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I was delighted recently to be gifted with a copy of Nicholas Gilroy by Father Stephen and Deacon George, a new Catholic novel about a former homeschooler turned high school seminarian who ends up facing some life-changing challenges when he decides to tutor in the inner city.Since I was excited to begin Nicholas Gilroy, but get little alone time to read, I decided to read the book as a bedtime story to my 11, 10, and 7 year olds. What a refreshing read it was!
Right from its opening pages, Nicholas Gilroy captured the truth, beauty, and goodness of our faith. For example,before entering the seminary on his first day, Nicholas, "was overcome with apprehension, so reached by instinct into his left pocket (and) Taking out his rosary beads, he silently began to pray," whereupon, "His mother's words echoed in his mind: 'Our Lady will always bring you to Jesus, and He will love and guide you to His Sacred Heart.' "
Then, as the plot of the story unfolded, the "smells and bells", prayers, and tenets of our Catholic faith were woven into it, including:
- prayers of grace and thanksgiving
- Eucharistic Adoration
- mention of statues, like Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
- the Divine Praises
- the Works of Mercy in action
and more.
Indeed, it was beautiful to hear mention of so many of the Catholic traditions and practices that we integrate into our lives as we read about Nicholas and his peers at the seminary and on their forays into the city. It is not every day that we find fiction that integrates so much of our faith into it. However, in Nicholas Gilroy, there as authentic faith aplenty: Trust in God, virtue overcoming vice, Marian devotion, charitable works, and more played largely into the plot. Thus, as I read the story aloud to my children, I smiled at how they remained attentive to the clean, engaging - yet, at times, sometimes intense - story and also at how they lit up in recognition of so many familiar Catholic practices.
We truly enjoyed Nicholas Gilroy, and have very little criticism of it, besides that my children were surprised that a 14 year old would already be in seminary and, therefor, wondered if the character should have been older instead, and that sometimes we found some of the conversations between Nicholas and his peers did not ring true to their age. These things bothered us little, though, as we got into the storyline and were moved by the integration of faith throughout it.
Without question, beauty, goodness, and truth are measuring sticks in our lives and, Nicholas Gilroy is replete with such qualities. Whether you want a read aloud, a book for your preteen or teen to read to him or herself, a quick edifying fictional read for yourself, or something to recommend to faith formation and confirmation classes, this book is worth a look. It is a quick and fruitful read!
I have already recommended the book to several local friends and now recommend it here to others looking for wholesome faith fiction.
I am also looking forward to future books in this series. I have heard that the authors plan to write at least three more books and to have at least one Sacrament taught in each book, perhaps taking readers around the globe to places like Mexico and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Ireland and Our Lady of Knock, and Rome and the Vatican.
Wherever the next Nicholas Gilroy books happen to base their action, one thing is certain: they will continue to be based on strong Catholic values and identity, celebrating our faith with joy and truth. I look forward to reading them with my children!
