him be committed to a psychiatric hospital on the same day she was in labor with their fourth child. She worked from home typing back in the day when women didn’t have jobs other than homemaking. Her humor was quirky, and she had some strange sayings. She could swear like a sailor, but loved her Catholic faith. She wasn’t a perfect Catholic, nor was she a perfect mother, but she was devoted to her five children. After the death of her first husband, she remained strong for her young adult children, then eventually found love again and another opportunity for motherhood.

More about Mom here at this link.

Download the USA Kindle edition for FREE here at this link.

Download the Canadian Kindle edition for FREE at this link.

An Open Book – March #anopenbook

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I’m joining Carolyn Astfalk and Catholic Mom for An Open Book. Here’s what I’ve been reading and working on for the past month.

Season of Mercy Lent and Easter by Catherine Doherty

Amazon Synopsis: A  guide to entering into the mystery and celebration of Lent and Easter

Catherine Doherty leads us into the riches of God s boundless mercy as she teaches us the spirit, the liturgy, and the customs of the Lent and Easter season, including:
Practical guidance on preparing for the internal spiritual pilgrimage that is Lent.
Meditations on the meanings of the many holy days preceding and following Easter.
Traditions and customs which will help your family live the holiness of the Easter season.
After-dinner talks by Catherine Doherty, spiritual readings around the dining room table on the spirit, liturgy and customs of Lent, Holy Week, the Easter Triduum and Paschal-tide.

Catherine speaks on such topics as how to Prepare for Lent; Why Fasting; The Motive is Love; Sin, Repentance, Conversion. Also on Palm (Passion) Sunday; Holy Week; Holy Thursday: Priesthood and Eucharist; Good Friday; Holy Saturday: Christ’s Descent into Hades; and Christ is Risen! Then Paschal time and Christ s Ascension, Pentecost. A rich tapestry of scriptural reflections and Customs and Traditions to bring it all to life!
Excellent for personal and group study.
A wonderful resource for preachers and teachers!

My review: This is a book I re-read every Lent and Easter. It’s filled with excellent information, spiritual reflections and customs for the season. Highly recommend. 5/5.

The End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us by Carrie Gress

Amazon synopsis: Feminism doesn’t empower women. It erases them.

The bestselling author of Theology of Home, Carrie Gress shows that fifty years of radical feminism have solidified the primacy of the traditionally male sphere of life and devalued the attributes, virtues, and strengths of women.

Feminism, the ideology dedicated to “smashing the patriarchy,” has instead made male lives the norm for everyone. After fifty years of radical feminism, we can’t even define “woman.” In this powerful new book, Carrie Gress says what cannot be said: feminism has abolished women.

Hulking “trans women” thrash female athletes. Mothers abort their baby girls. Drag queens perform obscene parodies of women. Females are enslaved for men’s pleasure—or they enslave themselves. Feminism doesn’t avert these tragedies; it encourages them. The carefree binge of self-absorption has left women exploited, unhappy, dependent on the state, and at war with men. And still, feminists cling to their illusions of liberation.

But there are real answers. Real answers for real women. Carrie Gress—a wife, mother, and philosopher—punctures the myth of feminism, exposing its legacy of abuse, abandonment, and anarchy. From the serpent’s seduction of Eve to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to Kate Millett’s lust, violence, and insanity to Meghan Markle’s havoc-ridden rise to royalty, Gress presents a history as intriguing as the characters who lived it. The answers women most desperately need, she concludes, are to be found precisely where they are most afraid to look.

Only a rediscovery of true womanhood—and motherhood—can pull our society back from the brink. And happiness is possible only if women are open to making peace with men, with children, with God, and—no less difficult—with themselves. For feminism’s victims, Gress is a welcoming voice in the darkness: The door is open. The lights are on. Come home.

My review: A friend of mine lent me her review copy. This is an outstanding book that takes the reader from early feminism in the late 1700s has grown to the radical feminism of the past 50 years with the illusion that feminism liberates women. Instead, nowadays, many people can’t even define what a woman is. This is a sobering look at our world and the negative effects it’s had on the average woman.  “Only a true rediscovery of womanhood—and motherhood—can pull our society back from the brink.”  I highly recommend this book. 5/5.

