What to Read

Treasuring the Goods of Marriage in a Throwaway Society
Peter Kwasniewski
Sophia Institute Press, 304 pages

Anyone can recite a laundry list of moral evils that are opposed to the dignity of marriage, human sexuality, and ultimately the human person: pornography, infidelity, fornication, self-gratification, divorce, contraception, and abortion among them. Drawing from his own writings in a variety of Catholic media, philosopher and author Peter Kwasniewski examines the ideals of Christian marriage and the threats to those ideals that each of these evils represents. Thorough and far-reaching in his analysis, he invites deep reflection and provides a starting point for recovery: revitalizing the Catholic liturgy as a source of immense beauty and catechesis to advance the spiritual health of marriage and families.

Life to the Full: True Stories That Reveal the Dignity of Every Human Life
Abby Johnson and Tyler Rowley
Ignatius Press, 178 pages

Abby Johnson, ardent pro-life speaker and former Planned Parenthood clinic director whose story is perhaps best known from the 2019 film Unplanned, teams with fellow pro-life activist Tyler Rowley here to tell the eye-opening stories of 23 ordinary people who have come face to face with the evil of abortion. “This is the book I want supporters of legal abortion to read,” Johnson writes. “Page after page will reveal the certainty that it is never okay to kill an innocent human being, and that in order for our nation to know peace, there must be peace in the womb.” Amen to that.

When Expecting Doesn’t Happen: Turning Infertility into a Journey of Hope
Marie Meaney
Emmaus Road Publishing, 168 pages

Author Marie Meaney, an internationally published philosopher, describes infertility as “a terrible suffering” and an “excruciatingly painful experience.” That pain stems not only from the apparent difficulty in conceiving a child, but also in seeing others announcing pregnancies and offering unhelpful advice. Writing with great wisdom, Meaney counsels the infertile in coping skills, steering them away from morally problematic treatments and toward Church-approved alternatives. She also advises family and friends on how to be supportive of infertile couples in word and deed. This is an excellent book that will open minds and hearts to the struggles of couples who face obstacles to conception.