Stories as a Source of Truth - quote from Russ Ramsey

I recently finished Russ Ramsey's fascinating Rembrandt is in the Wind. I enjoyed his good writing and his deft weaving together of biography, art history and devotional thoughts. Here is one of the many quotes I underlined.

Story is a trojan horse for truth. It can sneak truth past the gates of our defenses and prepare our hearts to hear things we might have resisited if they had come as mere declaration. (p. 14)

(Depending on what "truths" are being taught, that can be a good thing or bad!)

Blessings,

In This Mountain by Jan Karon (Mitford #7)

I am slowly re-reading the first eight novels in the Mitford series to refresh my memory before tackling the later novels (which I somehow missed). It's a joy to be revisiting these dear literary acquaintances after almost two decades.

Every time I review a Jan Karon book, I reiterate that I don't know of another author of light novels who so deftly weaves together stories of joys mingled with suffering. She manages to write about the Christian life in a way that puts most Christian fiction to shame. Take this conversation between Father Tim and Buck Leeper as an example. Buck and his new wife Pauline came from rough backgrounds, but after putting their faith in Christ, are trying to piece together some of the wreckage from their past. One thing they are attempting to do is find her children (who she gave away at various times when she was too poor or too drunk to take care of them). 

"A few days ago I asked Pauline to tell me everything she could remember about the boys, like if they had any birthmarks, an' th' color of their eyes."

"Good thinking."

"She couldn't remember the color of their eyes." 

There was a long silence between them.

"When she realized she couldn't remember the color... Buck hunched over, his head in his hands. "It was the alcohol, of course. All those years...."

"Those years are behind you." 

"Yey, they are, thank God." Buck looked at him. "But you pay the consequences."

"True. But now God is in the consequences with you." (p. 83)

I have seen a lot of miracles in my sixty years, but I know that God just as often works through the daily grind of life. I despise books where everyone gets saved and their problems just go away; that is not how real life (or real Christianity) works. Karon beautifully balances the miracles with the uphill climb that life can be.  

In this seventh novel in the series, In This Mountain, Father Tim has a brush with death. Instead of having him say a prayer that erases all the toil of his slow recovery, Karon paints a believable picture of a man who struggles just to get out of bed in the morning and who has to learn all over again how to trust God for every single step he takes. 

As usual I was encouraged by the reference (which appears in almost every Mitford book) of "the prayer that never fails." This is the prayer of surrender, "Thy will be done." Last of all, I enjoy Karon's books for their lovely literary references. When Father Tims meets up with his bishop (and faithful friend of many decades), Karon describes their reunion: "They laughed together, at ease. Few things in life were more consoling than an old friendship in which all the hair, as in the story of the velveteen rabbit, had been rubbed off."

For previous reviews click on these titles: At Home in Mitford (#1), These High, Green Hills (#3), Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (#12).

Any other Mitford fans out there?

Blessings,

The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni

I often say I prefer Catholic authors to modern Christian fiction writers because they address human suffering without giving overly simplistic answers. The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni is a perfect example.

The novel take place in Italy in the 17th century, and covers actual historical events of that time, particularly the plague of 1630. Renzo and Lucia are pledged to be married to one another, but serious impediments arise that keep them apart for several years. Can their love withstand the challenges that each must face alone?

Fortunately, this is much more than a story of separated lovers. There are villains and heroes. In the midst of political instability, lawlessness, famine, kidnapping, rioting, and narrow escapes, themes emerge of redemption, forgiveness, and trust in God's ultimate plan. It shows suffering as the great equalizer. When famine comes, both the rich and poor go hungry. When the plague hits, both outlaws and saints succumb to death. AND yet there is a difference in the reactions to the calamities. Some become hardened and rob the dead bodies and pillage the houses. Others lay their lives on the line to help the helpless. Though written from a Catholic perspective, The Betrothed does not blindly glorify Catholicism. Selfish, ungodly leaders intermingle with the humble and self-giving ones. 

