Fiction
Catholic Stories of Adventure In the Mission Lands
by Fr Joseph Spillmann, S.J.
Fr. Joseph Spillmann was born at Zug, Switzerland, April 22, 1842. He joined the Jesuits and in 1874 was ordained priest. Due to his poetic gifts he was assigned to work on various periodicals. Spillmann's literary activity resulted chiefly from his connection with these periodicals, especially the Katholische Missionen, which he edited from 1880-90. His Tales of Foreign Lands series contains 21 booklets, consisting of edifying and tastefully illustrated stories for the young. They have been translated into many languages. Newly reprinted by Angelus Press, Volume One combines four of these stories into a single volume.
Love Your Enemies. The Maoris of New Zealand have had enough of being cheated by the English and rebel. Meanwhile, the Patrick O'Neal family, trying to start a new life there, are overtaken by a marauding tribe and must flee for their lives, all the while trying to practice in earnest that hardest of Christian maxims: Love Your Enemies.
Maron. It is Lebanon in 1860, and the Druses are persecuting the Christians under the complicit eye of the Turkish government. The Mufti of Sidon incites the mob to kill the Christian dogs even as his son Ali, sickened by the slaughter, helps his Christian friend Maron flee to the hills, and learns from his actions the reality of grace and the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
The Festival of Corpus Christi. Don Pedro and his nephew have accepted their government's commission to shut down the Jesuit missions in Bolivia. Reaching the mission, they discover a village where the Indians are living a civilized, Christian life. Their preparations for the annual Corpus Christi procession and the taming of a savage tribe form the backdrop of this tale.
The Cabin Boys. It is 1798, the ninth year of the bloody French Revolution, and fifteen-year-old Paul and twelve-year-old Albert embark as cabin boys on a sea voyage with unusual cargo in the hold: 200 priests, condemned to forced labor in Cayenne. Gripping adventures await the boys, aided by wise priests at sea and on land, until the tale brings them back home again.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 320 pages
A Novel of the Crucifixion
by Louis de Wohl
This novel of the last days of Christ ranges from the palaces of Rome to the strife-torn hills of Judea - where the conflict of love and betrayal, revenge and redemption, reaches a climax in the drama of the Crucifixion. For this is the full story of the world's most dramatic execution, as it affected on of its least-known participants - Longinus, the man who hurled his spear into Christ on the Cross.
Among his many successful historical novels, Louis de Wohl considered The Spear the magnum opus of his literary career.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 401 pages
A Novel on St Francis Xavier
by Louis de Wohl
Saint Francis Xavier's life is, in itself, a dramatic story. With humility and deep religious conviction, the famous Catholic novelist Louis de Wohl takes us into the mind and heart of this great missionary and saint who went by order of St. Ignatius of Loyola to "set all afire" in the Orient. Louis de Wohl captivates the reader as he follows Xavier's life from student days in Paris, through his meeting with Ignatius, his rather reluctant conversion, and his travels as one of the first Jesuits. The story takes the reader from Europe to Goa, India, Malaysia, Japan, and finally, to an island off the coast of China, where the exiled Xavier dies virtually alone. The book captures the dramatic struggles and inspiring zeal of this remarkable saint, giving at the same time an enthralling picture of the age in which he lived.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 280 pages
A Novel on St Augustine
by Louis de Wohl
This is a stirring novel which deals reverently but realistically with the fascinating life and era of St. Augustine, one of the most remarkable men of all time.
In his vigorous and inimitable style, Louis de Wohl tells the story of St. Augustine's transformation from a vain, sensual youth to the brilliant, devout writer and theologian - the man who conquered himself as completely as he did the adversaries of the Church - whose literary and philosophical masterpieces were to dominate Western thought for a thousand years. He has carefully re-created the exciting historical background of the time - the turbulent atmosphere of the Roman Empire in the last days of decadence - skillfully weaving together the personalities whose lives closely affected Augustine: Monica, his saintly and heroic mother; majestic Ambrose, Bishop of Milan; and many others whom lend richness and depth to the life story of this great Doctor of the Church.
Here is a novel that glistens with the imaginative and vivid drama that epitomized St. Augustine's tumultuous life, presented with a master story-teller's characteristic flair for graphic description, sensitive portraiture and fascinating historical lore.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 303 pages
A Novel on St Thomas Aquinas
by Louis de Wohl
he famous novelist de Wohl presents a stimulating historical novel about the great St. Thomas Aquinas, set against the violent background of the Italy of the Crusades. He tells the intriguing story of St. Thomas who defied his illustrious, prominent family's ambition for him to have great power in the Church by taking a vow of poverty and joining the Dominicans.
