A hidden bonus of being a Catholic author is that I've spent my life steeped in story-worthy elements. You want beauty and drama? Walk into a Mass and breathe in the incense and beeswax candles. Let the music of Byrd and Tallis echo in your ears. See the gleam of brass in the smoking thurifer and the sheen of silk on the tabernacle and vestments. You want the perfect story? Read the Bible, with all its heartache and betrayal and sacrifice and longing and love. Or the lives of the saints, echoing this story in their own unique lives.

But the downside to being a Catholic author? It can get annoying when non-Catholic authors steal from the treasure box of Catholic imagery and items. When they do it well, I don't mind so much (I loved The Inquisitor's Tale, for example…even though it did say Dominicans wore brown...). But when they do it poorly and the book wins acclaim, it's honestly painful. A recent award-winning title by a truly brilliant author missed the mark so much on angels and religious life (to a Catholic, "religious life" means living as a nun, sister, priest, brother, or monk) that I was honestly astounded by its stellar reception. Didn't it matter to anyone else that sacred elements of our Faith were being appropriated to add drama and mystique to a story?

Last week I read Back to the Bright Before, by Katherin Nolte--a newly-released story that very much takes advantage of the "Catholic mystique," but also very much gets it right. I am assuming that the Nolte is Catholic or was at some point, because she not only uses Catholic elements carefully and respectfully, but she never lets them get in the way of a really well-told story. It would have been easy to point out much of her symbolism to her readers, but instead she leaves it there like a little Easter egg for her readers to notice or not notice—you don't need to know all the answers because what you're there for is the story.

Here's a description from the publisher:

When eleven-year-old Pet Martin's dad falls from a ladder on their family farm, it isn't just his body that crashes to the ground. So does every hope her family had for the future. Money is scarce, and Pet's mom is bone-tired from waiting tables at the local diner, and even with the extra hours, it's not enough for a third surgery for Pet's dad. Her five-year-old brother, Simon, now refuses to say anything except the word "cheese." Worst of all? The ladder accident was Pet's fault.
She's determined to fix things--but how? Good old-fashioned grit...and maybe a little bit of magic.
When a neighbor recites a poem about an ancient coin hidden somewhere on the grounds of the local abbey, Pet forms a plan. With her brother, a borrowed chicken, and a stolen pony, Pet runs away from home. If she can find the coin, Daddy can have his surgery, Momma can stop her constant working, and Simon might speak again. But Pet isn't the only one who wants the coin...which means searching for it is more dangerous than she ever imagined.
This dazzling debut novel filled with magic, family, and adventure is sure to be an instant classic.

Here's the thing. This book will be classified as magical realism, but to a Catholic reader, it will read as something even better: a story of miracles. As Pet learns in the story and I have learned in my life, miracles are all around but you'll miss them if you're not looking. How wonderful it was to read a story where faith moved mountains and hope overcame the darkest evil! If you want to see it as magic… that's ok. Maybe we can agree it's the "Old Magic" of Narnia and The Secret Garden, a power bigger than the powers of this world, bigger than evil and bigger than even our biggest problems.

On a final note—and I know I can't really work this in with a perfect segue—the NUNS ARE SO GREAT. Having lived across the street from a Dominican monastery for several years, and knowing many nuns and sisters very well, I do get prickly when they're portrayed in literature as socially-awkward mystics or repressed goody-two-shoes. Nuns are real people, guys. :) Every single one I've met has entered religious life because she feels called to something bigger and deeper than herself—she is running to a great love, not running away from the world. And that deep love and complete normality was perfectly portrayed in Back to the Bright Before. Sister Melanie, the novice sister who befriends Pet, is just like many young nuns I know: kind and funny and nerdy and normal. I just loved her.

There are solid elements at play here. It's a quest for a treasure - a special coin that can solve all of this family's problems. We have a lurking villain and a charming, if somewhat strange, assortment of details. Nuns, taffy, a chicken, a treasure, and chainsaw carving are not things we expect to see together but Nolte makes them work. It's the quest itself that gives me some pause. Because when Pet and Simon set out on their quest they seem to leave the natural world behind. They encounter a series of increasingly odd beings that tell them stories about their parents, shedding light on their past and the influences on their current situation. The journey feels far more symbolic than literal, even in the world of the book, and that creates an emotional distance that may make it difficult for young readers to engage.

Unfortunately my copy expired before I could finish it, but I was really enjoying it so far and will look into borrowing it from the library :)

Back to the Bright Before is heartfelt story about belief and perseverance. I really loved how it was a mix of difference genres so children with all different likes would be able to enjoy it, There is a nice lesson regarding good vs evil and pushing through difficult circumstances. I highly recommend for early readers who enjoy fantasy and adventure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my honest review.