During the plague, the priests are given the task of manning the lazarettos (housing for the sick and dying). Manzoni writes that as the plague took its toll, means, men and courage failed as the necessity for the lazarettos increased. Nine out of ten of the priests died. But where suffering was, there they were. 

Without giving any big spoilers, I will say that both Lucia and Renzo grow through their trials and learn that God never disturbs the joys of His children but to prepare them for one more certain and endurable. Manzoni reminds us that the most cautious and blameless conduct cannot secure us from troubles. [But] when they come, whether by our own fault or not, confidence in God alleviates them and makes them cohesive to a better life.

If anything, the book teaches that the Christian life is full of testing, but that God is faithful.

The Betrothed is supposedly the most famous and widely read novel in the Italian language. I listened to a good translation, but I will admit that it was still not easy to get through. Some of the chapters on politics and geography (and even the detailed descriptions of the plague) were laborious. The audiobook, narrated by Nicholas Bolton, helped me to stick with it, and when it was all done, I felt deeply nourished by the hours I had spent in this book. 

Anyone else familiar with this title?

Blessings,

What I Read and Watched in February 2024

We arrived back in Brazil in January which is summer vacation month. Hence we were able to ease back into our ministry responsibilities and I had loads of time for reading. I read (or finished up) nine books in January and eight in February.

J.K. Rowling's The Christmas Pig was my favorite January read (reviewed here) and the quirky movie "Esio Trot" with Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman was my favorite movie. (I purposedly did not post a trailer because they all give the story away!)

In February I read more non-fiction than usual. Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II was an excellent overview of the war with inspiring stories (review forthcoming), How to Flourish was an abridged version of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Then came two books on the Christian life with an emphasis on prayer. Henri Nouwen's The Way of the Heart dovetailed nicely with The Dazzling Darkness by Guy Bowden (review forthcoming). Interestingly, both had completely different takes on what it means to "pray without ceasing." A Quiet Life in 7 Steps by Susan Cain was one of the dumbest books I've read in a long time. Cain makes a not-too-convincing case for spirituality without God. 

I read two books in preparation for the Literary Life Podcast. Howards End surprised me by being much more than a comedy of manners. Many snippets of its excellent prose went into my commonplace book. The second LLP title was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which I liked more than I thought I would. Last of all, I read Esio Trot by Roald Dahl after I saw the movie, but it wasn't nearly as delightful.

We mostly watched selections from our DVDs (My Three Sons, Perry Mason, I Love Lucy). We had our annual viewing of True Grit, which, in spite of its violence and rough language, is one of our favorites for its excellent filming and storytelling. And the soundtrack!

Blessings,

He Goes Before Them by Meredith Helsby

I am a huge fan of P.O.W. memoirs, so when my sister told me about this book, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

Meredith and Christine Helsby arrived as missionaries to China in 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th brought an abrupt end to their language study classes and marked the beginning of fifteen months of house arrest. Later they were transferred to the “Weihsien Civilian Assembly Center” in Shantung Province with their two-year old daughter, Sandra. Because they were civilians being guarded by civilians, they did not receive the brutal treatment so famously recounted in other P.O.W. memoirs. (Japanese soldiers reportedly had only disdain for Allied soldiers who were “cowardly” enough to surrender and treated them accordingly.) Though the Helsby’s captors were often gruff and unfair, the prisoners’ greatest depravations came from lack of good food and medical care.

At times the story is told from Meredith’s viewpoint and sometimes from Christine’s. They write winsomely of how the Lord brought them through many trials.

He Goes Before Them was fascinating to me on various levels. First, because the Helsbys were able to maintain a vibrant faith in the midst of tremendous adversity. Second, because they were imprisoned with Eric Liddell of “Chariots of Fire” fame. Christine writes of Liddell's godly influence on the young people in the camp and of the tragedy of his death (caused by a brain tumor) in Februrary of 1945:

Funerals in the Weihsien prison camp were common enough during those dreadful days, but there was no funeral like Eric’s. The wave of sorrow which swept over Weihsien was unbelievable. His was by far the biggest funeral held in the two and a half years of our stay in the camp. Impressive was the fact that not only the missionary community attended his funeral, but many others whose lives he so powerfully impacted. Among them were the usually cynical business people, city government administrators, and even prostitutes. His unassuming naturalness had given him rapport with everyone he met. 

