History

The true story of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, an Irish prince who fought the English Invaders at the time of Queen Elizabeth. This is a fast paced story - quite exciting and with a touch of romance. The hardships endured by Red Hugh, particularly during his imprisonment, are a bit graphic, but probably not too intense for mid-gradeschoolers and up. We are reminded of Red Hugh's faith when he asks the English to let him see a priest. The request is refused and the reader is introduced to the tactics of indoctrination, used to attempt to sway the hero from his Irish and Catholic loyalties. This will probably be a favorite among boys who like stories about battles, chases, and the victory of good over evil.

This short, and fairly easy to read biography chronicles the life of Saint Athanasius (early 300s) - Patriarch/bishop of Alexandria and Doctor of the Church (and model of perserverance). Athanasius was a defender of the faith in a very critical time in the early Church's history. Even before the Edict of Milan which allowed Christians to practice their faith freely (at least for a time), the heresy of Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ, was beginning its attack on the Church. Although the heresy was firmly rejected at the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.), the heretics were very powerful and continued to attack the Church - even winning the Emperor Constantine to their side. While the heresy was never embraced by the Pope, the heretics used the Emperor to banish orthodox bishops from their diocese, replacing them with those sympathetic to their rebellious ideas. All through this difficult time, Athanasius led his people (sometimes while in hiding with the desert monks for years at a time) by his writings.

St. Benedict (480-543), particularly honored as the Father of Monasticism, is an essential character in understanding Christian Culture as it existed in the Middle Ages because it was heavily influenced by the Monasteries (and the rule of St. Benedict) which helped to preserve Catholicism and classical learning after the fall of the Roman empire. Fortunately, this particular book is very simple and aims at telling the STORY of St. Benedict. The author introduces us to his spirituality, the realm of his influence during his own lifetime, and in a very real and tangible way, how the devil tried to fight the good God did through this holy monk. Like all good saint stories aimed at children, the author provides us with a real, live, interesting person, actively engaging our attention and causing us to want to imitate him. (Make no mistake, even though it's aimed at children, it can have the same effect on their parents too.) The story provides excellent supplemental material to a history program as it also covers some of the major political and social events of the times through the eyes of St. Benedict. Our family found the story and the interest level suitable even for the little ones, although the reading level is harder to determine. Kolbe Academy recommends it for 7th grade (based on length) and Seton Home Study recommends it for 6th grade.

This should not be the first book you read about St. Francis. It is a book for those who are already familiar with the saint. It is a novelization, or fictionalization of the adult life of St. Francis, as told through the eyes of a fictional Brother Leo.

The story is well woven by Kazantzakis, a prolific writer who spent most of his life (1883-1957) in Greece, but who gave up his Greek Orthodox faith at some point in his life (and did not embrace any other faith), who was introduced to St. Francis when he visited the city of Assisi.

As historical fiction, this book serves as an interesting chance to hear more details about St. Francis's everyday life. It focuses especially on the struggle between spirit and flesh, and the saint is constantly battling fatigue, starvation, extreme thirst, and even when he is weakened by these, he is still searching for ways to mortify his flesh, something Brother Leo tries to stop but cannot.

I can clearly see how this book would be of benefit to those who would like help imagining St. Francis's daily life. And his heroic virtues are evident in the story, and are exemplary. However, this book is not for those who want to stick to the historical record. For example, the main character, Brother Leo, is ficticious. And I know of no historical eveidence that the brothers who banded with St. Francis ever called him "Father Francis" which Kazantzakis has them do. St. Francis was never ordained a priest, and so would not have been called "Father."

There are study questions at the end of the book to assist book clubs in bringing out the ideas of the book. There are but 12 questions, each of which could be discussed in a session. For example, "Francis preaches and lives out of a total dependence on God. What did this mean for him in terms of the concrete realities of his daily life? What might it mean for you?"

This book shows the challenges of living as a saint in the world, and in addition, as one reads, one is challenged to question one's own life and the things we think of as important. Francis's poverty is exemplary, his dependence on God marvelous, his attractiveness is evident as more and more men come to him, seeking the life he lives, seeking God.

I think that for adults, this book can be helpful. It shows St. Francis is a very vividly imaginative story, and unusual telling of his life. Yet, it is also a story that draws you in, and helps the reader think about God, life and living as a saint.