Theology: Christianity Rediscovered by Vincent J. Donovan.

I cannot overstate how much I love this book. Donovan, a Catholic priest, refused to accept the common wisdom that the Masai people were “unconvertable.” Instead he adopted a different strategy. He wouldn’t pave the way by offering hospitals, schools, and food; he would offer nothing but the gospel itself. Not only did it work, it revealed to Donovan what the gospel could do to remake a community, uplifting the best of it and scouring the worst of it, to become God’s people. If you suspect that secondary strategies have become the end in itself, this book is a great way to gain the courage to go back to the gospel and nothing but the gospel.

Novel: In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden.

My Orthodox theologian friend Carrie Frederick Frost sent me, while I was still in Japan, this amazing novel about the life of a Catholic convent in England. Right from the start it breaks one of those cardinal rules of fiction, namely that you’re supposed to stay in one head at a time instead of bouncing around from one character to the next in the same scene. Godden knew exactly what she was doing, though: giving us a portrait of a community, not a single protagonist. I’ve never read any prose that so effectively evokes the rippling energies of real people bumping up against each other and negotiating life together. It also gave me the chutzpah to do the same in the church council meeting scenes in my own novel, A-Tumblin’ Down—trying to capture the higgeldy-piggeldy human tension and interaction that is so defining of congregational life.

Cookbook: Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich.

Lidia has such an enormous empire of Italian cookery that she hardly needs my help! But I have so enjoyed cooking through this book in particular that I have to recommend it anyway. Once back in the States, and near an excellent Italian grocery, I decided to reacquaint myself with Italian cuisine, and this collection of recipes proved to be the ideal guide. Interestingly, it also revealed to me the continuity between Italian and French cooking, which I’d never consciously noted before but is obvious if you think about it (or look at a map). Favorites include Oregano Eggs, Mozzarella and Celery Salad, Baked Country Vegetables, Rustic Ricotta Tart, Onion Tart, Tomato and Mint Salad, Fennel and Gorgonzola Salad, Semolina and Escarole Soup (alone worth the price of the book), Stuffed Eggplant Puglia Style, Eggplant and Rice Parmigiana, Lettuce Risotto, Codfish with Olives and Zucchini, Salmon with Mustard Sauce, Seared Sesame Chicken Breast, Chicken with Orange and Olives, Chicken with Capers and Anchovies (first runner up), Pork and Prune Kabobs (second runner up), Pork with Grapes and Pearl Onions, and Pear Crumble.