Ten Circles upon the Pond: Reflections of a Prodigal Mother, Virginia Tranel (Knopf). Devoting a chapter to each of her 10 children, Tranel movingly celebrates the life of her family. The domestic details of raising children blend with the author’s insightful commentary on a changing culture. Tranel’s family includes five ND graduates: husband Nathanial (Ned) ’57M.A. and children Daniel ’79, Michael ’81, Alane ’86 and Jennie ’92, along with Elizabeth, SMC ’82.
Catholicism and American Freedom: A History, John T. McGreevy ’86 (Norton). The ND history professor was praised by The New York Times Book Review for his scholarly evocation of the tensions between American ideas of personal autonomy and Catholic views of freedom being rooted in communion. He examines such historical and social issues as slavery, public education, labor organization, civil rights, the nuclear arms race and abortion, discussing how Catholics in the United States have influenced and been influenced by the national political view.
Walking with God in a Fragile World, edited by James Langford ’59 and Leroy S. Rouner (Rowman & Littlefield). Sept. 11, 2001, changed our world. In essays written expressly for this book, spiritual leaders share their thoughts on walking with God in a time of upheaval. The Christian pacifist Stanley Hauerwas reflects on what he has to say in the face of terror as Elie Wiesel mulls over the solitude of man and God. Contributors also include Father Theodore Hesburgh, CSC, Kathleen McManus, O.P., Virgil Elizondo and Jeremy Langford ’92.
My Father Had a Daughter: Judith Shakespeare’s Tale, Grace Tiffany ’85M.A., ’89Ph.D. (Berkley Books). Judith is angry at her “scribbling” father, William, and heads for London to sabotage one of his plays. This historical novel, both comic and tragic, offers a lively view of Elizabethan theater and a sideline take on the playwright himself.
Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake Island, John Wukovits ’67 (New American Library). After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, their planes hit Wake Island, knocking out the 12 U.S. aircraft on the ground. A few days later, on December 11, 1941, the true siege of the tiny atoll in the Pacific began. The outnumbered U.S. Marines and other military personnel stationed on the island were joined by Wake Island civilians in defending the atoll that Japan wanted as part of its plan for naval domination in the Pacific. The events of that long battle unfold here in a gritty narrative.
Barefoot in the Stubble Fields, Mary Frailey Calland ’76, ’79J.D. (Gardenia Press). Maggie, the 6-year-old daughter of an Iowa farmer, is taken in by her wealthy aunt and uncle after her mother’s death. As Maggie struggles to find where she fits in, she witnesses the Depression from the sides of both the haves and have-nots. The coming-of-age novel continues with Maggie enrolling at Saint Mary’s College as the turmoil of World War II begins.