How Firm a Foundation by Marcus Grodi

Amazon Synopsis: Stephen LaPointe believed in Jesus. For him, the Bible was the only sufficient, firm foundation for his life. He wanted to obey God in all things and had given up a career to become an ordained minister. He loved to preach the Word and knew that one day he would stand before God, accountable for everything he preached. But there was one problem: how could he be certain that what he was preaching was true? Sara LaPointe never wanted this role, but she loved Stephen. So, through his encouragement and tutelage, she had become both an enthusiastic Evangelical and an effective pastors wife at least in the eyes of the congregation. But would the gnawing guilt of a past mistake a mistake she would never reveal to her husband ever let her go? And then there was Walter. He, too, believed in Jesus. He, too, loved the Bible and vowed to do whatever God called him to do. But what if this was the unthinkable?

My review: This novel has been on my To Do List forever. One of the proactive things I’m doing during Lent is to read more books and watch less TV. And I have to say this very pleasantly surprised me.  The author’s use of omniscient POV is the only thing that distracted me as it felt a bit like head hopping (evening within the same paragraphs). As an author of ten novels and an experienced editor, I always encourage new authors to use third person limited POV. That way, we get to know the characters better and we can avoid the head hopping. However, this book kept me reading through over 500 pages, urging me on to find out what happens next.  The story is excellent. For this reason, I highly recommend this novel written by Marcus Grodi, a former Presbyterian minister who converted to the Catholic faith. 4.5/5

Mortal Adhesions: A Surgeon Battles the Seven Deadly Sins to Find Faith, Happiness and Inner Peace

by John Sottosanti

Amazon Synopsis: Can money, power, and prestige sustain happiness? Can a surgeon trained in the scientific method believe in God when many friends and patients are atheists?

Relying on his intelligence and perseverance, at age forty-two, Dr. Sottosanti achieved the American dream—money, power, fame, and a clifftop house overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Finding himself mired in the Seven Deadly Sins (his “mortal adhesions”) and helpless to extricate himself, he cried out in despair, “God, if you are up there, all I want is inner peace.” And with that one submission, his life changed, resulting in a cascade of improbable and unbelievable events, culminating in a salvific miracle experienced in the tomb of a medieval saint during a pilgrimage on Spain’s Camino de Santiago. Faith, happiness, and inner peace followed. Readers will travel with him to learn life’s lessons in an inspiring, riveting, fast-paced memoir.

My review: I thoroughly enjoyed this surgeon’s life story and how he found inner peace through embracing his Catholic faith. Recommend. 3.5/5.

This is Your Last Warning: An Authoritative End of Days Timeline by Donna Silveira

Amazon Synopsis: This is a book that examines purported Marian apparitions and mystic visions where the messages discuss future events, scrutinizing them for their reliability. Using guidelines given by the Church in discerning valid from invalid apparitions, the book discusses the reasons some prophecies are invalid. The apparitions and prophecies from mystic visions which are highly reliable are then taken to form a timeline of the events we can expect to see if mankind does not turn back to God. The timeline spans from today, and some of the craziness we see in our world today, through an era of peace, and ultimately to the antichrist and Christ’s return on the last day. Combining accepted Church teaching and prophecies into a single narrative timeline, this “last warning” of what is to come is the compendium of the previous warnings.

My review: I enjoyed this book, which is incredibly thorough in examining Marian Apparitions. The author is careful not to include ongoing apparitions or apparitions that have not been approved by the Church. I understand why, but some of these ongoing apparitions might be true and so we’re not necessarily getting a complete picture. It’s an excellent read, though. Recommend. 3.5/5.

Veterans Day – Remembrance Day 2023

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My three fathers served a total of 16 years in various branches of the United States armed forces.

My father, Frank Gable, served in the United States Marine Corps from 1946-1950 and in the United States Army from 1950-1954. However, November 11th has always held a special place in my heart because it is my father’s birthday. Today, he would’ve been 95. He died suddenly and tragically at the age of 49, just before my 19th birthday. My family and I walked around in shock, trying to get through the days following his death. My novel Where Angels Pass is loosely based on the true story of his troubled life.

