[Gutenberg 8437] • The Path of Life

This review is from: The Path of Life (Dodo Press) (Paperback)

Once again, Dodo Press has enabled a contemporary public to enjoy a fine but older work of great writing. In "The Path of Life" a great writer (in Flemish)from circa 1900 is brought before an English speaking public. The translation appears to me to be fluid and poetic. The title of the book presents its great theme about individual lives being laid out like a path, each with its own possible turnings. In this case, the main protagonist is a young girl of lively intelligence who is being prepared for her first holy communion. Layer by layer, the path to that special day is built up--the practice sessions, the special clothing, the special attention given to a village's new "class" of Catholic children. The book concludes by pointing to the often difficult challenges individuals have to face after the "special day" is over, focusing on the loss of the protected status of childhood and alluding to the darker aspects of life as a young woman from an economically less advantaged country family.

Many readers will enjoy this book for its sense of place and for its evocation of an event. Catholic mothers with young daughters should treasure this book as one whose words and events can (largely) be shared as a new generation prepares for its own version of life and faith.