Tuesday, December 2, 2014

A lovely Christmas gift idea from one of our favorite Catholic authors...

Morning all! It's Tuesday, which is sort of a day I sometimes wish didn't exist, but no matter. :) I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed and even a tad headachey following a *crazy* edition of my work day yesterday. Even the evening was crowded with Mike's final Monday night teaching spell for the semester, a brand new wrestling practice for Henry, and me cooking hurriedly for both kids and then entertaining Anne while all of this was ongoing. I ended up suggesting that we girls watch "Frozen" while sipping hot cocoa, which was divinely inspired if I do say so myself. This meant I could sit on the couch to unwind a bit and knit a new shawl that I'm terribly excited about while we watched. I'll come back to the shawl later in the week, since it's part of a theme that is beginning to dominate my December. :)

But anyway, over the weekend I was over at Laura's blog reading an update about her new book, Erin's Ring, which is set to be available any day now! You can see the beautiful cover art in this post, which is from the Amazon page, where you can also read a bit about the book! This is a young adult title, ideal for teenaged girls and young women, but also an engaging and enjoyable read for women of all ages. I read a pre-publication copy and absolutely loved it. The best part is that the story is set during the fall and winter in New England, so the setting is *perfect* for Christmas gift giving! The perspective in the story shifts from contemporary to historical, all intertwined to the same New Hampshire town, with likeable young characters navigating struggles in their families and faith. An excellent example for young women and inspiring for all. This is the synopsis that Amazon provides for us:

What story might this ring tell, if only it could talk?

When thirteen-year-old Molly McCormick, who has recently moved from the Midwest to Dover, New Hampshire, finds an old Irish Claddagh ring poking up out of the dirt in a garden outside her local parish church, she is immediately intrigued. The ring's inscription, "To Erin--Love, Michael", fills her head with romantic possibilities. She teams up with her new friend, Theresa Grant, to uncover the story behind the lost ring. With the help of the head librarian at the public library, the two girls become immersed in the rich history of the Irish immigrants who came to Dover in droves during the 19th century, to escape famine and poverty in their homeland and make better lives for their children and grandchildren.

Molly and Theresa learn about the courage, tenacity, and deep faith that were the hallmarks of the Irish immigrants--people with names like Ann and Seamus, Cara and Finn, and of course, Erin and Michael. The young girls eagerly delve into old records tucked away in the dark corners of the library and learn how instrumental Dover's Irish-Catholics were in getting the first Catholic church built in their New England town.

Molly and Theresa set out to discover the origins of the mysterious ring, but they unearth a story that is far stranger and infinitely more touching than anything they could have ever imagined.

You can order it now, and Amazon will email you an estimated delivery date when they have one, and ship a copy out to you as soon as they arrive. These will be paperback copies for under $11, and I encourage you to scoop one up! I think reading material that our children can quietly relate to, which provides them with a positive moral example, is so instrumental to them forming and solidifying their faith at a young age. This can then become a foundation for a knowledgeable adult Catholic faith. Definitely give this one a look!

All right everyone, I'm off. A busy afternoon ahead of me. But I'll be back this week to talk winter-themed crafts, upcoming feast days, and an Advent update from the Catholic Librarian children. :) Talk to you soon!

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