Father Elijah by Michael O'Brien

    This extraordinary apocolyptic novel introduces Father Elijah, a Holocaust survivor and once powerful figure who became a Carmelite Priest. Summoned by the Holy Father, he is charged with a mission of utmost importance: To enter the inner circle of the antichrist and call him to repentance so as to delay the great cataclysm in order for the church to preach the Gospel to the world. The fast paced action that follows as Fr Elijah uncovers a web of intrigue both inside and outside of the church makes this a book you won't want to put down.   

Come Rack, Come Rope by Robert Hugh Benson

    Perhaps the best known of Msgr. Benson's works, this novel has been reprinted many times since its publication in 1912. The drama and the characters therein have their basis in the real life account of a Catholic family-and of the sufferings of Catholics in general under- Elizabeth I of England. In this story of deep tragedy and terror Msgr. Benson portrays the conflict between natural, tender human passion and divine love, and its heroic resolution worked out in the hearts of the two principal characters, along with the development of the doctrine of vocation. Descriptions of profound insight into the physical and spiritual suffering of one persecuted and tortured for the faith.       (From Amazon.com)

Citadel of God by Louis de Wohl

    This is an excellent rendering of the story of St. Benedict. Rome is in chaos. The Goths have destroyed all that ancient Rome was, and many Romans are willing to use any means to regain that ancient glory.

    Peter, the unscrupulous, destroys the lives of nearly everyone he touches. Benedict, once his tutor, brings the life of God to all he touches.  As a boy, Benedict was told "Life is dirty. Don't think you can change it. No one can. And you are living in it." Benedict, seeing that the false life in Rome is "dirty," becomes a hermit and then the great saint that God calls him to be.

    Read this book and enjoy your glimpse into Rome. De Wohl has obviously done a lot of research to provide us this historical fiction. His portrayal of Rome as unseemly and yet a jewel is fascinating. His portrayal of Benedict is enlightening.  The Citadel of God was Benedict's monastery. It still stands today and this book is a testament to a man that was favored by God because of his faith. Enjoy the book.     (From Amazon.com)

Forget Not Love by Andre Frossard

    The famous French author's unique writing style captivates the reader with the heroic story of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a modern apostle of Catholic evangelization, Marian spirituality, and a martyr of charity. With the encouragement of Pope John Paul II and the help of documentation (some unpublished) given to him by the Vatican, Frossard chronicles the dramatic and moving life of this Polish Franciscan who volunteered to die in place of a fellow prisoner in Auschwitz.  (Review from Aquinas and More)

Lay Siege to Heaven by Louis de Wohl

    This novel artfully combines solid historical scholarship with lively dialogues, and sheds light on the greatness and sublimity of the woman's mission in the Church. The fact that an untutored woman gained power over Popes and political events by identifying her will with God's will, manifests eloquently that real strength--i.e. supernatural strength--comes from the joyful acceptance of one's `nothingness.' Humility, charity, prayer and sacrifice--not scholarship--taught Catherine true theology, and made her a Doctor of the Church. This book can teach a lot to modern scholars and to women seeking liberation.    (Review by Alice von Hildebrand)

Saint Joan by Louis de Wohl

    This volume in the Vision Books series of saints for youth combines a world-famous Catholic novelist, Louis de Wohl, with one of the most thrilling and dramatic saints' lives in history, St. Joan of Arc. De Wohl uses his famed narrative skill to tell young people about the brave teenage French girl who had visions and led armies in battle, but also about how her entire life testifies to the amazing power of God's grace.

 (From Aquinas and More)

Set All Afire by Louis de Wohl

    Saint Francis Xavier's life is, in itself, a dramatic story. With humility and deep religious conviction, the famous Catholic novelist Louis de Wohl takes us into the mind and heart of this great missionary and saint who went by order of St. Ignatius of Loyola to "set all afire" in the Orient. Louis de Wohl captivates the reader as he follows Xavier's life from student days in Paris, through his meeting with Ignatius, his rather reluctant conversion, and his travels as one of the first Jesuits. The story takes the reader from Europe to Goa, India, Malaysia, Japan, and finally, to an island off the coast of China, where the exiled Xavier dies virtually alone. The book captures the dramatic struggles and inspiring zeal of this remarkable saint, giving at the same time an enthralling picture of the age in which he lived.  (From Aquinas and More)

The Golden Thread by Louis de Wohl

    As in his other popular novels, Louis de Wohl, with humility and deep religious conviction, takes us into the mind and heart of a saint, giving at the same time an enthralling picture of the era in which he lived.

Here is a skillful weaving of the story of St. Ignatius Loyola’s conversion and pilgrimage with the colorful and dangerous history of Spain and Italy in the early sixteenth century. The life of the very human, very great Basque nobleman who founded the Jesuit Order, makes for one of de Wohl’s finest novels.

 (From Aquinas and More)

The Joyful Beggar by Louis de Wohl

    In this magnificent and stirring novel, Louis de Wohl turns his famed narrative skill to the story of the soldier and merchant's son who might have been right-hand man to a king … and who became instead the most beloved of all saints. Set against the tempestuous background of 13th Century Italy and Egypt, here is the magnificent and inspiring story of Francis Bernardone, the brash, pleasure-loving young officer who was to become immortalized as St. Francis of Assisi.   (From Aquinas and More)
 

The Quiet Light by Louis de Wohl

    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.

(From Aquinas and More)

The Spear by Louis de Wohl

    De Wohl's effort to portray the last days of our Lord's life through the eyes of a somewhat callous and hardened Roman centurian, Longinus, is wonderfully played out in this novel.

De Wohl does justice to many of our biblically familiar characters (i.e., Martha, Mary, Caiaphas). This novel is well researched and will take you back in time to get a glimpse of the social and political climate in which the Son of Man entered history and changed it forever.      (Review from www.amazon.com)