March Book Club

Welcome to our March Book Club!  As we journey through the Lenten season to the joy of Easter, I hope you will enjoy these books and share your favorites below in the comments.

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Non-Fiction: The work of Immaculée Ilibagiza

Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (order from The Catholic Company) - In the spring of 1994, more than one million people were murdered in the Rwandan genocide. This is the story of how Immaculee survived certain death, along with seven other women, by hiding in a very small bathroom for more than 3 months. Day after day, for months, the killers would search nearby – gleefully chanting "kill them big, kill them small, kill them, kill them, kill them all!" With uncommon sincerity, Immaculee shares with us her soul's struggle through disbelief to anger and rage and, ultimately, forgiveness. She is living proof of the power of prayer and positive thinking.

Led By Faith: Rising from the Ashes of the Rwandan Genocide - In Led By Faith, Immaculée takes us with her as her remarkable journey continues. Through her simple and eloquent voice, we experience her hardships and heartache as she struggles to survive and to find meaning and purpose in the aftermath of the holocaust. It is the story of a naïve and vulnerable young woman, orphaned and alone, navigating through a bleak and dangerously hostile world with only an abiding faith in God to guide and protect her. Immaculée fends off sinister new predators, seeks out and comforts scores of children orphaned by the genocide, and searches for love and companionship in a land where hatred still flourishes. Then, fearing again for her safety as Rwanda’s war-crime trials begin, Immaculée flees to America to begin a new chapter of her life as a refugee and immigrant—a stranger in a strange land.  With the same courage and faith in God that led her through the darkness of genocide, Immaculée discovers a new life that was beyond her wildest dreams as a small girl in a tiny village in one of Africa’s poorest countries.  It is in the United States, her adopted country, where Immaculée can finally look back at all that has happened to her and truly understand why God spared her life . . . so that she would be left to tell her story to the world.

Fiction: Travelers Market (Wolfproof Trilogy) by Maureen McQuerry
While this book is listed as juvenile fantasy, I loved it as much as my teenager did.  You don't need to necessarily have already read the first book, Wolfproof to enjoy this second installment of the trilogy, but don't be surprised if you want to go back and check it out once you've enjoyed this one!

Midwest Book Review said of this book, "Maureen McQuerry is the talented author of "Wolfproof", a juvenile fantasy novel that received very high marks when reviewed for the Midwest Book Review publication "Children's Bookwatch". Now McQuerry has followed up her initial success with "Traveler's Market", a sequel to her first novel. Timothy James Maxwell, his sister Sarah, and their best friend Jessica once again find themselves plunged into an alternate universe. This time they are in search of an antidote for timothy's mother who has been bitten by a poisonous paranormal rat. And once again they find themselves having to deal with their old enemy, Balor-the-one-eyed. It seems that the only way Timothy's mother can be saved is if the kids first bring back peace and harmony to the beautiful, exotic, and troubled world known as the 'Traveler's Market'. McQuerry's specialty is bringing into her novels a mingling and mixture of mythological sources and elements as textural enrichment for her high adventure, reader engaging fantasy stories making "Traveler's Market" one of those rare literary works -- a sequel that is every bit as entertaining and 'kid friendly' as its prequel!"

Children's: The Road to Easter Day by Jan Godfrey
Told through the eyes of a boy named Ben, The Road to Easter Day teaches kids about the events leading up to Easter. Colorful, lively illustrations and lyrical text bring children, ages 5–8, into this enduring story. This durable hardcover book will be a favorite Easter storybook for years!

Jesus Speaks to Me on My First Holy Communion by Angela M. Burrin
In this unique gift book, Jesus speaks warmly and lovingly to children who are receiving him in the Eucharist for the first time. In twelve scenes from Scripture, from Creation to Pentecost, Jesus explains that it is his Father’s plan for each child to be part of their family of love. He invites the child to be his friend and to draw close to him in the Eucharist and in prayer. Each Scripture scene is colorfully illustrated by Italian artist Maria Cristina Lo Cascio.