Our Father’s Tale

Books lined up on a shelf outdoors.

actually did not want to read A Father’s Tale, not because of its length but because I am not a father and I have no sons. I thought it would be unrelatable. Yet, I find that despite these very significant differences between myself and Alexandre, we have everything in common that we need to: we are both children of the same Father.

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A New Look at St. Francis

Hand holding open book near mug.

Elizabeth Goudge’s work, My God and My All: The Life of St. Francis of Assisi, has been a blessing! Her deep academic study of St. Francis’s life, told as a narrative, has given me a new lens through which to perceive the man.

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Come as You Are

Hand holding book near potted plants.

Come as You Are Written by Susan Severson The dinner plates had barely been shoved into the precariously full dishwasher before I finally faced the question: should I go to Well-Read Mom tonight? It certainly wouldn’t be convenient. We were in the midst of moving from our home of nine years to one that would…

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The Old and the New: Rediscovering Literature

Person holding coffee next to a book.

The Old and the New: Rediscovering Literature Through Well-Read Mom Written by Nicki Johnston I started a new Well-Read Mom group for women in my parish this year. Inevitably, I received inquiries about the need to pay for a booklist, allowing me to articulate the many ways Well-Read Mom has enriched my life during the…

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The Restoration of Culture Through Literature and Prayer

Hand holding open book in cozy room.

The Restoration of Culture Through Literature and Prayer Written by Christina Mermis In an essay entitled “The Importance of Virgil”, my favorite author and educational reformer, John Senior, wrote, “If I succeed in giving anyone even the slightest glimpse into the rich treasure of Virgil, I shall have made my case for the restoration of…

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Finding Hope in Tragedy: Lessons from Virgil’s Aeneid

Woman reading book in scenic mountain setting.

I was hardly surprised to find a class on Virgil’s The Aeneid as a core requirement for the degree. Yet, I must admit that I approached the epic with some level of hesitancy. In my mind, it was one thing to study Plato and Aristotle, yet Virgil and Homer?  The looming question was always, what could one hope to gain by studying them? Should a Christian even read pagan classics? The answer is obvious when considered in light of their historical and, arguably, eschatological significance.

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To Seek and To Know the Place for the First Time

Hand holding T.S. Eliot's "Four Quartets" book.

To Seek and To Know the Place for the First Time Written by Lucile Foley When we began this Year of the Seeker, I was in the midst of an intense period that felt like the climax to years of searching. What did I seek? Healing. A return of our fertility. In these years of…

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Erudite

Flowers, books, and a candle on table.

I first learned about Well-Read Mom after our family moved from Florida to Georgia, and I was looking to meet new people. A dear friend invited me to join her evening group. The structure and rigor of the book selections fed my love for literature. Unfortunately, evening book club meetings were not sustainable for our growing family. I tried reading on my own, but it wasn’t the same. If I wanted a book club that fit my family’s needs, I would need to start my own chapter.

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