Love and sacrifice are common literary themes that present truth in a new and beautiful way. Literature allows the reader to confront questions of the heart and develop a deeper understanding of the human experience. These themes are central in the spiritual life and offer an opportunity to touch truth beyond religion textbooks.

Further Resources:

Online:  The “1,000 Good Books List”  http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html

Book:  Bloom, Harold.  The Western Canon: The Books and Schools of the Ages, 1995.  — not a specifically Catholic author, but a valuable book nonetheless.

Books recommended on the podcast episode:

Specifically Catholic:

Greene, Graham.  End of the Affair, 1951.

Undset, Sigrid.  Kristin Lavransdatter, 1920.

Non-Catholic:

Dickens, Charles.  Bleak House, 1852-53.

MacDonald, George.  The Princess and Curdie, 1883.