28 Sep Caryll Houselander: A Biography

“Whether the reader is new to Houselander’s work or has long known her spiritual teachings, this intriguing biography offers a treasure chest of insight and inspiration.” —Joyce Rupp, author, spiritual director, Boundless Compassion program

“A watershed publication for the study of Houselander: the first biography based on extensive archival research that presents her life and thought in all their complexity within their historical context in twentieth-century England. [It] fills many of the gaps in knowledge of Houselander’s life, providing new information about Houselander’s family and social networks, and even never-before-seen photographs.”—Kelley Spoerl, professor of theology, Saint Anselm College

“Based on deep research, grounded in the historical and religious context, and written in accessible prose, Mary Frances Coady’s biography of Caryll Houselander adds to understanding this ‘Divine Eccentric’.” —Dana Greene, dean emerita, Oxford College of Emory University, author, The Living of Maisie Ward

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Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York 10545, OrbisBooks.com

21 Jul Holy Rule

In this novel, set in October, 1958, the pope lies dying in Rome as, thousands of miles away, life carries on in St. Monica’s Girls’ School. The students are living in the adolescent space between childhood and adulthood and are testing their limits. Meanwhile, their teachers are living under a rule from another place and culture. They must negotiate their way through a present day that is shifting under their feet. Unknown to all of them, their lives are spilling into a world on the cusp of change.

Reviews

“….conveys the psychological complexities of the nuns’ lives without passing judgement on their choices and beliefs. The world she reveals behind the imposing walls is surprisingly rich, and entering that world is a rewarding experience.” —Quill and Quire

“Obsessive smoking, uncontrollable menstruation, incessant gossiping, grim images of death and pregnancy scares–after considering the title, these were definitely not the topics about which I expected to find in the book. Despite the initial shock of the story’s contents, this work of fiction tackles many real-life issues.” —YSN Reads

Interview with Mary Frances Coady on the occasion of Women’s History Month:

https://alllitup.ca/Blog/2016/Women-s-Writer-s-Block-Mary-Frances-Coady

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21 Jul Merton & Waugh: A Monk, A Crusty Old Man and The Seven Storey Mountain

From 1948 to 1952 the lives of Trappist monk Thomas Merton and British novelist Evelyn Waugh were closely intertwined. In these pages we witness Merton the writing student and spiritual master and Waugh the master of prose and conflicted penitent.

REVIEWS

“Engaging, informative, and illuminating!” — Christine M. Bochen, Shannon Chair in Catholic Studies, Nazareth College, Rochester NY

“A wonderful brief study of both men.” — Patrick Samway SJ, editor of The Letters of Thomas Merton and Robert Giroux

“…essential reading for anyone interested in Catholicism and literary criticism.”–The Catholic Herald

“This is a delightful little book, beautifully produced….” — Ian Ker, author of John Henry Newman: A Biography

Read “Beyond The Seven Storey Mountain:Remembering Thomas Merton” here

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21 Jul Georges and Pauline Vanier:  Mercy Within Mercy

The excerpts from letters and journals in this volume show a rare example of the contemplative life and struggles in prayer of an active and prominent married couple with a shared thirst for God against a global background of tumultuous social and cultural change.

It also offers an insight into the spiritual lives and characters of their children.

Reviews

“Such a book as this gives one great hope.” — from the Foreword by Sister Wendy Beckett, author of The Story of Painting

“Georges’s professional life gives the book its gritty backbone, while Pauline’s own discovery of the spirit of L’Arche spells out where true mercy lies.” — Church Times

“This is a book to be treasured, read and reread, and given to others, with its abundance of spiritual advice in all circumstances.”  — Mount Carmel

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20 Jul Georges and Pauline Vanier: Portrait of a Couple

Few figures have had as lasting an influence on Canadian institutions, history, politics, and culture as Georges and Pauline Vanier. Georges (1888-1967), a decorated military officer, became a professional diplomat, the first Canadian ambassador to France, and the first French-Canadian governor general of Canada. Pauline (1898-1991), a respected humanitarian, Privy Council member, and university chancellor, shared her husband’s responsibilities and helped shape his thoughts on foreign and domestic affairs.

Georges and Pauline Vanier follows their lives and travels across the world – from Canadian military life to the League of Nations, from the inner circles of British government to their harrowing escape from Nazi-occupied France – detailing their disappointments and triumphs during social and political turbulence.

With insight and sympathy, Mary Frances Coady tells their dramatic personal story. Revealing their remarkably vibrant personalities, she details the couple’s support of the French resistance as well as Georges Vanier’s pleas for the Canadian government to accept refugees fleeing Hitler’s horrors and his effort to broaden immigration policy. She also recounts the importance of their religious convictions, their controversial standing among Quebecers, and their early advocacy of official bilingualism.

An invigorating and well-told tale of their lasting legacies, Georges and Pauline Vanier is the definitive account of the enduring contributions the Vaniers made to the world and to their country.

Reviews

“A timely and often tender book about an extraordinary couple Canadians have every right to feel enormous pride in.”
— The Globe and Mail

“The story of the Vaniers’ marriage, their spiritual quest and their devotion to Canada is deeply moving and revealing. Coady dissects two great souls with delicacy and perception to provide a rich and profoundly moving portrait of two extraordinary individuals.”
— The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, former governor general of Canada

“This double biography is a careful, thorough work which fills a gap in Canadian history. Coady’s insights into each partner are sympathetic and convincing, and her writing is accessible and thoughtful.”
— Charlotte Gray, author of Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike

“In refreshingly clear prose built upon tremendous research, Coady has written the story of a couple who served Canada not only in their lifetime, but through future generations.” — Montreal Review of Books

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10 Jul The Practice Of Perfection

Linked short stories provide a seldom-seen peek behind the closed doors of a convent, at the challenges and blessings of young women who have dedicated their lives to the practice of perfection.

The time is 1959 and the setting is a convent, where novices begin the difficult process of separating themselves from the everyday world they’ve grown up in and everything in it, including material things, their friends, and even their families. The Practice of Perfection is rich in the details of their lives – the personalities, the rituals of the convent, the names for parts of clothing and rooms, the stock answers for any and all questions of their faith. Ultimately, it is a fascinating portrait of the search for purpose and the struggle to keep life changing commitments that mirrors those same elements in all of our lives.

Reviews

“….these young lives, striving, doubting, stumbling, defying, are drawn with great care and touching humanity.”
— The Globe and Mail
“Coady’s portrayal of the [characters’] earnestness and struggle for spiritual fulfillment is written with great sensitivity, her rendition compelling.”
— Prairie Fire Magazine

“Evoking the stark and simple lifestyle of those cloistered with unembellished words and repeated images, Coady bestows an air of humanity upon the search for a religious life and sparks readers to reflect inwardly upon their own lives.”
— SPG Weekly Book Pick

“While highlighting the archaic nature of this closed world, Coady also gestures toward the complex layers of meaning within this confined space generated through both pursuit of common goals and individual encounters with the divine.” — Canadian Literature

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