Welcome to the February 2026 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com!

Treason by Dena Hunt sat on my to-be-read list for too long. Treason personalizes the persecution of Catholics in Elizabethan England, giving readers a glimpse of all those affected, from priests to secret Catholics and recusants as well as religious and nonreligious non-Catholics whose friends and neighbors were among those cited for treason and summarily executed. I highly enjoyed this short novel, which takes place over the course of a week.

I’ve begun reading the Catholic Writers Guild’s first anthology, Pilgrim Tales. This short story collection is designed to showcase contemporary Catholic writers with fifteen stories in a variety of genres from historical fiction to science fiction to contemporary romance. I’ve enjoyed each story so far, all of which are tied to a pilgrimage theme in one way or another. It’s a great introduction to authors.

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentey was enjoyable women’s fiction/contemporary romance by Courtney Walsh. I enjoyed self-imposed loner Isadora’s newfound friendships and connections with Darby, Delilah, Marty, and Cal. I would’ve loved to have seen Christian faith incorporated into the plot, which would’ve brought even more meaning to Isadora’s journey out of loneliness. The book is published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, so the absence of a faith arc was (to me, at least) glaring.

My adult son finished Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend by James I. Robertson, Jr., a biography focused on the man, not merely the general. The book is highly rated on Amazon, and my son gave it five stars as well. Jackson suffered many losses in his youth and adulthood; his parents, all but one sibling, a wife, and a daughter all preceded him in death. Robertson gives attention to perhaps lesser-known aspects of Jackson’s character, including his love of children, his profound sense of duty, and his deep Christian faith.

I’m not sure how many years this little Aquinas book sat on our shelf, untouched, but my son was the first here to read it. Aquinas: On Reasons for Our Faith Against the Muslims, Greeks, and Armenians by St. Thomas Aquinas is a short treatise on theological matters that divide Christians and Muslims, including the Holy Trinity, Purgatory, and Divine and Free Will.

Conservatism: An Invitation to the Great Tradition by Roger Scruton traces conservatism from the Enlightenment to the present day. It covers conservatism, classical liberalism, and the effect of the emergence of socialism. The author traces the influence of conservative ideals in the lives of various politicians and nations. My son mentioned that he would like to delve further into the subject by reading some of the resources referenced.

My son also read one of the books his sister brought back from a Coolidge Foundation-sponsored conference: The Myth of the Robber Barons: A New Look at the Rise of Big Business in America by Burton W. Folsom, Jr. The author examines Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, James J. Hill, Andrew Mellon, Charles Schwab, and the Scranton family, characterizing them as market entrepreneurs or political entrepreneurs. In this relatively short book, the author also discusses bias against the “robber barons” in leading college textbooks.

My daughter started reading another of the books from the Coolidge Foundation-sponsored conference, Coolidge by Amity Shlaes, who was present at the conference. This bestselling biography of the 30^th president of the United States traces the development of Calvin Coolidge’s political and economic philosophy and his character and integrity. It seeks to demonstrate how underrated Coolidge is.

While she was recovering from having her wisdom teeth removed over Christmas break, my daughter enjoyed Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, and she continues to marvel at Christie’s creativity and skill. This is the final Miss Marple Mystery. From the description: “A fatal dose of poison meant for a glamorous movie star fells her ardent admirer instead—and Miss Marple is there to unmask a murderer.”

In school, she continues to read Shakespeare, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This enchanted romantic comedy features fairies in a magical forest. My lone takeaway, having read this one many, many years ago, is Puck. Probably time for me to try to re-read some Shakespeare.

The Eighth Arrow: Odysseus in the Underworld by J. Augustine Wetta, O.S.B. was a favorite of my oldest son, and he recommended it to his middle-school sister. Although she hasn’t yet read Dante or Homer, she enjoyed this store of Odysseus and Diomedes’ journey through the circles of Dante’s hell. Along the way, they meet mythological and historical characters.

My daughter also read the second book in T.M. Gaouette’s Faith and Kung Fu series, Saving Faith. Faith, the sister of Gabriel’s friend, rejects her family and friends’ expectations and her faith and takes up with a boy from school who is undisciplined when it comes to both kung fu and life. It’s up to Gabriel to save her from herself.

Hannah, a young Jewish girl tired of her family reliving the past, is transported to a 1940s Polish village during the Holocaust in The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. My daughter hasn’t finished this book yet, so her only comment was, “It’s okay so far.” Some reviewers, understandably, call this a difficult read.

I first read The Green Ember to my three youngest children in 2020. The two youngest listened, but they weren’t interested in continuing the series. To my surprise, my son asked for a paperback copy at the Catholic Schools Week book fair, and his sister tore through it in a day. He got hold of it immediately after and is loving it. This is the first in a series about Picket and Heather, brother and sister rabbits, and their daring adventures in a tumultuous world. It’s a well-written book, and I’m overall impressed by the author, S.D. Smith.

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass is the book my son couldn’t wait to finish to then start The Green Ember. That’s not to say he didn’t like this story of four children competing to invent the tastiest candy. It’s told from each of the competitors’ (Logan, Miles, Daisy, and Philip) point of view. My son did find the some of the story repetitive.

My middle school son also completed the second and third books in Michael P. Spradlin’s The Youngest Templar series, Trail of Fate and Orphan of Destiny. He loved this series! Throughout the series, Tristan and his companions are protecting the Holy Grail as they return to England. There he finds Sherwood Forest suffering under the rule of Sheriff Nottingham.

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