The battles and Crusades of the 13th century and the ruthlessness of the excommunicated Emperor Frederick II play a big part of the story, but it is Thomas of Aquino who dominates this book. De Wohl succeeds notably in portraying the exceptional quality of this man, a fusion of mighty intellect and childlike simplicity. A pupil of St. Albert the Great, the humble Thomas, through an intense life of study, writing, prayer, preaching and contemplation, ironically rose to become the influential figure of his age, and later was proclaimed by the Church as the Angelic Doctor.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 377 pages
A Novel on St Catherine of Siena
by Louis de Wohl
Continuing his popular series of novels about saints of the Church, de Wohl devotes his considerable talents to an interpretation of one of the most unusual women of all time, Saint Catherine of Siena. The daughter of a prosperous dyer in fourteenth- century Siena, Catherine never forgot the mystical experience of her extreme youth; at that time she devoted herself to Christ. It was, however, a shock to her family when, refusing marriage, she insisted on giving her life totally to God.
Her career was extraordinary. In that confused and dangerous era of history, the Pope was living at Avignon: Catherine persuaded him to return to Rome. The City-States of Italy were at war with each other: Catherine subdued them. There was pestilence: Catherine served and saved. She performed miracles, she received the stigmata, she drew about her a crowd of devoted men and women.
A saint who would not let the Lord God alone, she really did lay siege to heaven-and changed the face of her world. This novel, which is also a vivid biography, brings Catherine of Siena to life in a remarkable way. She lives on every page.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 361 pages
A Novel about St Francis of Assisi
by Louis de Wohl
In this magnificent and stirring novel, Louis de Wohl turns his famed narrative skill to the story of the soldier and merchant's son who might have been right-hand man to a king … and who became instead the most beloved of all saints. Set against the tempestuous background of 13th Century Italy and Egypt, here is the magnificent and inspiring story of Francis Bernardone, the brash, pleasure-loving young officer who was to become immortalized as St. Francis of Assisi.
The story teems with action, pageantry and intrigue with finely conceived characters-the beautiful, saintly Clare, Frederick, the hawk-faced King of Sicily and Holy Roman Emperor, the Sultan Al Kamil, Pope Innocent III. The scene shifts from Assisi, Rome and Sicily to the deadly sands of Egypt.
This book was made into a feature film by 20th Century Fox entitled Francis of Assisi.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 374 pages
A Novel about St Ignatius Loyola
by Louis de Wohl
As in his other popular novels, Louis de Wohl, with humility and deep religious conviction, takes us into the mind and heart of a saint, giving at the same time an enthralling picture of the era in which he lived.
Here is a skillful weaving of the story of St. Ignatius Loyola’s conversion and pilgrimage with the colorful and dangerous history of Spain and Italy in the early sixteenth century. The life of the very human, very great Basque nobleman who founded the Jesuit Order, makes for one of de Wohl’s finest novels.
Seriously wounded at the siege of Pamplona in 1521, Don Inigo de Loyola learned that to be a Knight of God was an infinitely greater honor (and infinitely more dangerous) than to be a Knight in the forces of the Emperor. Uli von der Flue, humorous, intelligent and courageous Swiss mercenary, was responsible for the canon shot which incapacitated the worldly and ambitious young nobleman, and Uli became deeply involved in Loyola’s life. With Juanita, disguised as the boy Juan, Uli followed Loyola on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to protect him, but it was the saint who protected Uli and Juan. Through Uli’s eyes we see the surge and violence of the turbulent period in Jerusalem, Spain and Rome.
Louis de Wohl has again created an exciting and spiritually inspiring novel for all readers of historical fiction.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 315 pages
A Novel about Don Juan of Austria
by Louis de Wohl
Don Juan of Austria, one of history’s most triumphant and inspiring heroes, is reborn in this opulent novel by Louis de Wohl.
Because of the circumstances of his birth, this last son of Emperor Charles the Fifth spent his childhood in a Spanish peasant’s hut. Acknowledged by King Philip as his half-brother, the attractive youth quickly became a central figure in a Court where intrigues and romances abounded. Don Juan’s intelligence, kindness and devout attachment to the Church enabled him to live unscathed in an environment of luxury, violence and treachery.
De Wohl paints in brilliant color the vivid scenes and characters at the Court of King Philip, Juan’s campaign against rebel Moriscos in Andalusia, and the amazing climactic victory at Lepanto where he saved the Christian world from Islamic dominance. Here is a novel of high adventure which brings to life the turbulence of the sixteenth century with its conflicts of wickedness and piety, its sins of pride and conquest, its seething heresies and its great faith.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 497 pages
by Nicolas C. Prata
The year is A.D. 1565 and the tiny island fortress of Malta, defended by an anachronistic crusading order called the Knights of St. John Hospitallers, is all that stands between the war machine of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and the very heart of Christendom. Pitifully outmatched and against impossible odds, the indomitable Grand Master Jean Parisot de La Valette nevertheless inspires his knights to "strike a blow for Christ" and sacrifice their lives to halt the invading Turks at the gates of Europe. Nicholas Prata relates the actual events of the Great Siege in riveting and graphic prose which brings the extreme heroism of the knights and the horror of combat sharply into focus.
