February brings blizzards in Maine. It is a perfect time of year to read William Steig’s book Brave Irene. Every page is graced with enchanting illustrations that remind me that beauty is powerful. The Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote, “Beauty is the battlefield where God and Satan contend for the hearts of men.” In our fatigue … Read moreBrave Irene: Book Review

I sat in the darkened movie theater and watched the final credits roll across the screen. The movie was finished, and it was time for me to walk out of the theater and get on with the busyness of life. Normally, that is the routine. Not this time. I was stunned, barely able to talk. … Read moreA Hidden Life: Movie Review

Welcome back to this journey in which we learn what it is like for a writer to create a character and the world in which she lives. But wait, you say, you are not creating a character! Lucia Santos was a real person!  That is true. Many books have been written about the children of Fatima … Read moreLucia of Fatima: Episode 6

  . I cannot think of a better Christmas gift to give the young reader in your family than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe—included on Time magazine’s list of the 100 Best Young-Adult Books of all time. Set in the fantasy land of Narnia, it is a classic battle of good versus evil, a place where it … Read moreThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Lucia of Fatima: Episode 5 Lucia is my fifth book of historical fiction—and dramatically different. Unlike the other stories, I won’t create fictional characters nor will there be imaginative plot lines. Every character will be real; every event will have actually happened.  Now that presents a problem. How do I keep the facts straight without … Read moreLucia of Fatima: Episode 5