Ever since her father fell off of a ladder one fateful day, eleven-year-old Perpetua Martin has had to shoulder more responsibility than most children her age. As her mother works double shifts to make ends meet and her father is stuck in a dark depression, Perpetua is left to care for her younger brother who no longer says any word but “cheese.” Perpetua feels intense guilt over her father’s accident and its subsequent ripple effects, and she is determined to fix everything. When a poem about a hidden treasure reaches her ears, she knows this is the answer to her problems, and she bravely sets out to discover the treasure and repair all that has been broken.

This charming story is an excellent fit for younger middle grade readers thanks to its clear delivery, easy pacing, and occasional illustrations. Short chapters and black and white images help provide a visual respite for young readers as they navigate this novel. Though the overall design of the book is accessible for younger readers, however, the concepts within the plot are weighty and will resonate with a wide range of children who have ever found themselves struggling with food or financial insecurities at home. Perpetua speaks directly to the reader throughout the novel, often using the word “you” as she describes the events that have taken place. This design invites readers into Perpetua’s story, even if her specific environment is one that is initially unfamiliar to them.

Perpetua and her family live in the country, and this narrative has a distinctly pastoral feel both in the way people talk to one another and in the descriptions of the setting. Nearby Perpetua’s home is a convent, where Perpetua not only finds friends and caregivers, but also where she discovers new ways of seeing the world. It is here that much of the action of the story takes place, and readers will enjoy observing some of the magic and mystery that can come from legends that have been shared over time. Latin phrases are found frequently within the novel, as well, which enhances Perpetua’s personality and the feel of the story itself. Bravery, confidence, and self sufficiency are at the center of this novel, and it is a thought-provoking and heartwarming tale for newer middle grade readers.

This was a cozy middle grade about a young girl and her brother on a quest to find a coin that they believe will help their family return to the "bright before", before their father was injured. I really enjoy fantastical adventures because children are immersed in a world where they have total autonomy to visit unknown worlds and be the heroes of their own stories.

I mostly enjoyed the tone of this story. Again, it was cozy, and the main character was warm and friendly. Her belief in her ability to help her father and her childlike worldview of the issues in her family and how to solve them was comforting and inspiring. My main critique of this story was that it sort of felt like I was reading a completely different story towards the end- for example, when they were helped by the giant. I couldn't quite decide if this was a fantasy novel at times, however it mostly read as a fable. The plot also hinges on a financial problem that Pet manages to solve, which is not realistic for most children to help with, and doesn't send a hopeful message. I don't think this necessarily disqualifies the book from being worth reading, but it is something to think about.

It is hard to say why I did not enjoy this book, but I have a couple of thoughts.

The first is that I would not like my middle grade readers reading such a dramatized portrayal of parents who are either so depressed they won't talk to the children or chronically stressed to the point of only scolding and yelling when they talk.

The next thing is the responsibility that Pet (our main 11-year-old girl) takes on to fix the problem. I know that's a common theme but no one corrected her in her faulty thinking and a young person reading this might come away thinking they are responsible for their parents' issues.

I was also uncomfortable with all of the obstacles Pet and her brother, Simon, experienced. They were really terrifying and each scenario has probably shown up in my own nightmares at one point or another. The scary scenes were terrifying because they were too realistic. If they would have been more a part of the fantasy world, it would have been better in my opinion.

Lastly, I was disappointed in the way that Pet's problem was resolved. I would have preferred money was not a part of this story, and SPOILER: would really rather money had not been the reason all of her problems were solved. END SPOILER

The ending could have gone in a different direction without hurting the rest of the story. I am sad to say that this book is not one I would like my own readers to read.

Link to review on momsmusings.substack.com will be added when it goes live on June 8.

I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it for MG readers. I especially appreciate the theme of persistence. The main character goes on adventures which keeps the pages turning and also learns to accept help from others along the way and not give up. Sweet and heartwarming.

This middle grade book is a heartwarming story of persistence and belief. There are setbacks, injuries, and trials but throughout it all Perpetua or "Pet" continues. This novel is also quite open to interpretation especially in the Christian vein. The nuns who are a constant in the book are an obvious connection to Christianity, but then there are the other special characters who help Pet throughout her adventure that are easy to see as Christ if one is raised in the faith.

Profoundly, intensely, obscenely mediocre. There is a clumsy absence of uniformity both in the first-person narration and in the dialogue; a delicate pattern of speech will suddenly be interrupted with a jarring "Man" or "Yeah." (Don't even get me started on the little boy's creepy "and now we shall all be saved" toward the conclusion.) This is not a bad book, but the publisher or literary agent should have responded to the manuscript sample with, "Polish it, and try again when this story is everything it could be."