Category: Reading Nook
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The Awakening: The Freedom of Self
“In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman. . . . [mother-women] were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels.” The Awakening by kate chopin, pp. 10 Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, first published in 1899, met with…
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Puddle Pug: A Picture Book On Mud and Friendship
Puddle Pug by Kim Norman was originally published in 2014, but I only recently came across it. This precious gem of a picture book is now a top favorite of mine. Not only is the story utterly adorable, but it’s also a lovely reminder of the wonder of friendship. A Quick Summary Percy the Pug…
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Pygmalion: Fairness and Kindness
“The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she’s treated. I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl, and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you, because you always treat me…
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Book Review: Kingdom Above the Cloud
“Not so long ago—a little less than fifty years ago—everyone lived above the clouds on the squat Mount Lemuel to the northeast oftheir valley. Adwin made that mountain and oversaw everything and everyone on it. He was kind and peaceful and taught the people to be kind and peaceful as well. However, his benevolence did…
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East of Eden: Choice and Responsibility
“We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil.” –East of Eden, John Steinbeck A friend and I decided to read East of Eden by John Steinbeck together. When we finished, she commented on how she felt she had lived a whole life…
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The Making of Us, Part 2: Unraveling Calling and Identity
“The Celtic idea of pilgrimage was different. . .They set out directionless into the wild or let their coracles drift wherever the currents took them. Pilgrimage for the Celt was an act of voluntary exile, leaving the comfort and security of home to be in complete abandonment to God. Any benefit to them wasn’t waiting…
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The Making of Us Part 1: Inevitable Imperfection
“Through exaggerated biographies and airbrushed news feeds, our heroes often come to us without stain or crease–glorious, victorious, and flaw-free. Or else we see them on a stage with their talents on show but their support crew neatly concealed. Seeing only their perfections or ignoring their helpers, we’re given a false standard to follow” (The…
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As Kingfishers Catch Fire: Going Beyond Inscape
As Kingfishers Catch FireBy Gerard Manley Hopkins As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;As tumbled over rim in roundy wellsStones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’sBow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;Selves — goes…
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The Bear and the Nightingale: Fear as a Fatal Flaw
“The storm is coming, and the frost will be as nothing beside it. Courage will save you. If your people are afraid, then they are lost.” –The Bear and the Nightingale, pp. 128 When an ancient evil threatens her village, it’s up to Vasilia, a young woman gifted with magic, to protect her people from…
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The Cloister Walk: Recapturing the Beauty of Traditions
“Ritual and symbol are as necessary to human beings as air and water. They mark us as human, and give us identity.” -Kathleen Norris, 316 In many modern churches, traditions seem to be at war with growth and progress. Congregations move away from old customs in hopes of keeping up with a changing culture. Hymns…