Ten Circles upon the Pond: Reflections of a Prodigal
Mother, Virginia Tranel (Knopf). Devoting a
chapter to each of her 10 children, Tranel movingly celebrates
the life of her family. The domestic details of raising children
blend with the author's insightful commentary on a changing culture.
Tranel's family includes five ND graduates: husband Nathanial
(Ned) '57M.A. and children Daniel '79, Michael '81, Alane '86
and Jennie '92, along with Elizabeth, SMC '82.
Catholicism and American Freedom: A History,
John T. McGreevy '86 (Norton). The ND history professor
was praised by The New York Times Book Review for his
scholarly evocation of the tensions between American ideas of
personal autonomy and Catholic views of freedom being rooted in
communion. He examines such historical and social issues as slavery,
public education, labor organization, civil rights, the nuclear
arms race and abortion, discussing how Catholics in the United
States have influenced and been influenced by the national political
view.
Walking with God in a Fragile World, edited
by James Langford '59 and Leroy S. Rouner (Rowman & Littlefield).
Sept. 11, 2001, changed our world. In essays written expressly
for this book, spiritual leaders share their thoughts on walking
with God in a time of upheaval. The Christian pacifist Stanley
Hauerwas reflects on what he has to say in the face of terror
as Elie Wiesel mulls over the solitude of man and God. Contributors
also include Father Theodore Hesburgh, CSC, Kathleen McManus,
O.P., Virgil Elizondo and Jeremy Langford '92.
My Father Had a Daughter: Judith Shakespeare's Tale,
Grace Tiffany '85M.A., '89Ph.D. (Berkley Books). Judith
is angry at her "scribbling" father, William, and heads for London
to sabotage one of his plays. This historical novel, both comic
and tragic, offers a lively view of Elizabethan theater and a
sideline take on the playwright himself.
Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake Island, John
Wukovits '67 (New American Library). After the Japanese bombed
Pearl Harbor, their planes hit Wake Island, knocking out the 12
U.S. aircraft on the ground. A few days later, on December 11,
1941, the true siege of the tiny atoll in the Pacific began. The
outnumbered U.S. Marines and other military personnel stationed
on the island were joined by Wake Island civilians in defending
the atoll that Japan wanted as part of its plan for naval domination
in the Pacific. The events of that long battle unfold here in
a gritty narrative.
Barefoot in the Stubble Fields, Mary Frailey
Calland '76, '79J.D. (Gardenia Press). Maggie, the 6-year-old
daughter of an Iowa farmer, is taken in by her wealthy aunt and
uncle after her mother's death. As Maggie struggles to find where
she fits in, she witnesses the Depression from the sides of both
the haves and have-nots. The coming-of-age novel continues with
Maggie enrolling at Saint Mary's College as the turmoil of World
War II begins.