Frank Gable was short in stature (around five feet six inches tall), and enjoyed watching “Gomer Pyle,” “Hogan’s Heroes,” and the “Honeymooners.” He enjoyed playing the card game, Rummy, and Monopoly. His favorite candy was Hershey’s Kisses.  Over the years, he worked as a clerk and mailman. Years ago, my mom shared with me that he was the one who named me. And, when I was 15 or 16, he used to hug me and say, “El, you need to find a guy just about my size because you fit perfectly to me when we hug.” (I did!)

For Christians, the consolation is that we will see our loved ones again. I know that I will see my dad again someday. Until then…Happy Birthday, Dad. Remembering you in a special way today.

My father-in-law, Tony Hrkach (1925-1995) served as a tail gunner in the United States Air Force during the Second World War.

Near the end of the war, during a routine mission, Tony’s plane was shot down over Yugoslavia (coincidentally, near his father’s birthplace of Mostar). Frantically, he and his buddies parachuted out of the airplane. Unfortunately, however, one of his friends hit the side of a mountain and was killed. Tony and the others made it safely to the ground and were captured as soon as they landed.

They were marched for miles until they reached a POW camp. Remarkably, they found the Germans running the camp to be kind and, while it was not easy to be a prisoner of war, they were treated humanely.

When an announcement came over the radio that Germany had lost the war, their captors immediately handed their weapons and guns over to the Americans. Then, in a strange moment of understanding, they exchanged small personal tokens as reminders of their time together.

“I don’t just think of myself as a citizen of the United States; I think of myself as a citizen of the world,” Tony used to say. His idea was that we should remember, first and foremost, that we are all human beings, especially in times of war.

Like my father and many other veterans, Tony also enjoyed “Hogan’s Heroes,” the television sitcom from the 1960s about a German POW camp. The show attempted to put a human spin on such horrific times…the very thing Tony found in his real experience with the ‘enemy.’  (Thanks to my husband James for writing this account of his father’s experience in the Second World War.)

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My stepfather, Joseph Power (1933-2012), trained in Parris Island, South Carolina, before shipping out to Korea. He attained the silver badge in Marine Marksman. Like my father and father-in-law, my stepdad never liked to talk about his experiences with war.  But he would say things like, “Be grateful for warm showers,” or “If that’s your only complaint, be thankful that you’re not being fired at.”

While we remember all those who fought in wars so that we may live in freedom, let us also remember that the real enemy isn’t necessarily the people we fight against, but the evil circumstances that result from greed, lust and power.

An Open Book #openbook August

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Today I’m joining Carolyn Astfalk and Catholic Mom for An Open Book. Here’s what I’ve been reading and/or working on for the past month.

Nazareth Family Spirituality: Celebrating Your Faith at Home with Catherine Doherty

Synopsis: Bring your home and family life to Christ! Catherine Doherty, foundress of Madonna House and best-selling author of the award-winning spiritual classic Poustinia, talks straight to families in this compilation by one of her spiritual sons, MH priest Fr. Blair Bernard. Catherine first talks about Christ’s hidden “Nazareth years”, which made up most of his earthly life, and which prepared him for the three years and three days which would change the world. She elaborates on the profound spiritual significance of these years, not only for the Lord but for each of us and our families. With the Nazareth years as her point of departure, Catherine discusses the ways families can connect their ordinary lives with God. For her, Nazareth is “that hidden little village [where we] become whole again.” As the title of this book indicates, “Nazareth” is a whole way of life, especially in its hiddenness. For “hidden” is the life that most of us live. In simple, chatty chapters, Catherine demonstrates the spiritual depth of the hidden vocation of marriage and family: to form a community of love. The book also presents practical ways of passing on the faith, to celebrate it particularly for and with children. The unique and beautiful cycle of the church year customs celebrated in Madonna House is here adapted for use in your home. Over the years the MH community has drawn these customs from the East and the West, and from various countries; they have stood the test of time in their communication of the joys as well as the truths of our faith. Catherine discusses of various issues in family life: teen dating, the loneliness of living a faith life in a secular world, parents as co-creators with God, various difficulties of wedded life. Catherine introduced to her community of Madonna House a Russian idea of unity called “sobornost”; here she presents this idea of sobornost as a goal for family life as well. And fearlessly she addresses the end of life in the section “’Til Death Do Us Part”, completing the cycle of a life lived in the Lord. Nazareth Family Spirituality provides much food for families to digest, families whose sanctity and integrity is so questioned in our day and age. It also gives much encouragement to live a life of faith in our modern world.