The final reason I enjoyed it was because after the war, the Helsbys served in Taiwan and were good friends of my parents. Growing up I always thought of them as a sweet missionary couple, little dreaming of the tremendous suffering they had experienced. 

Blessings,

Worthwhile Movie #21 - BBC's North and South

It’s been four years since I have recommended a movie, but a recent viewing of BBC’s 2004 production of North and South proved that good movies still exist if you are willing to look for them.  

Based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s 1854 novel, North and South tells the story of how Reverend Richard Hale moves his family from the (traditional) south of England to the (industrial) north after he loses his curacy due to “matters of conscience.” Living at reduced means with a sickly wife, Mr. Hale tutors young pupils and even gives lessons in Latin to John Thornton, overseer of a large cotton mill.  

One of the main story lines is how Hale’s genteel daughter, Margaret, adapts to this new reality. Members of Milton's upper class are suspicious of her father’s mysterious departure from the ministry and do not welcome her into their circle. She reaches out to several factory workers, but they misunderstand her overtures of friendship. It is delightful to watch her grow as she stumbles along (yet persists) in building relationships under these difficult circumstances. 

A secondary story, but a no less crucial one, is about the dynamics of power. Are all the factory owners villains who care only for money and not a bit for the laborers? Do the workers have a right to strike for better wages? In our present-day understanding (relying heavily on a “critical theory mood”), there are only two categories: the oppressed and the oppressor. No “master” can ever be right. And the oppressed can never be wrong. I was stunned by the deft, nuanced handling of these subjects in this film. It would have not been made in the same way today.

Third, is the love story, which, though central to the narrative, was understated, simmering just below the surface for the most part. I love a story of unrequited love (don’t ask me why!) so the fact that it took four hours for the romantic misunderstandings to be resolved was fine by me. I also appreciated that the lead characters were not over the top good-looking. He was a little too hawk-nosed and she a little too plump by Hollywood standards, yet they were perfection in their respective roles.

I am not sure where this can be streamed (maybe Brit Box?), but we found it on DVD and were so glad to have discovered it. Now I may have to go back and re-read the novel!

Blessings,

The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling

I never expected to be blindsided by The Christmas Pig. I hated the first bleak chapters, and only continued because many people from the Lit Life Podcast group raved over this book. I'm glad I did. 

Young Jack has gone through many painful family experiences, but through all of them, he has been comforted by a much-loved stuffed pig (DP). When his mean step-sister throws DP away, Jack is devastated. Just when you think you can't take anymore nastiness, Rowling turns the story completely around, doing some kind of literary magic that had me gaping throughout the rest of the story. I've never read anything by her before so I wasn't aware of her ability to create alternate worlds. I was stunned by her brilliance.

The rest of the narrative takes place on Christmas Eve when Jack is transported into the World of Lost Things to look for DP.  There he discovers that lost items belong to different categories. Items in the "mislaid" section are considered temporarily lost. The "disposable" section is a scarier place because if they land there, they are less likely to be searched for since they can be easily replaced. Other categories exist, but I don't want to give too many spoilers.

Rowling weaves together an amazing variety of lost things. Not only are there the requisite umbrellas, house keys, and socks, there are also lost feelings such as hope, ambition, and happiness. By giving human charcteristics to these misplaced items, Rowling weaves a powerful story of what is means to be valued. 

It had "Toy Story" vibes with traces of The Velveteen Rabbit (and even a smidgin of Pilgrim's Progress!) I am intrigued by the number of people who have seen Dante-esque themes in The Christmas Pig. I was not smart enough to pick up on those, but hope to re-read the book more carefully next time.

Because the the tone is dark overall, this would not be a good story for young children, but the book ends with lots of love and warmth. I'm very glad I read it.

Blessings,