reviews

Mercy Vs Law, Society Vs Humanity Author: Victor Hugo Les Miserables has long been a staple of our shared narrative – an epic story of heroism and villainy and all the shades of desperation and hopelessness that lie in between. Spawning numerous plays and movies, as well as countless adaptations and abridgements, Hugo’s story survives not because of its perfection but because of its uncompromising power. I first encountered Les Miserables as a child right on the cusp of adulthood, although I was ultimately more inclined to childish things than the new world opening up to me. I saw Hugo’s story [...]

Bad Mothers, Brokenness, and Second Chances Author: Vanessa Diffenbaugh Letty Espinosa has worked three dead-end jobs for fourteen years – all to avoid raising her two children. It began when she had Alex, now a teenager, and her fear of motherhood lingered, year after year, as she immersed herself in parties and meaningless encounters, her grandparents picking up the slack. The story was the same with her second child, Luna, aged six. Letty makes up for it by working hard, by supporting the family, by bringing in money. It is, after all, a sort of penance. This was hardly the bright [...]

Father Tim Goes to Ireland Author: Jan Karon In their 11th adventure, Father Tim and Cynthia are off for a much anticipated vacation. Going back to his roots in Ireland, Father Tim finally gets to share the place that has long been dear to him with his wife. Unfortunately, explorations through old castles and the mossy countryside are not in the cards as one tragedy after another leaves Father Tim and his wife stuck at their inn, unable to explore, and just where they are actually needed most. The innkeepers are a kindly couple, but the coziness of their establishment belies [...]