My review: Catherine Doherty’s book, Dear Parents, has been out of print for many years. Madonna House republished it as Nazareth Family Spirituality. I’ve used Catherine’s quotes on “The duty of the moment,” and “I am Third” in my articles. This book is, in fact, three or four books in one. It includes much of Dear Parents, but also includes parts of Donkey Bells (Christmas and Advent) and Season of Mercy (Lent and Easter), which makes it a much more inclusive book for families. Every Catholic family should own a copy of this book. Highly recommend.

The Priests We Need to Save the Church by Kevin Wells

Synopsis: While dissolute bishops and priests around the world grab headlines for their untoward words and deeds, too many other unfruitful priests minister as little more than glad-handing bachelors doing social service work.

Top and bottom, is this the Church that Christ intended? Are these the priests we need?

No! cries author Kevin Wells in these compelling pages that showcase how heroic priests can faithfully tread the narrow path of holy self-sacrifice first blazed by the apostles themselves. From scores of insightful interviews with modern priests, exorcists, seminary formators, and even disillusioned laity, Wells here draws forth a blueprint for priestly holiness that can once again fill our Church with priests abounding with sincere, supernatural faith, on fire with God s love, and moved by the irresistible impulse to save souls, no matter the cost to themselves.

Reading this book will deepen your own faith and help you understand what all priests, by their vocation, are consecrated and called to be. Giving a copy to your parish priest will help him and encourage him as he strives to become a member of the small but growing contingent of holy priests we need.

Review: This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It’s engaging and yet drives the point home: without a holy priest and holy bishops, the flock is heading to perdition. One of my favorite lines: “Our society is fast achieving the diabolical flip — virtue is now sin; sin is virtue — and hordes of Catholic children and teens are wandering. Our youth have lowered their heads not in sorrow and pain but to genuflect to Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook in order to turn away from their unspoken confusion, torment, and hidden sin. But truth doesn’t live in social media, so their immortal souls further petrify in Satan’s relentless spiritual war for them. And because it seems as if many Catholic dads and moms have decided to canonize comfort — helicoptering every aspect of their children’s lives except their souls — their children are left unequipped to combat spiritual enemies. I highly recommend this wonderful book!

Vassals of the Valley by Robin Sebolino

Synopsis: Kalag suffers from the traumas of his life and deeds as a pirate in the seas of 16th-century Southeast Asia. Together with his warrior peons, he embarks on a journey to find a peaceful home and live a quiet life on his native island of Luzon.

A promising place he finds is the newly founded pueblo of Nueva Avila, where he discovers his sister and her family well adapted to its laws patterned after the Spanish legal system and Catholic morality. He thrives in Nueva Avila, adopts its customs and religion, and even releases his peons from servitude. But he soon realizes that even this town is far from the ideal place he hopes to live in. Nueva Avila’s governor, Don Fernando, has struck a deal with Ichijuo Kenki, an up-and-coming Japanese pirate lord. Kalag abandons Nueva Avila to live in the prosperous port city of Manila, where he establishes himself through trade and the support of the city’s clerics.

He returns to Nueva Avila after hearing that Ichijuo has begun enslaving its people. With warrior companions (his former peons), a Dominican priest, and strong, creative resolve, Kalag rushes to liberate the pirate-controlled pueblo in the least bloody way possible.

My review: One of the things I love about the 21st century is that I get to meet and work with authors from all over the world. Robin Sebolino is an author who lives in the Philippines, and he has written a beautiful historical novel that takes place in Southeast Asia. I helped Robin edit his book. This is a compelling and well-written book that takes the reader on a sweeping adventure. Highly recommend.

Love’s Mystery: A Mystical Theology of the Body According to St. John Paul II and St. John of the Cross

Second Edition Coming Soon from FQP!

Synopsis: It is well-known that St. John Paul II was a student of St. John of the Cross. The Pope, as a young man, decided to learn Spanish to study the writings of St. John of the Cross in the original language. As a young priest of only twenty-eight years of age, this future Pope wrote his dissertation on St. John’s philosophy of faith in the mystical contexts, Faith According to St. John of The Cross. The writings and spirituality of St. John influenced the Pope’s entire way of looking at spirituality and philosophy. St. John, as many other mystics and saints, looked at the Song of Songs as an example of God’s love for us, the souls He created. A very deep, passionate love for the soul is called agape, portrayed in eros, which is the love between man and woman. This love is mentioned by John Paul in his works The Theology of The Body as well as Love and Responsibility. The love that God has between Himself and the human soul is also the same kind of love that man and woman should exchange between themselves.

