The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdich

So many things to reflect on in this novel.  A young woman, posing as a Catholic priest over a span of 60 years, who struggles upon her impending death--about if she should finally expose her secret.  And all that happens in between.... 
I loved the way the author chose to portray Father Damien, as a caring but broken "man" who then offered forgiveness to the Ojibwe people in a full and glorious way.  I loved that this priest accepted some of the spiritual practices of the tribe, yet melded that in to the Catholic practices.  I loved that Father Damien/Agnes struggled in her spirituality and asked hard questions, that she was visited by miraculous signs and by the black dog--a manifestation of Satan, but that he continued on in this hard place with a faithfulness that is not often seen today.
A good read, not because I agreed with all that the author presented, but because it stirred good thinking.

In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende

Our February book club read, this was an enjoyable foray into the unbelievable lives of 3 endearing characters.  I didn't always like the abrupt style of the author, but she writes with deep compassion for the marginalized and illicits in the reader, a true "liking" of the characters --though deeply flawed.  Perhaps that is what really drew me in -- the reality that we are deeply flawed and broken, and could there be a circumstance in our lives that would "put us over the edge", to hatch a scheme which would protect another in deep danger?

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Recommended by my daughter, I read this a few months ago.  The story of 3 different women during the World War II years.  Settings switched from New York to Paris, from Warsaw to Ravensbruck, from Ravensbruck to New England.  The 3 stories intertwine:  one a philanthropist (based on a true character), one a doctor and one an inmate.  More details about the treatment in the concentration camps, more incredulity on my part as to how the brain can excuse and overlook the behaviors that are imposed in desperate times like these -- and always the question that plagues me, "How would I respond?"