Age range: 12 years up
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 292 pages
A Novel on St Benedict
by Louis de Wohl
Another of the popular historical novels by the distinguished de Wohl, telling the dramatic story of St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism, who played such a major role in the Christianization and civilization of post-Roman Europe in the sixth century. De Wohl weaves an intricate tapestry of love, violence and piety to recount with historical accuracy the story of St. Benedict and the tempestuous era in which he lived.
Since there are no contemporary biographies of this major saint of history and the Church, de Wohl's inspired account is of significant importance on the subject of saint's lives for today's spiritual seekers. Having lived in an era of great immorality and vice, not unlike our world today, Benedict's story has a strong message for modern Christians who seek, as he did, to turn away from the wickedness of the world to find Christ in prayer, study and solitude.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 345 pages
by Marie de Sainte-Hermine
Inspired by first hand accounts, this touching story of the French Revolution is a great example of the popular Catholic literature of the 19th century. Plunged into the disasters following the murder of Louis XVI, Marie de Sainte-Hermine recounts, as only a grandmother can, the history of her noble family and their struggle against the tyranny of the Revolution. The reader learns of her guilded childhood in the manor house of Bois-Joli, and follows her through the tragic hours of the Vendean War of 1793, the massacres and atrocities of the revolutionaries, and the sinister prison of Nantes, where her family paid the ultimate price. Through the darkness of the Terror, however, shines the light and power of Christian nobility and virtue - a lesson fit for all ages.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 357 pages
by Corinna Turner
IN MARGO'S WORLD, IF YOU DON'T PASS YOUR SORTING AT 18 YOU ARE RECYCLED.
LITERALLY.
Margaret Verrall dreams of marrying the boy she loves and spending her life with him. But she's part of the underground network of Believers - and that carries the death penalty. And there's just one other problem. She's going to fail her Sorting. But a chance to take on the system ups the stakes beyond mere survival. Now she has to break out of the Facility - or face the worst punishment of all. Conscious Dismantlement.
"Great style - very good characters and pace. Definitely a book worth reading, like The Hunger Games." EOIN COLFER, author of Artemis Fowl
"An intelligent, well-written and enjoyable debut from a young writer with a bright future." STEWART ROSS, author of The Soterion Mission "This book invaded my dreams." SR. MARY CATHERINE BLOOM O.P
Age range: 15+
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 308 pages
by G. K. Chesterton
Father Brown first made his appearance in "The Innocence of Father Brown" in 1911.
This collection contains all of the Father Brown stories, showing thr quiet wit and compassion that has endeared him to many, whilst solving his mysteries by a mixture of imagination and a sympathetic worldliness in a totally believable manner.
Paperback, 411 pages
Belinda
A Tale of Affection in Youth and Age
by Hilaire Belloc
Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc, 1870-1853, was born in France of a French Catholic father and an English protestant mother. His mother later converted under the influence of Cardinal Manning, a good friend and mentor of Hilaire. His only sister, Marie Lowndes, was a fairly well-known writer like her brother Hilaire.
Belloc's father died young, leaving his widow in dire financial straits with two young children to support. They moved to England, and they settled in Slindon, West Sussex, where Belloc lived for most of his life. In 1906, he married Elodi Hogan, from Napa California. Their brief but ecstatically happy marriage ended with her death in 1914, after she had borne him five children. He never remarried, and he wore mourning for the rest of his life.
This beautiful and precisely chiseled, almost fairy-taleish narrative, subtitled A Tale of Affection in Youth and Age, must certainly have been a poignant reminder that he himself had, by the inscrutable providence of God, been granted that deep measure of affection in his youth that is so idealistically pictured in Belinda, but denied that affection in old age that is equally well-depicted. This brief novel of human love and affection idealized is a delightful and cheerful reminder that indeed, life can have its moments of beauty, if even only as a foretaste of the delights promised to those blessed with the grace of perseverance unto salvation.
Paperback, size 7.5" x 5", 130 pages
A Dystopian Future as seen by a Catholic Priest
Annotated Version
by Msgr Robert Hugh Benson
A PRIEST’S PROPHETIC VISION OF SOCIETAL AND MORAL DECLINE
Lord of the World is a riveting apocalyptic novel that foretold the future with frightening accuracy. Written in 1907 by Fr. Robert Hugh Benson, this prophetic book contains a dystopian vision that is perilously close to being realized fully today.