David P. Hahn explores the connections between St. John Paul II and St. John of the Cross, and their associated theologies, in Love’s Mystery. Follow along in the exploration of the concepts that both Saints use in guiding humanity into the love, union, and happiness that was meant for man and woman since the beginning.

My review: While we usually don’t publish non-fiction, we jumped at the chance to publish the second edition of this book (one that I edited many years ago). Highly recommend.

Collared by Juliana Weber

Synopsis: Father Paul is assigned to heal a parish scandalized by the former pastor’s involvement in underage sex trafficking. A gifted yet new priest, Father Paul gains the survivors’ trust and hears their stories, bringing healing and fatherly love. As he listens, he inadvertently puts together the clues to bring down the trafficking ring, one so lucrative that even the police are afraid to touch it. Or are some of the police in on the take?

Like every church, this one is full of suspicious characters, and someone nearby is clearly trying to harm Father Paul. The pastor endures all the usual church politics and ministry mayhem, while he races to bring down the crime ring. Can he stop the traffickers before they collar their next round of victims? Or will the traffickers be the ones to stop him?

Review: I enjoyed this thriller and read it in one sitting. Recommend. 4/5.

Transfigured: Patricia Sandoval’s Escape from Drugs, Homelessness, and the Back Doors of Planned Parenthood by Christine Watkins and Patricia Sandoval

Synopsis: Patricia Sandoval’s life story is an unusually gripping, hard-to-put-down ride along a journey that leads to an extraordinary triumph of God’s mercy—the mercy that waits patiently for all of us. Patricia came from a broken home, good and bad boyfriends, three abortions, a job at Planned Parenthood (where she was told never to reveal what she saw), followed by methamphetamine addiction and homelessness. The way that Jesus came to her in the streets will leave you breathless, as will the heights to which God has since carried her.

If you know of someone who believes they cannot be forgiven or return to Church, this is the book to give them. (Watch the video of reader comments below.) Read Transfigured. Be Transfigured.

Patricia now travels the world as a pro-life speaker, sharing her story with millions in packed stadiums and on radio and television shows, such as EWTN’s Bookmark, Life on the Rock, Women of Grace, At Home with Jim and Joy; and in Spanish, on EWTN’s Cara a Cara, Nuestro Fe en Vivo, Ellas lo Dicen, De Dos en Dos—and now on her own show with Astrid Bennett Gutiérrez: Informe Provida.

My review: This is a powerful story, although a bit choppy with regard to the storytelling. However, Patricia’s story remains as powerful as her in-person testimony. Recommend.

Rosary Reflections for Pregnant Mothers

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I recently contributed to Rosary Reflections for Pregnant Mothers for Catholic Mom. It’s now available free via ebook at this link.

My reflection was for the First Glorious Mystery, the Resurrection.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the necessary truth and foundation of our Catholic faith. Jesus has died but has risen from the dead. Jesus comes out of the darkness and into the light of life. The Cross comes before the Resurrection. Without the Cross, there would be no Resurrection. 

Your unborn child is the living reflection of spousal love. For nine months, your precious baby has been developing and growing as you nurture him/her. At birth, this tiny human will emerge from the darkness of the womb and into the light of life outside the womb. 

For women, carrying a baby for nine months is a sacrifice: morning sickness, fatigue, headaches, sleepless nights, and labor itself can weigh you down physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. If you have other children, this sacrifice can be more overwhelming. Nine months can seem like a lifetime.  It can feel like you’ll be pregnant forever. Pregnancy helps us to grow in patience. The sacrifices you endure for this beautiful child are necessary and must come before the birth of your child. 

In his book Life of Christ, Archbishop Sheen writes, “Deferred joys purchased by sacrifices are always the sweetest and most enduring.” 

When you finally gaze into the face of your newborn baby, it’s easy to forget the pain and embrace the sweet joy. Your child, the living reflection of your and your husband’s spousal love, is an eternal, unrepeatable, and irreplaceable gift from God. 

