Looking at the New Year through the Lens of Belonging

I am reading the book Cherished Belonging by Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle. For over 30 years he has worked with street gangs in Los Angeles in what is called Homeboy Industries. They provide support in trauma and employment in their social enterprises which include electronics and recycling, homegirl café, homeboy bakery, catering, silk and embroidery work to name a few. Mostly, they are laser focused on belonging as the prime mover in edging people closer to wholeness.

Belonging [and not belonging] is a primal experience in our bodies, in our minds and in our spirits. It cuts across every form of relationship possible: belonging to my family and friends, to my neighbourhood, to my country, to Earth herself and ultimately belonging to myself. This sense of belonging is one thing we mean by the phrase experiencing the Sacred in life.

And yet one might use the lens of not belonging as a way to describe the violence of our time, the polarization of our time, the dislocation from oneself of our time.

As we begin this new year that many of us hope will not be simply “more of the same”, perhaps the lens of belonging will reveal something new to us.

Looking for a good read - try Cherished Belonging.

-Sister Margo Ritchie, csj

Always Remember

Charlie Mackesy has just released his sequel to his inspirational offerings of wisdom in The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. His newest words of truth are to be found in The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm. An initial read highlights several well-to-be-remembered quotes.

One quite applicable quote to recall as we celebrate November 11th is:

“Whatever happens if I lose you?

We are forever even if I’m not here,”

said the Horse.

November 11th is rightfully called Remembrance Day, a day to give thanks for those who have given their lives or, in some ways, a portion of their quality of life to preserve our freedoms.

May we take time to remember these veterans  with gratitude, to honor their courage, and to carry forward their legacy of peace, hope, and love. The very qualities Mackesy so beautifully reminds us to cherish through his words and whimsical drawings.

-Sister Nancy Wales, csj

Image: Klemen Vrankar @klemenvrankar/Unsplash

BOOKED FOR A STAYCATION

A recent commercial highlighted the coined word, ‘staycation.’ The concept of ‘staycation’ refers to a leisure break time spent locally, usually at home or nearby. As an avid reader I am advocating those unable to get away for a summer vacation this year, for whatever reason, to avail themselves of frequent relaxing breaks centred on leisure reading. As author Jhumpa Lahiri beautifully put it:

“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”

May I take the liberty to recommend the Electra McDonnell book series by author Ashley Weaver. Her series offers the reader a historical mystery collection set during World War II. As of July 2025, the series comprises five books:  

A Peculiar Combination (2021),

The Key to Deceit (2022),

Playing It Safe (2023),

Locked in Pursuit (2024),

and One Final Turn (2025).

The cleverly chosen titles subtly hint at Ellie’s life transition, as a former safecracker-turned-spy, as she navigates her complex new world of espionage. The books’ chapters combine elements of suspense, romance, and historical detail.

If you find yourself liking Ashley Weaver’s storytelling style and looking for more books by her, you might also enjoy the author’s other historical whodunit series, the Amory Ames Mystery Series. The protagonist in the series of seven is Amory Ames, a stylist, self- possessed, young woman living in 1930s England. Amory is an independently wealthy amateur sleuth who frequently finds herself entangled in murder investigation.

“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.”

— Mason Cooley

I hope my blog is a reminder that a well-told story can transport you far beyond your front door. Happy reading and safe travels, wherever your pages may lead you.

-Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ 

Image: Victor Ballesteros/Kari Shea | Unsplash

Moral Ambition: A Book Review

Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference by Rutger Bregman (2025)

I was surprised—and grateful—when the public library notified me that Moral Ambition was ready for pickup. I had no memory of placing it on hold, but I’m very glad I did. Rutger Bregman’s book is compelling, thought-provoking, and one I highly recommend.

Drawing inspiration from the quote, “People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall” (Allen Raine, 1836–1908), Bregman explores what it means to use one’s talent in service of the greater good.

This isn’t just a book about inspiring individuals—it’s a call to action. Bregman introduces readers to people who are directing their considerable skills and energy toward solving the world’s toughest challenges. Along the way, he challenges us to do the same. Chapter titles alone give a taste of the book’s tone and urgency:

• No, You’re Not Fine Just the Way You Are

• Lower Your Threshold for Taking Action

• See Winning as Your Moral Duty

• Find Out What the World Needs and Make It Happen

• Expand Your Moral Circle

• Make Future Historians Proud

Bregman doesn’t merely celebrate moral ambition—he insists it’s within reach for each of us. As he writes, “If you choose to go the moral ambition route, the ripple effect can be enormous. Your behaviour is contagious, so a better world does indeed begin with you. Moral ambition isn’t a trait; it’s a mindset.”

This book will challenge your assumptions, spark ideas, and leave you rethinking how you spend your time and talent. It’s an invitation to live more boldly—and more purposefully.

-Sister Nancy Sullivan, CSJ

Image: Martin Adams/Unsplash; Book: https://rutgerbregman.com/books/moral-ambition

A Moving Memoir

Adding My First Memoir to My Lending Library

I’ve just added my first memoir to my bookcase and what a heart-stirring introduction to the genre it turned out to be.

As my new colleague, ChatGPT, explains:
A memoir is a form of nonfiction where the author reflects on personal experiences and memories, typically focusing on specific events, themes, or periods in their life—rather than recounting their entire life story, as an autobiography does.

That definition came to life for me through The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse by Vinh Nguyen, released on April 8, 2025, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

Nguyen was one of the many Vietnamese “boat people”, refugees who fled the country by sea after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Alongside his mother and siblings, he escaped in a crowded boat, part of the mass exodus of those seeking safety and freedom across dangerous waters. His father fled separately and then vanished without a trace. The memoir traces not only Vinh’s harrowing escape but also the emotional terrain of absence, longing, and inherited memory.

The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse contains all the key features of a memoir: it’s written from Vinh’s perspective, it focuses on his memories and reflections, and it shows, often through dialogue, how personal experiences shape an individual, through offering lessons and insights.

Nguyen himself describes the memoir in this way: “It begins with memory and it moves forward. As it moves forward, it hits the limits of memory. And so increasingly, the book becomes speculative. I moved towards thinking about what could have been—what did I want to have happened?”

I discovered The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse through the Amnesty Book Club, which featured it in celebration of World Refugee Day on June 20th.

Amnesty also hosted an online interview with Vinh Nguyen offering listeners a thoughtful, vulnerable conversation that adds even more depth to the memoir’s reading experience. With Amnesty’s permission, I’m sharing the link to the recorded interview with Vinh Nguyen here.

If you’ve ever wondered how personal memory and historical events intersect on the page, this memoir is a beautiful, poignant place to start.

P.S. For those interested here is the link to join the Amnesty Bookclub.

-Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ

image: Nathan Dumlao/unsplash