If you are Catholic and like Chicken Soup books, you'll like this one. Like other Chicken Soup books, this one has 101 stories that warm your heart. Most are two to three pages long. They are stories about the nun who really cared, despite her gruff exterior, about the prayer for a sign answered by a rosary, about the food that was offered when the cupboard was bare and about an adult returning to his childhood faith. The stories are sweet. Some evoke smiles, others tears, but all make you feel good.
As far as whether the book is theologically or doctrinally pure, I didn't read anything that I felt was an inaccurate representation of Catholic doctrine or anything I thought was heretical. However, this isn't a doctrinal book. It doesn't push the necessity of confession, the primacy of the Pope, or the sinfulness of birth control. It talks about answered prayers, the family rosary and realizing Jesus' suffering though the Station of the Cross. Mary gets mentioned frequently. One of my favorite stories in the book was about an All Saints Day costume party at a Catholic school. A girl dressed as Mary won, even though she was one of many Marys that day. Her distinguishing feature is that she brought her doll dressed as Jesus; the other girls didn't bring Jesus with them.
Thanks to Shelby at Phenix & Phenix for providing a review copy.
Thanks for the review...sometimes I need to "lighten up" and just feel good about our faith and the little consolations; I am so enveloped in the doctrinal and spiritual "deep stuff" that I can become a bit dry. This book sounds like the recipe to lift the spirit. I will be purchasing this one for my family. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI read this at work. It was enjoyable - just what you would expect from Chicken Soup books. Made me cry in places, but in a good way! LOL. Nice book.
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