As you look forward to the birth of your unborn baby, remember that the sacrifices of this life will someday lead to the immeasurable joy of eternal life and the Resurrection. 

Let us pray for patience and grace to endure the sacrifices of pregnancy so we can embrace the sweet joy of our baby’s birth. 

An Open Book – May #openbook

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Today I’m joining Carolyn Astfalk and Catholic Mom for An Open Book. Here’s what I’ve been reading for the past month!

St John Paul the Great, His Five Loves by Jason Evert

Synopsis:

A French novelist once wrote, “Tell me what you love, and I will tell you who you are.” Although there are countless ways to study Saint John Paul the Great, the most direct route is by entering the man’s heart.

Discover the five greatest loves of Saint John Paul II, through remarkable unpublished stories about him from bishops, priests who organized his papal pilgrimages, his students in Poland, Swiss Guards, and others. Mining through a mountain of papal resources, Jason Evert has uncovered the gems and now presents the Church a treasure chest brimming with the jewels of the saint’s life.

Rekindle your own faith by learning what (and who) captivated the heart of this great saint.

My review: I’m in the middle of reading this wonderful book that showcased JP II’s “Five Loves.” So far, I’m thoroughly enjoying it!

Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem

Synopsis:

“What I am looking for―what I desperately need, Mrs. Weiss―is a spy.”

Adolf Hitler is still a distant rumble on the horizon, but a Jewish spymaster and his courageous spies uncover a storm of Nazi terror in their own backyard.

In the summer of 1933, a man named Adolf Hitler is the new and powerful anti-Semitic chancellor of Germany. But in Los Angeles, no-nonsense secretary Liesl Weiss has concerns much closer to home. The Great Depression is tightening its grip and Liesl is the sole supporter of two children, an opinionated mother and a troubled brother.

Leon Lewis is a Jewish lawyer who has watched Adolf Hitler’s rise to power―and the increase in anti-Semitism in America―with growing alarm. He believes Nazi agents are working to seize control of Hollywood, the greatest propaganda machine the world has ever known. The trouble is, authorities scoff at his dire warnings.

When Liesl loses her job at MGM, her only choice is to work with Leon Lewis and the mysterious Agent Thirteen to spy on her friends and neighbors in her German American community. What Leon Lewis and his spies find is more chilling―and more dangerous―than any of them suspected.

Code Name Edelweiss is based on a true story, unknown until recent years: How a lone Jewish lawyer and a handful of amateur spies discovered and foiled Adolf Hitler’s plan to take over Hollywood.

My review: This was an absolutely riveting novel, and I enjoyed it immensely. If you like Film Noir, you’ll love this book. I laughed out loud at the line, “The speakeasy was dark and smelled of late nights and bad decisions. Cigarette smoke hung in a thick fog along the low ceiling, and a sorry-looking three-piece band plucked out an off-key rendition of “Rhapsody in Blue.” I could almost hear Edward G. Robinson in the background. Highly recommend.

Dial M: The Murder of Carol Thompson

Synopsis:

At 9:00 on the morning of March 6, 1963, in the quiet St. Paul neighborhood of Highland Park, Mrs. Fritz Pearson glanced out her window and saw something almost unimaginable: slumped on the front steps of the home across the street was a woman, partially clothed in a blue bathrobe and bloodied beyond recognition. The woman, Mrs. Pearson would come to learn, was her beloved neighbor Carol Thompson, wife and mother of four.

Earlier that morning, T. Eugene Thompson, known to friends as “Cotton,” dropped his son off at school and headed to the office, where he worked as a criminal attorney. At 8:25 am, he phoned home, later telling police that he did so to confirm evening plans with Carol. Mr. Thompson lied.

Through police records, court transcripts, family papers, and extensive interviews, William Swanson has re-created Middle America’s “crime of the century,” the deadly plot by a husband that made headlines around the world. But Dial M: The Murder of Carol Thompson also tracks the lives of the Thompsons’ children. Their journey from disbelief to acceptance culminates in a private family trial where they decide whether their father truly was responsible for the violent act that crushed their childhood and forever altered their views of the world.

