01e38acffe
[Johanna was the first woman to die from a self-administered abortion in the U.S., in 1970. This book combines her letters, home movies, and family stories to illustrate her life, and the life of her family. Their story is told in words and pictures through the eyes of Johanna, whose family was her personal inspiration.
The Olive Tree by Joseph Castellanos, Johanna is the first woman to die from a self-administered abortion in the U.S., in 1970. This book combines her letters, home movies, and family stories to illustrate her life, and the life of her family. Their story is told in words and pictures through the eyes of Johanna, whose family was her personal inspiration.
In this new book, Mr. Castellanos takes us on a journey through the years with his family's life and on the backdrop of Catholic faith and values. In the face of a pressing social and political reality in the 1960s and 1970s, Mr. Castellanos's father, Joseph, displays unwavering determination to teach his children, and their friends, to use their God-given gifts in constructive ways and to live their faith.
So you have to pick a winner of the so-called Wal-Mart sweepstakes, or at least call the winner a winner, according to the contest's terms. And now the big bookstore chains are selling the book, in hardback and paperback.
A few years ago, I interviewed Joseph Castellanos for Catholic World Report. His story--which has been expanded for this book and was one of the winners of this year's Texas Book Award in the Children's/Young Adult category--is a great example of the way that Catholics, especially those who also happen to be Latino, have a very different experience from that of people in other religious groups in the United States. Though its history predates the Catholic church and, indeed, the region that now makes up Texas, the story of the country of Mexico, which has been so much a part of the life of so many Texas Catholics, is also a powerful part of the book.
Read the description of the prize and listen to the author's talk about why the Catholic faith is important to him.
ROBERT BLOCH BLOCH: For some of us who are from Texas, and even some of us who are not, we are known as the state of liberty, especially when it comes to religious freedom.
Related links:
Comments