Winner of the Christianity Today 2017 Book Award!
Before he became a father of the Christian Church, Augustine of Hippo loved a woman whose name has been lost to history. This is her story.
She met Augustine in Carthage when she was seventeen. She was the poor daughter of a mosaic-layer; he was a promising student and heir to a fortune. His brilliance and passion intoxicated her, but his social class would be forever beyond her reach. She became his concubine, and by the time he was forced to leave her, she was thirty years old and the mother of his son. And his Confessions show us that he never forgot her. She was the only woman he ever loved.
In a society in which classes rarely mingle on equal terms, and an unwed mother can lose her son to the burgeoning career of her ambitious lover, this anonymous woman was a first-hand witness to Augustine’s anguished spiritual journey from secretive religious cultist to the celebrated Bishop of Hippo.
Giving voice to one of history’s most mysterious women, The Confessions of X tells the story of Augustine of Hippo’s nameless lover, their relationship before his famous conversion, and her life after his rise to fame. A tale of womanhood, faith, and class at the end of antiquity, The Confessions of X is more than historical fiction . . . it is a timeless story of love and loss in the shadow of a theological giant.

The Confessions of X

Literature & Fiction

Wolfe, Suzanne M.

United States

Thomas Nelson

An excellent foundation for all families desiring to begin, renew, or deepen their spiritual journey together, Bless This House features dozens of prayers appropriate for both everyday and special events, including mealtimes, bedtime, holidays, and religious celebrations, as well as prayers for siblings, pets, and the ill or dying. With wisdom and practical advice, parents Gregory and Suzanne Wolfe provide helpful suggestions for introducing the concept of prayer to young minds and dealing with potential obstacles like boredom or short attention spans. Teaching our children to pray opens the door for their spiritual development, but just as importantly, it becomes a path to spiritual renewal for parents as well.

Bless This House: Prayers for Families and Children

Religion & Spirituality

Wolfe, Gregory

Christian Books & Bibles

Jossey-Bass

When Rachel Piers is given the dream assignment of restoring a mysterious medieval painting in a church in Rome, she jumps at the chance to advance her career and leave behind painful memories, but as she carefully restores the damaged artwork and slowly discovers the true origins of the painting, she uncovers layers of her soul that she would rather be kept hidden.

Unveiling

Paraclete Pr

Winner of Christianity Today Award of Merit for Fiction 2005! Awarded 2005 Honorable Mention for First Time Author of a Book by the Catholic Press Association! When Rachel Piers, a brilliant young conservateuse at a Manhattan art gallery, is given the dream assignment of restoring a mysterious medieval painting in a church in Rome, she seizes the opportunity. Not only will she advance her career in one of the most inspiring and romantic cities in the world, but she can finally leave behind a bitter divorce and an even more painful childhood incident. But as Rachel meticulously restores the damaged artwork, and slowly discovers the true origins of the painting, she uncovers layers of her soul that she would rather be kept hidden. Written in lucid and descriptively sumptuous prose, Unveiling brings the ancient city of Rome vividly to life and reveals a courageous woman coming to terms with a tragic past. AN INTERVIEW WITH SUZANNE WOLFE What (or who) was your inspiration for the main character, Rachel Piers? I was drawn to the name of Rachel because of the Old Testament reference and the allusion to it in "Moby Dick" where the ship is described as "Rachel weeping for all her children" (paraphrase). Rachel came to me primarily as a visual image of a woman by the early twentieth century painter Modiglianiâ??elongated, dark, intense, mournful. How long did it take you to write this novel? I began writing it almost 10 years ago when my 3 oldest children were 8 and under. Caring for my children and teaching senior high school literature during the day necessitated my working at night when my kids were in bed and I had finished my assignments for school. Thus, I mostly wrote between midnight and 3am, getting up at 7am, teaching until 1pm and then doing the mom thing until the cycle repeated itself! Are any of the struggles of the main character, Rachel Piers (physical violation, betrayal of relationships, repressed emotions) based on experiences from your own life? Like Rachel, my own experience of post-traumatic stress disorder has taught me that the body itself has a memory and is sometimes wiser than the head. The body reminds us that we have to go through suffering in order to heal and move on with our lives. You tackle many complicated and traumatic issues in this one character's life. What does this book say to readers about the soul's ability to heal from trauma? I am interested in the theme of grief and how this can change us for better or for worse. One cannot go around suffering; one has to go through it. Flannery O'Connor once said that being ill (she had lupus) was like living in a country, it was so encompassing. I think grief is like that. Once one crosses the border into grief, one must journey across it in order to leave it behind. Unveiling brings the city of Rome vividly to life. Did you travel to Rome while writing the book? I went to Rome after I had written the first draft of the novel and before I reworked it. I found the experience to be invaluable. I spent most of the two weeks there walking around looking, listening, smelling, tasting Rome, and taking un-touristy pictures of trash cans, graffiti, cobblestones, pigeons etc.â??the details of the city. Is art history/restoration a field of personal significance to you? What is your own background with art? I am not only fascinated with art, but also medieval history. The triptych gave me the opportunity to combine both loves and to learn the painstaking and intricate process of art conservation. Praise for Unveiling: "With an imaginative vision akin to that of Dante,

Unveiling: A Novel

Paraclete Press

Rachel Piers, a brilliant young conservatrice at a Manhattan art gallery, is given the dream assignment of restoring a mysterious medieval painting in a church in Rome. She seizes the opportunity to advance her career in one of the most inspiring and romantic cities in the world, leaves behind a bitter divorce and painful childhood incident. As Rachel meticulously restores the damaged artwork, she uncovers layers of her soul that she would rather be kept hidden. Written in descriptively sumptuous prose, Unveiling brings the ancient city of Rome vividly to life and reveals a courageous woman coming to terms with a tragic past. From the author of Confessions of X, this is a new, thoroughly revised edition of the author’s debut novel which was first published to critical acclaim over 14 years ago. Readers of Suzanne M. Wolfe’s fiction, prose, essays and blogposts will welcome the introduction to this work, now back in print.

Unveiling: A Novel (Paraclete Fiction)

The Elizabethan court is beset by traitors at home and abroad as spies, rogues, and would-be usurpers of the throne vie for power. England, 1586. Tensions rise as threats to the realm abound. Traitors are plotting for Mary Queen of Scots to depose Elizabeth I and take the throne. Rumors of a Spanish invasion by sea mount daily. And the body of one of Sir Francis Walsingham's agents is found floating in the Thames as other agents face enemies armed with crossbows and vials of poison. Nicholas Holt, a spy in Walsingham's employ, narrowly averts the same fate while setting off in pursuit of the killer--or killers. And when he surprises a suspect in the company of a Spanish agent, he believes he's close not only to solving the case but preventing an act of high treason. But soon, the attacks begin to threaten Nick's circle of friends. As those he loves face mortal peril, Nick must unravel the tangled plot, all the while steering a careful path through the fierce rivalry between Walsingham's agents and those of the Queen's favorite, the upstart Earl of Essex. Now it's a race to the breathless conclusion as Nick desperately searches for the answers that can save the day--and a vestige of loyalty that can save his own life.

The Course of All Treasons: An Elizabethan Spy Mystery

British & Irish

Crooked Lane Books

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