Travelling with Gershom

In the Wreckhouse Membertou Birches Sicilian Afternoon Hanging on in South Dildo

This is an extraordinary book. Not something I say very often, but this is a book that stimulates the mind, heart, and soul. Ward crafts a compelling narrative that shifts from 17 th century Naples to the late 20 th century version, linking them through the creation of Caravaggio’s The Seven Acts of Mercy and its impact on viewers today. He tells the story of how Caravaggio ended up in Naples and of the commissioning of this magnificent painting, interwoven with a fictionalised account of the life and creative process of the artist that rings true. The Guardian of Mercy is also the account of the transformative impact of this painting on an ordinary, simple man, and of its effect on a family and on the author and his wife. This is personal, intimate, and compelling stuff, written with a contagious passion for Caravaggio, the painting, and Angelo, the guardian of the title, that draws you unrelentingly back to the seven acts depicted in the artwork. Ward breaks the painting

I was excited to read this book, a collection of sermons and writings by Pope Francis, because I was interested in getting a deeper understanding of the pope’s perspectives on many of the issues he discusses in it. The publisher describes the book as “a beautifully curated collection of excerpts from the homilies and writings of Pope Francis, all centering on Christianity as a way of life—or, as the earliest Christians would have understood it, ‘the Way’.” It is a book about discipleship, how to follow Jesus, and carries the theme of “the way” throughout, contemplating The Way of the Cross, The Way of Prayer, The Old Testament Way, and others. Having been raised Catholic but since becoming a Salvationist, I was curious to see if and where Pope Francis departed from what I have seen as traditional Catholicism. Many of his public statements have certainly raised the ire of the more conservative elements of the Catholic Church even as they have been celebrated by many Catholics and

Most of the British detective novels I read feature a Detective Inspector as their main character (and occasionally a Detective Chief Inspector). I am a big fan of British police procedurals, including those by Ian Rankin (John Rebus), Elizabeth George (Tommy Lynley), Mark Billingham (Tom Thorne), and Graham Hurley (Joe Faraday), among others, all of whose main characters are DIs. I also enjoy Stuart MacBride’s gritty series set in Glasgow, which has as its lead Detective Sergeant Logan McRae. MacBride and Slater are consistent in their presentation of the lot of the Detective Sergeant; like McRae, DS Peter Gayle is charged with the practical, day-to-day tasks of the investigation, reporting back to a DI who is likely occupied with more than one case. The DS works at the coal face: dealing with leads, interviewing witnesses, trudging through fields. He is focused on the procedure, the proven steps that generate results. As a result, Nowhere to Run gives you the dogsbody view of