Summer reading: Gripping account tells past, present of monks kidnapped in Algeria

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If you saw the 2010 film, "Of Gods and Men," you know the true story of the Trappist monks of the monastery of Notre-Dame de l'Atlas of Tibhirine in Algeria.
On the night of March 26-27, 1996, seven of the monks were kidnapped during the Algerian civil war. Although this wasn't clear from the film, the monks were held for two months and were found dead in late May 1996. The identity of their killers remains uncertain to this day.
"The Last Monk of Tibhirine" is an account of life in the monastery today and of the lone surviving monk, Brother Jean-Pierre Schumacher, who escaped execution by beheading. If you read this book you will gain a better understanding of the events that preceded the martyrdom of the seven Trappists than one gets from the film -- excellent though it is.

Summer reading: Marvel's 'Miracleman' hard to believe

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"Miracleman," a 1980s British comic currently being reissued by Marvel, was an attempt at deconstructing superhero cliches. Violent and depressing, the series tells a story that's often as dated and hackneyed as the Superman tropes it seeks to dismantle.
It's too graphic and sexualized for young readers, and too weird and overwrought for older ones.
The title character first appeared in the 1950s, as a British version of DC Comics' verbally self-transforming Shazam; Miracleman's own magic cue being "Kimota!" Three decades later, the property was revived by Alan Moore, an eccentric English writer who would go on to create the celebrated graphic novel "Watchmen." Moore's exalted reputation among fans may account for the deluxe reissue of this earlier work.

Summer reading: Engaging book looks at role of clothing in U.S. Catholic history

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When the new Pope Francis discarded the traditional red papal footwear for simple black shoes, he underscored the power of clothing as a cultural symbol.
This is something Catholics, both clergy and lay, have always understood. From priests' Roman collars to nuns' veiled habits to schoolgirls' blue serge jumpers, American Catholics have long worn visually distinctive attire.
Such clothing has helped create a sense of identity and belonging for Catholics, who historically have sought to find their way in a social landscape ruled by Protestants. For instance, in earlier times, when most priests were foreign-born, the characteristic Roman collar and other specialized clothing helped clergy gain respectability.
Sally Dwyer-McNulty, a history professor at Marist College, has given us an intriguing and thoughtful examination of what Catholics were wearing at different times and why.

Children's summer reading: books on saints, nature and more

These books are suitable for summer reading by children in a variety of age groups:

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"Saint Magnus: The Last Viking" by Susan Peek. Catholic Vitality Publications (St. Marys, Kansas, 2014). 235 pp., $17.95.
Royal bloodlines, brutal 10th-century Viking battles and loyal brotherhood make "Saint Magnus" an unforgettable read. The book tells of the obscure regal saint, a just, gentle and holy heir to the throne of the Orkney Islands of what is now Scotland. St. Magnus faces suffering and trial after trial seeking peace for his kingdom and forgiveness for his brother's heart. His own forgiveness and devotion to God made Magnus a saint, this legendary story excellently told by author Susan Peek makes this story hard to put down. Ages 14 and up.

No one unscathed in Yale professor's account of 1940s 'polio wars'

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"Polio Wars" tells the story of the conflict between the medical establishment and "Sister" Elizabeth Kenny, who came to the United States from Australia in the early 1940s with a new idea for treating polio patients that flew in the face of standard practice at that time. Neither an accredited nurse nor a member of a religious order, Kenny received the title "sister" because of her status in Australia as a senior nurse.
Kenny quickly became a media sensation and her life story was made into a film starring Rosalind Russell. But the development of the polio vaccine in the 1950s made Kenny's work irrelevant and she was quickly forgotten.
Born in 1880, the fifth child of nine of an itinerant farmworker, Elizabeth and her family moved constantly between New South Wales and Queensland during her childhood.

For the aging and the ages, stories provide valuable insight

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Spend any time with the aging and you will discover that one thing they have in common is personal stories.
It makes sense that the longer one has lived, the greater repertoire of material he or she will have. And, as life expectancy increases, one can expect a greater supply of stories. Collectively, these three books add to the story storehouse, but each in a different way and for a different purpose.
"Rich in Years" by Johann Christoph Arnold is for those for whom more of life is in the rearview mirror than in the windshield. Arnold offers an opportunity to engage with people who are immersed in their faith and who relied on it through sickness and as they anticipated death. These are upbeat, inspirational stories that -- if read with an open heart and mind -- have the potential to change, for the better, how readers live their remaining years.

Graphic novel: 'Boxers & Saints,' faith and rebellion in China

Illustration from "Boxers & 
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"Boxers & Saints" (First Second Books), a two-volume graphic novel written and drawn by Gene Luen Yang, is an example of comic art at its best.
Author Yang is a practicing Catholic who teaches computer science at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California. But "Boxers & Saints" is more than simple cartoon evangelization. It's a subtle and colorful work that keeps the faith while acknowledging that sometimes there are no easy answers in life.
No surprise, then, that "Boxers & Saints" has just been awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature.
Yang's subject is the Boxer Rebellion, the anti-foreign, anti-Christian movement that roiled China from 1898 to1900. "Boxers," the first volume in the set, tells the story of Bao, a young man who becomes a leader in the uprising.
"Saints," by contrast, is the tale of Four-Girl, a young woman who has visions of St. Joan of Arc, becomes a Catholic and adopts the name Vibiana. The two characters ultimately come face to face on opposite sides of the political and religious divide.