The 8 inspiring books to discover this summer
The summer period, more generous in free time, invites you to read new authors. Bet on curiosity with our eclectic selection.
A quest for inner unity
A stroke which shakes up the order of priorities, a spiritual hunger which emerges, a Jesuit center by the sea… “It is towards joy that I am going”, hopes Florence Besson on the threshold of this week at the school of Exercises of Saint Ignatius. Humorously assuming her neophyte posture, she keeps the diary of this inner exploration. As the days go by, the tears subside, lightness takes over. And this astonishing feeling of being loved by a Christ who has long been unknown. A modest story, accessible to any reader in search of inner unity.
A week of silence, by Florence Besson, Ed. Flammarion, 160 p. ; €16.
The atypical holy Orthodox nun
Marie Skobtsov (1891-1945), Russian from the intelligentsia of Saint Petersburg, emigrated to Paris, disappointed revolutionary, briefly married, atypical nun, went through countless tribulations, led by her faith to help all kinds of unfortunate and to hide Jewish children. Denounced, she died in Ravensbrück. The Orthodox Church canonized her in 2004. Discover!
Mary Skobtsov. Holy Orthodox, righteous among the nations, by Laurence Varaut, Ed. New City, 128 p. ; €12.
An unsatisfied spiritual quest
Since a first stay in Egypt after studying philosophy, the author has traveled the Middle East crushed by violence, inhabited by an unsatisfied spiritual quest. In this exceptionally intense text dedicated to Father Paolo, founder of the Mar Moussa monastery (Syria), who died in 2013, she rereads two decades of encounters against a backdrop of unbearable tragedies in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Armenia. . “Independent atheist nun”, according to her friends, in search of a God who hides, she captures the part of divine light which shines through the faces of men, women, children tested beyond what is imaginable, and pays them a tribute with sober lyricism. Powerful.
God among the ruins, by Églantine Gabaix-Hialé, Ed. Mame, 160 p. ; €15.90.
The primer of our faith
Dragées”, “Cries” (Does God hear them?) “Omni-scient” (Does God know everything about our lives in advance?)… In 250 entries, this alphabet book in the form of a catechetical tool manages to combine lightness of tone – personal and committed – and quality of information. Leave within reach of all hands.
Words of faith, by Anne-Isabelle Lacassagne, Ed. Bayard, 272 p. ; €12.90.
Incredibly real faith
The centenary of the conversion of Madeleine Delbrêl (1904-1964), an exceptional witness to the Gospel, brings us this work. What did Madeleine say about her own conversion, beyond the well-known words, “I had been and remained dazzled by God”? Her testimony, followed by a reading of the poems that the talented young woman wrote at that time, then the testimonies of those who knew her at that time, or later, as a social worker, including communist friends, allow to approach his “incredibly real faith, his fidelity, his infinite capacity for tenderness”.
Come to me. The desert is a huge call, by Gilles François and Bernard Pitaud, Ed. New City, 184 p. ; €15.
Joyful faith despite disability
Nothing ethereal in this logbook. The young author suffers from myopathy, an illness which drastically limits his autonomy in daily life, which does not prevent him from continuing his studies at the Sorbonne and having already written a novel. The weight of the handicap takes second place, however, as his taste for life and his intelligence of situations reveal his rich interior life, supported by faith. And the reader finds himself returned to his own heart.
A joyful heart. The luminous testimony, by Louis Bouffard, Ed. Mame, 120 p. ; €12.90.
Knowing how to calm down
This is a stimulating, creative, benevolent book, starting from the crisis that Christian communities are going through to propose simple and necessary attitudes. Move from anger to commitment. From discouragement to lucidity. A short manual that should circulate in our parishes and congregations.
Healing Anger and Discouragement, by Philippe de Roux, Ed. Bayard, 144 p. ; €12.90.
Does God exist?
The author raises the traditional question of “evidence” with more finesse than a recent bestseller did. If reason supports the existence of God, its arguments also find their limit. But God experiences himself, the philosopher argues, summoning numerous witnesses. You must enter into this mystery by engaging your whole being. An accessible and stimulating read.
God’s test. Can we still prove that God exists?, by Emmanuel Tourpe, Ed. Emmanuel, 168 p. ; €16.90.
