The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy
Author: Rachel Joyce
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2015-03-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0812996666

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry comes an exquisite love story about Queenie Hennessy, the remarkable friend who inspired Harold’s cross-country journey. “This lovely book is full of joy. Much more than the story of a woman’s enduring love for an ordinary, flawed man, it’s an ode to messy, imperfect, glorious, unsung humanity.”—The Washington Post A runaway international bestseller, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry followed its unassuming hero on an incredible journey as he traveled the length of England on foot—a journey spurred by a simple letter from his old friend Queenie Hennessy, writing from a hospice to say goodbye. Harold believed that as long as he kept walking, Queenie would live. What he didn’t know was that his decision to walk had caused her both alarm and fear. How could she wait? What would she say? Forced to confront the past, Queenie realizes she must write again. In this poignant parallel story to Harold’s saga, acclaimed author Rachel Joyce brings Queenie Hennessy’s voice into sharp focus. Setting pen to paper, Queenie makes a journey of her own, a journey that is even bigger than Harold’s; one word after another, she promises to confess long-buried truths—about her modest childhood, her studies at Oxford, the heartbreak that brought her to Kingsbridge and to loving Harold, her friendship with his son, the solace she has found in a garden by the sea. And, finally, the devastating secret she has kept from Harold for all these years. A wise, tender, layered novel that gathers tremendous emotional force, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy underscores the resilience of the human spirit, beautifully illuminating the small yet pivotal moments that can change a person’s life.

Saints for the Sick

Saints for the Sick
Author: Joan Carroll Cruz
Publisher: TAN Books
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2010
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0895559560

In this intriguing new book, bestselling author Joan Carroll Cruz presents 76 mini-biographies highlighting saintly Catholics who faced intense, long-term suffering and disability with sweetness, peace and love for Jesus Christ. These stories show the triumph of God's grace where the world finds only ugliness and approaching death. They describe some lives so recent that the saint's family members are still living today, with many causes for canonization being currently active in Rome. Included here are Bl. Zelie Martin, who died of breast cancer; 14-year-old Bl. Isidore Bakanja, the Scapular martyr from Africa; the famous leper priest, St. Damien of Molokai; Venerable Matthew Talbot, the alcoholic; St. Germaine Cousin, rejected because of a birth defect; and little Nennolina Meo, who died from cancer of the bone, lungs and brain. Also included are persons who suffered from paralysis, amputation, deformities, breathing problems, mental illnesses, kidney ailments, intestinal disorders, and more as well as from medical treatment itself. Particularly remarkable are the children who suffered, including young people ages 15, 13, 12, 11 and even 6 ! For these there was no grasping at the remnants of earthly life but rather an eager anticipation of Heaven. These children showed unwavering resolve to suffer for the love of God and the conversion of sinners and they endeavored to console their parents. SAINTS FOR THE SICK is a book that reinforces our Catholic faith and gives renewed hope to those who are dealing with bodily struggles. Moreover, it puts us in touch with heavenly intercessors who will gladly help us for they know exactly what we are going through on earth. Includes an Index of Ailments.