The Quiet Light

The famous novelist de Wohl presents a stimulating historical novel about the great St. Thomas Aquinas, set against the violent background of the Italy of the Crusades. He tells the intriguing story of St. Thomas who defied his illustrious, prominent family's ambition for him to have great power in the Church by taking a vow of poverty and joining the Dominicans. The battles and Crusades of the 13th century and the ruthlessness of the excommunicated Emperor Frederick II play a big part of the story, but it is Thomas of Aquino who dominates this book. De Wohl succeeds notably in portraying the exceptional quality of this man, a fusion of mighty intellect and childlike simplicity. A pupil of St. Albert the Great, the humble Thomas, through an intense life of study, writing, prayer, preaching and contemplation, ironically rose to become the influential figure of his age, and later was proclaimed by the Church as the Angelic Doctor.

While on a summer, history research trip in 1976, Canadian William Dick finds himself dumped by his girlfriend in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. He soon meets up with Jacques Pierre Falstaff an Australian with a French-Canadian background. Falstaff is known by his friends as BS Jack and gets Bill Dick a room at the Alvermay, a seedy hotel run by Fripp, a black man raised on Fripp Island. BS Jack tells Bill and Fripp a story about how Benjamin Franklin arranged for Bills ancestors from Edinburgh, Scotland to send a fortune over to Charleston in the 1770s to help the Patriots win the revolutionary war against the British. Jack then pulls a stunt that gets Bill into trouble with the law. Fripp hides Bill at the Blue Dolphin Inn on Fripp Island. Spending days in Beaufort, Bill meets an eclectic group of characters, who together with Fripp and BS Jack search out the treasure they believe to be hidden in and around Charleston. The clues that they follow are from stories that Bills grandfather told him. A double cross, leads to a double murder in Sumter County that remains unsolved to this day.

The famous novelist Louis de Wohl presents a stimulating historical novel about the great St. Thomas Aquinas, set against the violent background of the Italy of the Crusades. He tells the intriguing story of St. Thomas who—by taking a vow of poverty and joining the Dominicans—defied his illustrious, prominent family’s ambition for him to have great power in the Church. The battles and Crusades of the 13th century and the ruthlessness of the excommunicated Emperor Frederick II play a big part in the story, but it is Thomas of Aquino who dominates this book. De Wohl succeeds notably in portraying the exceptional quality of this man, a fusion of mighty intellect and childlike simplicity. A pupil of St. Albert the Great, the humble Thomas—through an intense life of study, writing, prayer, preaching and contemplation—ironically rose to become the influential figure of his age, and he later was proclaimed by the Church as the Angelic Doctor. As in all of his novels about great saints of the church, Louis de Wohl weaves an intricate colorful tapestry of love, violence and piety to bring to life a tremendous historical figure and the fascinating period in which he lived. Louis de Wohl was a distinguished and internationally respected Catholic writer whose books on saints have been best-sellers worldwide. Other available titles include Lay Siege to Heaven, Set All Afire and Citadel of God. Sixteen of his books were made into films.

More than fifty photographs capture the awesome beauty of our natural environment, dwelling on intimate views rather than expansive vistas

“[Francesca Lia Block] is the sorceress of iridescent language.”—Kirkus Reviews Open Letter to Quiet Light will make readers feel as if they are peering at secret writings meant for the eyes of a lover alone, but these carefully crafted lines somehow transcend the personal to touch everyone who has experienced this kind of consuming, wrenching love. In these fiercely passionate, devastatingly revealing, sometimes spiritual, and often painful poems, Francesca Lia Block describes in fiery detail the rise and demise of a year-long love affair. Her rich use of language infused with the power of sex and spirit finally paint a transcendent, almost mythic portrait of the way two wounded people—both searching for connection—find each other, collide, and eventually separate. The words seem to bleed onto the page and even the most graphic moments have a devotional quality filled with nuanced expression and unbridled intimacy. Francesca Lia Block is renowned for her groundbreaking literary works, including the best-selling Weetzie Bat. Her writing transports readers through the harsh landscapes of contemporary life to realms of the senses where love is a saving grace. She lives in Los Angeles.

When the children's librarian gives Lucy a book that helps her quiet her noisy brothers, Lucy learns the power of a story. Includes activities and tips for helping a child become a better reader.