My review: This was a riveting true-crime thriller that I would highly recommend. Four children lost their mother on the day of the murder in 1963, and not long after, their father was arrested for the crime. He served nearly 20 years and then was released on parole. What makes this book so unique is that the author shares what it was like for the children as they grew up without their mother and coming to grips with the fact that their father killed their mother. This is one I’ll likely read again.

Hidden Book 2: Secrets: The Truth Will Out by Verity Lucia

Synopsis:

Perfect looks. Perfect boyfriend. Perfect image. High schooler, Elise Thames, has it all under control until one late night and two little pink lines change everything.

After fleeing to Chicago to erase the life growing inside her, Elise begins hearing voices and seeing visions that thrust her into the minds of others. Her newfound telepathy draws out grim insecurities buried within, and Elise’s identity as one of the most popular girls at Jefferson High shatters. When news of her pregnancy spreads, Elise must face the truth about who she is—and make a choice.

SECRETS: The Truth Will Out

  • A desperate girl.
  • A supernatural bracelet.
  • And a choice that will change everything

My review: Although this book is geared to teens, I found it a compelling read. It’s unapologetically pro-life, but it also illustrates well the rationalization from the pro-abortion camp as the pregnant girl in question keeps hearing she should just have an abortion and “things will be back to the way they were.” Highly recommend for teens and adults.

Saint Jerk by D.J. Dixon

Synopsis: Holy Smokes – Saint Jerk is Amazing!
Funny. Edgy. Uplifting. Catholic.

Jack knew what was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier to face. As the new school year started at St. Mary’s, his eighth-grade class was assigned to complete twenty hours of community service by the end of the semester. Bungling his way from one adventure to the next, Jack hilariously tells the tales of his deeds gone heroically right and horrifically wrong. Along the way, he learns unexpected lessons about his faith and its meaning in his life. Most importantly, he’ll realize that the person he becomes is determined by the choices he makes. And boy, does he make some bad ones…

As provocative as it is hysterical, Saint Jerk is a powerful response to a broken culture, a story that both entertains and arms young Christians with confidence in the truth of their faith in the face of a secular society. It’s an invitation to readers of all ages to consider the most important questions that have ever been posed by mankind, to recognize that the answers have already been provided, and to reflect on the consequences of that truth in their lives.

My review: I really enjoyed this teen book and would recommend it to any teen or adult. I’m not sure I’d call it provocative or hysterical, but it was a great story with some humor, and I felt I knew the main character. He’s not unlike many teen boys facing temptations, peer pressure, and trying to fit in. Recommend.

Forever Thirteen: A Family Tragedy and a Young Man’s Struggle to Recover by Doug Shumard

Synopsis:

Have you ever wondered who you are? Or how you became who you are? Or what is it that defines you as a person and, more specifically, what were some of those defining moments in your life?

Forever Thirteen documents a Sunday morning newspaper headline that read, “Boy Scout Camper, 13, Drowns as Raft Sinks.” This is the true story of a family tragedy as recounted by the nearly twelve-year-old brother who writes this story some years later. It is a story of a mother’s nervous breakdown and a father’s inability to provide comfort to his children at this critical period. It is a firsthand account of unintentional abandonment, suffering, sadness, detachment, guilt, and recovery.

As a youth, the author struggled through this experience, maintaining his faith in God and continuing to hope and pray for the rebuilding of his family, while maintaining love for those who were letting him down.

This is a story that can help others in their personal journeys through those tragedies that we all eventually face.

My review: This is a tragic story of a boy who loses his older brother in a drowning accident and his struggle to recover. It’s a compelling tale that I’d highly recommend. It’s written by Douglas Shumard (we helped him publish this book). He recently passed away and has been reunited with his beloved brother.

Pete the Cat Big Easter Adventure by Kimberly and James Dean

Synopsis:

Author and artist James Dean brings us along for a hippity-hoppity Easter adventure with the coolest cat around: Pete!

When Pete wakes up Easter morning, ready to check out his basket of goodies, he discovers the Easter Bunny needs a little extra help. Our favorite groovy blue cat puts on his bunny ears and finds a way to collect, paint, and hide the eggs all in time for Easter.

Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure will be a welcome gift in an Easter basket or anytime!

My review: We bought this book for our grandson for Easter. Pete the Cat has a very wry sense of humor, and I can understand why my grandson enjoys his books. Even the adults will chuckle. Recommend.