Genre

Historical Fiction

Audience

11th grade and Up

Author’s Worldview

Catholic

Year Published

2011

Themes

Modernity, WWII, WWI, nuns, priests, priesthood, vocations, prayer, intercessory prayer, saints, suffering, end of times

 

Reviewed by

A.R.K. Watson

This novella is comprised of a collection of fictional letters sent by a man in England to his friend in Europe at the start of the 20th century. The first few letters mostly revolve around descriptions of Miss Magdalen Montague, for whom the writer carries a deep romantic admiration. But let’s be frank here: the writer is a stalker, and not the innocent, awkward kind. It is clear that he is the sort of rebellious person who takes pride in debauchery and irreverence, and who bears a superstitious level of animosity toward anything holy or pure.

His overblown grief and outrage when his object of obsession enters a Catholic convent is, therefore, difficult not to enjoy.

It will be clear to the Catholic reader that Magdalen’s prayers and intercession continue to haunt this man for the rest of his life. Just when his despair leads him to a state that hints at demonic oppression, he miraculously finds his way into the arms of the Church he once despised. The letters between him and his still stubbornly heretical friend become more spaced out as his conversion strains their friendship. Still, these letters trace the two men’s paths as they encounter one, then two, world wars. Much like in her novel, A Bloody Habit, Nicholson starts out making us laugh at her protagonists, but by the end we are instead moved to grief for their sufferings. The whole story is a beautiful meditation on the lies and temptations of modernity, and how we as Christians and Catholics encounter the world and keep faith when it feels as though the world is going to end. Reading this on the heels of a global pandemic was oddly comforting. If you need something short and entertaining to refill your cup with hope, this little novella is an excellent choice.

Having read her book, A Bloody Habit, I was already familiar with Nicholson’s talent for the tone and style of writing common in pre-20th century England, and I was not disappointed. If you are a fan of Victorian literature, Chesterton, or any of the Inklings, you will find this an enjoyable story, with prose on par with the quality of Lewis or Tolkien. Protestant Christian readers may find this just as beneficial if they have no aversion to loving descriptions of Mary. However, this is probably not the best book to give to a secular friend who hasn’t yet clued into the pitiable comedy of many modern heresies. But for Catholics, Nicholson is the very voice of ironic and cathartic humor.

Join Here for FREE to Never Miss a Deal

Find new favorites & Support Catholic Authors

A Truly Clawful Christmas By Corinna Turner

Father Benedict must learn to embrace the adrenaline rush if he’s going to survive being a rural priest living alongside dinosaurs.

A Fisher of Women: The Tale of the Forgotten Healer of Galilee by Catherine Magia

Before she and husband were Saints, Peter and his wife struggled just to heal themselves

Celtic Crossing by Len Mattano

Relic lost, and faith found.

The Rescue Sisters Series Adventures by Karina Fabian

Kickass Catholic Nuns in Space- what more do you need?!

A Very Jurassic Christmas by Corinna Turner

Christmas with Jurassic dinosaurs is often wild!

The Fisherman’s Bride by Catherine Magia

The wife of Peter takes up her pen to tell her side of the story, and forces us to examine our ideas of perfection and holiness.

The Vines of Mars by A.R.K. Watson

While tracking down his sister’s murderer, a Martian farmer discovers a secret that may destroy his colony.

The Silence of Bones by June Hur

A young slave girl in ancient Korea investigates a murder & meets real life Korean Catholic saints

I, Claudia By Lin Wilder

Will the extraordinary events lead the wife of Pontius Pilate, Claudia Procula, to the Son of God?

McCracken and the Lost Lady by Mark Adderley

McCracken gives us the grounded swashbuckling Catholic hero that our inner child has always wanted.

By Violence Unavenged by Annette Young

A Catholic Historical Epic to Rival The Sound of Music.

North Pacific: A Story of Life, Love, Suffering, and Grace by Michael Steffan

Joseph & Miku’s love was already illegal. Then WWII began. Now home, disabled, and questioning God’s love, he still searches for her.

Julia’s Gifts by Ellen Gable

A story of love and God’s providence in times of war.

The Book of Jotham by Arthur Powers

Experience Christ through the eyes of Jotham, his disabled disciple.

Unconditional Surrender By Evelyn Waugh

We should not invite evil as a means to display our courage.

The Tale of Patrick Peyton

How a humble, Irish immigrant brought Mary to Hollywood and then the World.

Our Lady of the Artilects by Andrew Gillsmith

Robots, Souls, Muslim & Catholic Friendships, and the sacramental reality that binds them all together.

Wake of Malice by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Sent to investigate a series of murders in the Irish countryside, Hugh soon finds signs that someone is messing with old Celtic myths best left undisturbed.

Please Don’t Feed the Dinosaurs by Corinna Turner

A series of dino adventures that has been doing better what the mainstream Jurassic Park series only recently attempted.