A Journey with God in Time: A Spiritual Quest, John S. Dunne, CSC, ’51 (Notre Dame Press). Father Dunne’s autobiographical musings transport the reader on a spiritual journey through his life. Color photographs of Thomas Cole paintings serve to organize the book, carrying it through childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. The author’s relationship with his grandfather, his midlife struggle to decide between marriage and family or “a willingness to walk alone,” and his pilgrimages to Jerusalem are among the experiences he plumbs. The Notre Dame professor of theology ends the book with a song cycle that offers a poetic look as his “voyage of life.”
Courting Success: Muffet McGraw’s Formula for Winning—in Sports and in Life, Muffet McGraw with Paul Gulliflor (Taylor Trade Publishing). When the Notre Dame women’s basketball team won the 2001 NCAA tournament, Coach McGraw captured her share of coaching accolades, including the Associated Press’ Coach of the Year. Here, she offers tips on inspiring and motivating young athletes. She also shares stories of what she looks for in a recruit and in her assistants, how she likes to run practices, and how she handles both success and failure. Team standout Ruth Riley ’01 wrote the foreword.
Leaping: Revelations and Epiphanies, Brian Doyle ’78 (Loyola Press). A series of essays that capture the Catholic lay spirit, reminding readers of the bountiful blessings , wonders and mysteries of the world. From the questions 8-year-olds ask in Catholic education class about Communion—"What if I barf afterward and it comes up again? Is that a sin?—to the couple who held hands and leaped from the burning World Trade Center, the author celebrates the grace that is part of life. Doyle is the editor of Portland Magazine and an occasional contributor to this magazine.
The Very Rich Hours of Jacques Maritain: A Spiritual Life, Ralph McInerny (Notre Dame Press). McInerny may be better known for his Father Dowling mysteries, but the ND philosophy professor is also a gifted scholar. In his biography of Catholic philosopher Maritain, he weaves the biographical details of Maritain’s life with his intellectual and spiritual growth, bringing the intellectual life of the Thomistic scholar to lived reality. The structure of the book is modeled on the medieval book of hours, following Maritain and his wife, Raissa, through the stages of life.