Les Miserables is one of those profound stories that somehow encompasses the full depth of human experience. We have birth, death, falling in love, disappointment, justice, despair, young revolutionary zeal, forgiveness, and heavenly hope.

From Valjean’s first encounter with the Bishop - who forgives him, undeservedly so - to Valjean’s own forgiveness of Javert (and Javert’s inability to accept his mercy) - this a story of love offered, received, and sometimes (tragically) rejected. It is a story that promises the often miserable human condition always has the hope of redemption, if not in this life, “somewhere beyond the barricade.”

Today on the podcast I am joined by The Lord of the Rings and Catholicism, was published in December 2023 with En Route Books and Media. You can also find her writing on Substack (Love of Literature), where she shares essays on finding goodness, truth, and beauty in literature and art.

Her two essays on Les Miserables:

“The Economy of Love”

“He is not Here. He Has Risen.”

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The Lord of the Rings and Catholicism 

Recommendation: Irish Wonders by D.R. McAnally, Jr.