Though released over a century ago, the issues and themes Lord of the World explores are startlingly contemporary. Through his masterful writing, Benson transports readers to a disturbing political environment where religion is abolished, euthanasia is encouraged, and an all-powerful secular government rules with an iron fist. It is a world where humanity has lost its moral compass and individual freedoms are severely restricted.
Lord of the World is astonishing in the accuracy of its predictions, from the erosion of spirituality to the rise of anti-Catholic regimes. The pace of social and moral decline examined in Benson’s work has only accelerated in the decades since it was first published, making this landmark of Catholic literature as relevant today as it was upon publication.
This annotated edition provides readers with concise chapter-by-chapter summaries that include helpful elucidations of the text. By contextualizing Benson’s masterpiece, this edition serves to deepen the reader’s appreciation of the author’s immediate concerns at the dawn of the 20th century while grasping its continuing relevance to the beleaguered early decades of the 21st.
Hardcover, size 9.25" x 6.25", 409 pages
by Fr. Daniel A. Lord, S.J.
A murder mystery written by a Catholic priest in the 1950's.
I felt Karl's knee hit mine in sharp hint. So Schwartz was openly bragging that he had found money. Where? This was a crowd of relatively poor men, labourers, artisans, clerks without resources. Schwartz's bragging could mean only one thing, and involuntarily my hand closed over Karl's knee. Schwartz had the missing jewels! Wasn't it clear? We needn't have joined this fool organization to learn the truth. Schwartz had just admitted it openly from the platform! All this was telegraphed between us in the impact of Karl's knee against mine and my answering hand replying wordlessly that I understood, and that the trail was hot.
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 100 pages
by G. K. Chesterton
Introduction by Dale Ahlquist
This classic novel by the brilliant G. K. Chesterton tells the rollicking tale of Innocent Smith, a man who may be crazy-or possibly the most sane man of all. Arriving at a dreary London boarding house accompanied by a windstorm, Smith is an exuberant, eccentric and sweet-natured man. Smith has a positive effect on the house-he creates his own court, brings a few couples together, and falls in love with a paid companion next door. All seems to be well with the world.
Then the unexpected happens: Smith shoots at one of the tenants, and two doctors arrive to arrest him, claiming that he's a bigamist, an attempted murderer, and a thief. But cynical writer Moon insists that the case be tried there-and they explore Smith's past history, revealing startling truths about what he does. Is he the wickedest man in Britain, or is he "blameless as a buttercup"?
Beautifully written, mixing the ridiculous with the profound, full of hilarious dialogue and lushly detailed writing, Chesterton's main character Innocent Smith somehow manages to restore joy to all the dull and cynical lives around him. In this delightfully strange mystery, Chesterton demonstrates why life is worth living, and that sometimes we need a little madness just to know we are alive.
Paperback, size 8" x 5.25", 200 pages
A Father Gabriel Mystery #5
by Fiorella de Maria
Father Gabriel has finally returned to St Mary's Abbey, but all is not well in the sleepy Wiltshire village of Sutton Westford. Joseph Beaumont, a former village boy turned London property developer, has returned to build a row of houses on the grounds of a disused mine. A local opposition group – led by Joseph's boyhood nemesis – campaigns to stop the development, and Joseph finds himself the target of increasingly menacing threats. Then, workmen make a gruesome discovery on the building site: the skeleton of a child who went missing thirty years before, while the Great War was raging. Fr Gabriel is called in to investigate, but the task seems impossible. How can he uncover a secret that has been carefully hidden for three decades? Is the killer even still alive? Worse, as the tragic details emerge of a lost little girl's final moments, Gabriel is tormented by the memory of his own daughter and the life that was stolen from her many years before.
Missing Presumed Lost explores the themes of childhood innocence, guilt, and the responsibilities faced by society to protect the young. The book also delves deeper into Gabriel's own troubled past and the need to lay it to rest.
Paperback, size 8" x5.25", 270 pages
Saint Dymphna of Ireland
by Susan Peek
An insane king. His fleeing daughter. Estranged brothers, with a scarred past, risking everything to save her from a fate worse than death. Toss in a holy priest and a lovable wolfhound, and get ready for a wild race across Ireland. Will Dymphna escape her deranged father and his sinful desires? For the first time ever, the story of Saint Dymphna is brought to life in this dramatic novel for adults and older teens. With raw adventure, gripping action, and even humor in the midst of dark mental turmoil, Susan Peek's newest novel will introduce you to a saint you will love forever! Teenage girls will see that Dymphna was just like them, a real girl, while young men will thrill at the heart-stopping danger and meet heroes they can easily relate to. If ever a Heavenly friend was needed in these times of widespread depression and emotional instability, this forgotten Irish saint is it!
Paperback, size 9" x 6", 316 pages