A ravishing first novel, set in vibrant, tumultuous turn-of-the-century New York City, where the lives of four outsiders become entwined, bringing irrevocable change to them all. New York, 1895. Sylvan Threadgill, a night soiler cleaning out the privies behind the tenement houses, finds an abandoned newborn baby in the muck. An orphan himself, Sylvan rescues the child, determined to find where she belongs. Odile Church and her beautiful sister, Belle, were raised amid the applause and magical pageantry of The Church of Marvels, their mother’s spectacular Coney Island sideshow. But the Church has burnt to the ground, their mother dead in its ashes. Now Belle, the family’s star, has vanished into the bowels of Manhattan, leaving Odile alone and desperate to find her. A young woman named Alphie awakens to find herself trapped across the river in Blackwell’s Lunatic Asylum—sure that her imprisonment is a ruse by her husband’s vile, overbearing mother. On the ward she meets another young woman of ethereal beauty who does not speak, a girl with an extraordinary talent that might save them both. As these strangers’ lives become increasingly connected, their stories and secrets unfold. Moving from the Coney Island seashore to the tenement-studded streets of the Lower East Side, a spectacular human circus to a brutal, terrifying asylum, Church of Marvels takes readers back to turn-of-the-century New York—a city of hardship and dreams, love and loneliness, hope and danger. In magnetic, luminous prose, Leslie Parry offers a richly atmospheric vision of the past in a narrative of astonishing beauty, full of wondrous enchantments, a marvelous debut that will leave readers breathless.

America’s got faith! You’ll find it in every state — in grand cathedrals and tiny chapels, in miracle shrines and underwater statues, and even in blessed dirt. Finding these sacred places hasn’t been easy, until now! Monuments, Marvels, and Miracles: A Traveler's Guide to Catholic America takes you to more than 500 of the country’s most intriguing holy sites, each with a riveting story to tell. Stories about: architecture (the interior of Guardian Angels Cathedral in Las Vegas resembles angel wings) religious history (at Maryland’s Old Bohemia, Jesuit priests lived and worked incognito during anti-Catholic persecution) artifacts (the Miraculous Medal Shrine in Philadelphia holds an original cast by Saint Catherine Labouré) answered prayer (from the Grasshopper Chapel in Minnesota to the Coral Miracle Church in Hawaii) healing places, beautiful places, hidden places, places where saints walked, and much more. Organized by state and region, Monuments, Marvels, and Miracles can help you easily plan your vacation or pilgrimage, and find sites close to you that you’ve never heard of. Chapters also include Catholic trivia and color photos. Websites, phone numbers, addresses, and other pertinent information are included. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Marion Amberg is an award-winning book author and freelance journalist. Her articles — mainly religion travel pieces and human-interest features — have appeared in more than 100 markets. She is known for her “nose for the unique and unusual” and for her engaging writing style.

This translation makes this fascinating text accessible for the first time to an English-speaking audience. A substantial introduction to Agnellus and his composition of the text is included along with a full bibliography

Three deaths in three years. His mother. His best friend. And now, his two-year-old daughter. In this moving story a Christian author goes to a retreat center to grieve and face the hard questions about God that he is asking in the wake of these losses. If you have ever felt alone, betrayed, abandoned—if you have found yourself asking God why—this novel may be a source of hope. And if you have ever wondered what heaven is like, this book provides a beautiful vision. Room of Marvels is a masterful, dream-like tale that speaks to the eternal in the midst of our most painful earthly losses. This expanded edition of the beloved book has a new afterword from James Bryan Smith and a discussion guide for group use. Finding your room of marvels will give you reason to live. Again.

Does God exist? Which is true? Evolution, creation...or both? Are we no more than meaningless collisions of molecules? Or do we owe our existence to a Creator, who has willed us (and everything else) into being, and who has a plan and purpose for our lives? The Reality of God addresses these all-important questions by providing an introductory overview of key scientific evidence, philosophical reasons, and insights drawn from human nature demonstrating God’s existence. In simple, accessible language, and well-supported by scientific experts, author Steven Hemler guides the reader through the most compelling evidence for the existence of God. Hemler shows how natural sciences such as biology, chemistry and physics far from disproving religious belief suggest and reveal the existence of a Creator at every turn. Those seeking sound reasons and credible science supporting belief in God will cherish this easy-to-read book. The Reality of God provides: • An opportunity to address doubts about God’s existence • Persuasive reasons for belief • Arguments showing the compatibility of faith and reason • Answers to the evolution vs. creation debate The Reality of God puts forth in layman’s terms how science and the natural world point to God’s existence. Anyone seeking answers to life’s deepest question will find in author Steven Hemler an indispensable guide.

Sanctify Them in Truth, by Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, is an approachable, easy-to-read guide on eight of our most pressing social issues. The book applies divine wisdom and the guidance of the Church as it dissects oft-debated topics, presenting helpful teaching so that the reader knows how to navigate today's contentious world with conviction and a clear conscience.

This collection of essays and fiction offers critical insights into Egypt's cosmopolitan past, Jewish-Levantine identities, and the possibilities for cultural integration within Israel and beyond.