| Notre-Dame: A Short History of the Meaning of Cathedrals by Ken FollettWhat it is: an impassioned and atmospheric chronicle of the cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris, from its centuries-long construction to the fire that devastated it in April of 2019.
Read it for: Pillars of the Earth author Ken Follett's deep knowledge of cathedral construction, which reminds readers that a cathedral is always a work in progress; an engaging examination of the power of large-scale, culturally rich buildings to move us. |
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| Family Papers: A Sephardic Journey Through the Twentieth Century by Sarah Abrevaya SteinWhat it’s about: the international journey of the Levy family, Sephardi Jews known for their multi-generational presence in the publishing industry, and the forces that have dispersed them from their origins in the Ottoman (now Greek) Jewish community where their story begins.
Read it for: the thorough research, which is rooted in the remarkable collection of papers and correspondence that Levy family members have collected over the years; the unique first-hand accounts of Jewish life in the Ottoman Empire and the individual effects of major historical events. |
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The Book of Householder Koans: Waking Up in the Land of Attachments
by Eve Myonen Marko
What it is: "Zen koans, beginning some 1500 years ago, refer to stories or questions arising in encounters between monks and old Chinese and Japanese masters, and include commentaries designed to help the Zen practitioner awaken."
"The Book of Householder Koans is a collection of koans created by 21st century Zen practitioners living a lay life in the West. The koans deal with the challenges of relationships, raising children, work, money, love, loss, old age, and death, and come from practitioners across three continents, and with commentaries by two Western teachers."
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Theodor Herzl : The Charismatic Leader
by Derek Penslar
What it's about: The life of Theodor Herzl (1860–1904), the leader of the Zionist movement. "Drawing on a vast body of Herzl’s personal, literary, and political writings, historian Derek Penslar shows that Herzl’s path to Zionism had as much to do with personal crises as it did with antisemitism.
Once Herzl devoted himself to Zionism, Penslar shows, he distinguished himself as a consummate leader—possessed of indefatigable energy, organizational ability, and electrifying charisma. Herzl became a screen onto which Jews of his era could project their deepest needs and longings."
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| Confessions: A New Translation by Augustine, translation by Peter ConstantineWhat it is: a new translation of Augustine of Hippo's most well-known work by noted translator Peter Constantine (who has also translated Rousseau, Machiavelli, and Chekov).
What sets it apart: Constantine takes great pains to present Augustine's theological points with clarity and puts Augustine's candid, erudite reflections into a contemporary voice that makes Confessions more accessible to general readers. |
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| Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty: An Intimate Portrait of My Grandmother by Kate HennessyWhat it is: a richly detailed and intimate biography of radical reformer, candidate for sainthood, and founder of the Catholic Worker movement Dorothy Day, written by her granddaughter Kate Hennessy.
Don’t miss: the candid exploration of Day’s sometimes contentious relationship with her daughter Tamar, the author’s mother.
Why you might like it: Hennessy’s access to people, places, and papers that might otherwise be off-limits to a traditional biographer provide invaluable details that create a portrait of Dorothy Day that is as human as her work was revolutionary. |
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| Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet by Lyndal RoperWhat it is: a thought-provoking new biography of Protestant reformer Martin Luther, published in 2017 to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the posting of his 95 Theses at All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Saxony.
Why you should read it: Historian Lyndal Roper presents a comprehensive narrative of Luther's life that doesn't shy away from the theologian's uncompromising nature and antisemitism, and manages to balance thorough research with an approachable, engaging readability. |
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| Paul: A Biography by N.T. WrightWhat it is: Combining solid scholarship of what is known about the apostle Paul with a careful reading of the writings he left behind, Anglican bishop N.T. Wright provides both a biography and an examination of Paul's intentions.
Reviewers say: Written "not for the skeptic but for the believer" (Kirkus Reviews), this is a thought-provoking analysis that will inform interested readers and likely prompt debate. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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