I have not yet read this story, but my daughter read it to herself and enjoyed it very much even though she already read St. Therese and the Roses.

This new title from Bethlehem Books follows the tradition of Jeanne Bendick with her books on Archimedes and Galen by making scientific concepts accessible to ordinary people.

Dr. Wiker is a prolific author of articles on matters relating to science and the faith. He has taught at Thomas Aquinas College and Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Wiker takes us all the way back to the Neolithic era to begin his story of mankind's fascination with metals that started the development of the science of Chemistry. The various scientific characters that play a role in this story – from ancient Greek atomists to brilliant modern scholars – are interesting in and of themselves. We learn of the diligent John Dalton (1766-1844) who kept a daily journal called "Observations on the Weather" for 57 years; the daring and foolhardy Humphry Davy (1778-1829), who discovered laughing gas and a whole slew of elements, and Dimitrii Mendeleev (d. 1907) who discovered the order of the elements by 'playing cards.' A great deal of scientific content that led to the development of the Periodic Table is presented in these middle chapters. The content is made particularly accessible through Wiker's humorous, engaging style and the connections he makes between each scientist's interest in a particular subject and what that meant to scientific progress. He also has fun pointing out the errors scientists made that ironically caused some of the very greatest leaps in scientific knowledge.

The last three chapters can be a little harder to follow and students will benefit from working through them slowly and carefully studying the numerous diagrams. The publisher recommends that, although the book is generally accessible to ages 10 and up, these later chapters might be more understandable to slightly older children. I found that drawing up additional diagrams of my own helped me to follow the text better (particularly diagrams of the structures of the electron "shells"). Diligence in studying these last few chapters really pays off, though, as the final discoveries about the Periodic Table and the well-ordered nature of the relationships between the elements are absolutely fascinating.

Now, you might be asking yourself "Why would someone who teaches at Catholic colleges and writes for Catholic publications be so interested in the Periodic Table?" The answer is simple: The Periodic Table shows the relationships between the most basic elements that comprise everything on earth. It is phenomenal and mind-boggling how mathematically-ordered these elements are. This kind of order seen in nature is a powerful argument against random and chaotic theories of the origins of the world. I should also note that, although Dr. Wiker's interest in this topic is likely related to his faith, he never directly brings up the topic in his book. I'm really glad that he didn't. There's a time for laying it all on the table and a time for a little more subtlety. This sort of book allows readers to discover some of the "Wow!" of Science and later, gradually make the connection between the order of the elements and the awesomeness of the Creator who designed it all.

Highly and enthusiastically recommended! Probably the most fun I've ever had reading a science book. :)

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Disclaimer: best suited for high schoolers due to an incident where Thomas Aquinas is tempted by his brothers when they bring a prostitute to his room one night. Also, there are a few quick references to 'wenches' .

The dust jacket reads that the "theme of this novel was suggested to Louis de Wohl, in a private audience, by His Holiness, Pope Pius XII in 1948". The Quiet Light was printed two years later.

The book tells the story of the life of Thomas Aquinas from the eyes of his family members. It is a well-written novel, with an exciting plot and a complement of well-rounded characters. We see Thomas Aquinas as a shy, and supposedly dull-witted, schoolboy who earns himself the name of "The Dumb Ox". It isn't until college that his legendary genius is revealed. We learn how Thomas's wealthy family are terribly opposed to his decision to become a Dominican, and of their many attempts to thwart his personal plan. The author makes Saint Thomas Aquinas come alive, and we are left with a deep impression of the impact that this saint made in his time.

The novel is also noteworthy for its historical content. It is a wonderful case study of life in the thirteenth century in Europe. We learn of feuding barons, fleeing popes, politically-motivated marriages, chivalry, feasting, the crusades, and life in a monastary.

Most importantly, this is a Catholic novel. We are touched by the depth of the faith of St. Thomas Aquinas, and awe-struck by the miracles that occur later in his life.

For highschoolers studying the Middle Ages, or anyone who wants to learn more about this important saint, The Quiet Light is highly recommended.

This is a fascinating tale on many levels – spiritual, historical, adventure, humor. Fr. Goldmann was a young seminarian in Germany when he was drafted into Hitler's dreaded SS. Despite amazing obstacles and in spite of his loud mouth and rather hot temper with regard to his disagreements with the Nazi's, Goldmann works his way through World War II as a medic for the German army and is finally ordained as a chaplain to his comrades in the French prison camps in North Africa.

The story is quite simply related and details about the horrors that surrounded Fr. Goldmann on a daily basis are handled delicately enough to make the story appropriate for most high schoolers. Without being the least bit preachy, the story demonstrates in a powerful way the mysterious ways of God's will and the power of prayer and suffering. It's a very, very beautiful and worthwhile book. As an added bonus, Americans who are accustomed to seeing the story through the eyes of the "Allies" will find the German perspective (despite the author's clear anti-Nazi position) quite enlightening. This may help provide a much fuller sense of what the war was about.

Note: The story is also available on Audio Cassette, produced by St. Joseph Communications.