Eclectic Catholic Poems for the Whole Family

Katie Fitzgerald reviews Catholic Mom contributor Jake Frost’s latest poetry collection, The Lone Knight of Kemsing: And Other Poems.

The Lone Knight of Kemsing: And Other Poems

By Jake Frost

The Lone Knight of Kemsing: And Other Poems is the latest beautiful poetry collection from Catholic Mom contributor Jake Frost. The title piece, “The Lone Knight of Kemsing” is an epic poem relating the true story of The Lone Knight whose ghost returns to the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Kemsing, Kent, England each year on the feast day of Saint Thomas Becket. Following this opening poem are fifty more on myriad topics from Church history and mythology to nature, the poet’s children, and Christmas.

Something for Everyone

I’m a poetry enthusiast, but by no means an expert, and this book was just my speed. The numerous footnotes for the historical events referenced in the longer poems were very helpful for providing context I didn’t necessarily have, and they were also interesting reading on their own. The use of rhyme gave the poems an ease and flow that made them pleasant to follow and even to read aloud.

I was impressed by the level of research put into the less personal poems and by the simplicity and honesty of the ones that spoke from the author’s heart. I appreciated the eclectic feel of the collection as well, as there is something in here for every reader.

My favorite section of the book was the final set of poems, all of which focused on Christmas. Reading and memorizing poetry is something my kids have always done in our homeschool, and we have often included Christmas poems. The pieces in this final section of the book are lovely to read and short enough to memorize during Advent. They also help remind us of the true meaning of Christmas, the Word becoming flesh.

A Family Collection

The Lone Knight of Kemsing is a book for the whole family to enjoy. It would make a nice read-aloud, sharing a poem a day at bedtime, or reading a few at a time each Sunday. The shorter poems especially work great as memorization exercises, and the straightforward writing style is accessible for even the most inexperienced readers of poetry. Catholic families looking to broaden their literary horizons with some verse on a variety of topics should definitely have this book on their shelves!

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2026 Katie Fitzgerald
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