“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”    ~J.R.R.Tolkien

I am officially addicted to short stories by my favorite Catholic Teen Book authors. Their latest installment contains 10 Lenten tales for teens, and everyone else who enjoys a good yarn.  Weaving the faith into drama, historical fiction, dystopian, contemporary, and even sci-fi, these authors take us on amazing mini-journeys. 

From the Jurassic age to first-century Israel, and from ancient Scotland to outer space, this book covers more than your average perusal through Barnes and Noble (or as we like to call it, Narns and Boble, shoutout to Babylon 5, our favorite tv show). But the short stories make for fast-paced reading. I highly recommend giving it to your teen for Easter. Tell them it is a break from Shakespeare, history of the world wars, or whatever else they are reading for school. Ashes: Visible & Invisible should be required reading, except that would take all the fun out of it.

The best part is that many of the characters in the stories will be familiar to fans of these amazing authors. If you are not a fan yet, I bet you will be by the end of each story — or at least by the end of your favorite story in this book. I would love to get comments on this blog about which story was your favorite, how fast you read the book, and if you have already read any of the Catholic Teen book authors’ works.

If your teen is struggling with anxiety, depression, or ADHD right now, this book may cheer them up. The characters are faced with major dilemmas, and their faith guides them through impossible situations, sometimes snatching life from the jaws of death (I know it’s a cliché, but I’m talking about escaping from a T-rex here, or a firing squad from an evil space Fleet!) Also, it is well-known that you can’t just “cheer someone up” if they suffer from major depression, but on the other hand, what you read becomes your life story. Positive adventure stories can only lift our spirits and bolster our courage in the face of adversity.

The most tangible thread running through these stories is the simple fact that we cannot separate any aspect of ourselves from our faith. It affects everything we do, as well it should: saving lives, teaching, standing up for the oppressed, caring for people in tough situations — the why and how of love is eternally bound up in our devotion to our Lord Jesus. 

As we celebrate the beginning of Passiontide, the two weeks before Easter when Jesus prepared himself for Calvary, let us carve out some quiet time to reflect on the beauty of our faith. These wonderful fiction stories echo the miracles of life all around us, with the biggest miracle being the Resurrection.

March 26, 2023

Erin Broestl, author of God Made the Moonlight, an award-winning children’s book

Book Review to Challenge Readers