There is no lack of talented women in the Catholic literary tradition. Yet these brilliant writers are often unfamiliar to today's readers, or, if widely read, their Catholic identity is unrecognized. This collection introduces a dozen Catholic women novelists from the past two hundred years, presenting their fascinating lives, spiritual biographies, and sacramental vision in essays by twelve Catholic scholars and writers.
Edited by Haley Stewart and with a conclusion by best-selling author Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera, Women of the Catholic Imagination encourages the expansion of the Catholic literary canon by bringing these inspired writers back into the spotlight, laying the foundation for the reader's discovery (or rediscovery) of their masterful works.
Popular Catholic podcaster Haley Stewart insists that there's no better life coach than nineteenth-century British novelist Jane Austen.
In this uniquely Catholic take, Stewart reveals Austen's thoughtful, deeply personal exploration of human relationships--including with God--through her six novels. Stewart's insights take you on a journey that is both literary and spiritual, revealing how Austen's characters and themes can lead to you to discover and become the person God has called you to be.
Stewart draws fascinating connections between Austen's novels and real life and introduces Austen as a capable life coach by how she guides her readers to understand virtue and vice through friendship, love, community, and God's grace. Austen's characters reveal how virtuous habits transform us and help us become who we were meant to be. Each chapter focuses on characters and virtues from a single novel:
Whether you are already an Austen fan or are discovering her works for the first time, Stewart's infectious enthusiasm and captivating spiritual insights will have you digging in to experience firsthand the characters and stories that have captured imaginations in book and film for more than two centuries.
Discussion questions and recommended film adaptations make this book suitable for individual or group use or as a high school classroom or homeschool resource. A free, downloadable leader's guide is available at avemariapress.com.
Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (first place, backlist beauty).
When Haley Stewart married her bee-keeping sweetheart, Daniel, they dreamed of a life centered on home and family. But as the children arrived and Daniel was forced to work longer hours at a job he liked less and less, they dared to break free from the unending cycle of getting more yet feeling unfufilled. They sold their Florida home and retreated to Texas to live on a farm with a compost toilet and 650 square feet of space for a family of five. Surprisingly, they found that they had never been happier.
In The Grace of Enough, Stewart shares essential elements of intentional Christian living that her family discovered during that extraordinary year on the farm and that they continue to practice today. You, too, will be inspired to:
Drawing from Pope Francis's encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si', Stewart identifies elements of Catholic social teaching that will enhance your life and create a ripple effect of grace to help you overcome the effects of today's throwaway culture and experience a deeper satisfaction and stronger faith.