Everyday Saints: Stories of Quiet Courage

Margaret Rash reviews a collection of inspiring short stories of saintly virtue found in the lives of ordinary people. 

Everyday Saints: Stories of Quiet Courage

Author: C.E. Albanese 

Publisher:  Gnaw Bone Publishing, LLC 

Everyday Saints is a compact and beautiful collection of inspiring short stories. The author, C.E. Albanese, tells ten fictional short stories about everyday, ordinary people who choose to do the right thing when called upon. Each of these stories, though works of fiction, show the reader examples of specific virtues that anyone can practice and weave in real life stories of related saints.

The stories are brief, some only a couple of pages long, and the story structure is tightly knitted while still maintaining complete character arcs and the feeling of a full story. Each story carries emotional weight and draws the reader closer to God in a particular way, showing the reader that holiness and virtue are not reserved for the few but asked of all of us.  

As a Work of Fiction  

The actual short stories are beautifully written. More than one of them touched my heart and brought me to tears. They are also short enough to be read even on a tight schedule. Some are only a couple of pages long; I could definitely fit that into my busy day. Yet their brevity didn't take away from their impact.  

Albanese’s stories include characters struggling with marital issues, addiction, death, loss of faith, loss of livelihood, and prejudice. But in each story, he shows how an ordinary person can choose extraordinary trust in God and virtue.  

As Spiritual Reading  

Albanese seamlessly ties in real-life saint stories and facts in each of his fictional short stories. For example, in a story of a man who fears losing his family farm, he weaves in the story of Saint Isidore, patron saint of farmers. In another story about a teacher and a troubled student, there is discussion about the work of Saint John Bosco.  

At the end of the book, there is a section, “The Saints Among Us,” in which you will find a short biography of each saint mentioned throughout the stories of the book. This could certainly be used as spiritual reading and an invitation to prayer. 

I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in short fiction with deep meaning. This book can be read and reread, shared with others, and discussed at book clubs. 

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 Margaret Rash
Images: (top) detail from cover