About Susannah Pearce

Susannah Pearce is a homeschooling mother, residing in South Carolina. She holds an M.A. in Theology from Franciscan University, Steubenville.

Jane Austen Forever!

By |2023-12-15T18:08:48-06:00December 15th, 2023|Categories: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Books, Classics, Culture, Education, Fiction, Jane Austen, Literature, Television, Timeless Essays|

Pick up a Jane Austen novel, and you will discover that behind the long gowns and country dances, people in her era struggled with the same weaknesses we struggle with today. Well-written stories like Austen’s bring to life the human drama that is played out in every age, in every heart. I’ve been reading Jane [...]

Orwell’s Rare Happy Ending

By |2023-05-01T16:14:08-05:00May 1st, 2023|Categories: George Orwell, Literature|

George Orwell’s novels are not exactly where you turn when you are looking for uplifting reading with happy endings. The one lesser known exception is his short, bright novel, “Keep the Aspidistra Flying.” I would go as far as to call it charming and delightful. Most people, when asked if they’re familiar with the works [...]

More Powers to You: The Supernatural Thrillers of Tim Powers

By |2023-03-09T08:21:39-06:00March 7th, 2023|Categories: Books, Catholicism, Literature|

In addition to being a story-telling genius, Tim Powers is a devout Catholic. While his novels in no way come across as religious, his regard for theological truth is evident to a fellow believer. While his books might not be described by all as wholesome, they undeniably transmit truth. And the Truth always prevails. “Power [...]

“Little Women”: A Gem of American Literature

By |2020-09-04T15:08:15-05:00September 4th, 2020|Categories: Family, Fiction, Literature|

Louisa May Alcott’s subtle insight into the enduring truths of human nature has been overlooked by academics, yet she deftly navigated the rapid current of change in her time to produce a valuable piece of literature that refuses to be relegated to the nursery as “just a children’s book.” Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (1868) [...]

The Forgotten “Freddy the Pig”

By |2020-08-07T16:07:51-05:00August 7th, 2020|Categories: Books, Humor, Imagination, Literature|

Even though Walter R. Brooks’ “Freddy the Pig” series doesn’t aim to teach a moral story, deliver great epiphanies, or grapple directly with universal human themes, the books are refreshingly unself-conscious and yet still make a considerable contribution to American literature in the same way the works of P.G. Wodehouse have done for English literature—through [...]

Reading Other People’s Mail

By |2019-08-22T15:59:11-05:00August 22nd, 2019|Categories: Community, Friendship, History, Writing|

I like to read other people’s mail. Don’t worry, I only read the mail of dead people. Mainly dead people whose books I’ve read. Let me explain. I like to read published letters of my favorite authors. I’m currently dipping into two volumes of selected letters: Willa Cather’s to virtually everyone with whom she corresponded [...]

The Nature of Marital Happiness in “Pride & Prejudice”

By |2023-07-18T13:06:45-05:00July 23rd, 2019|Categories: Character, Great Books, Happiness, Jane Austen, Literature, Marriage|

In “Pride and Prejudice,” Elizabeth Bennet is vehement that the character of the person must be determined in order to make a good choice. While spouses may change over time in superficial ways, the essentials remain constant. While one may hope for the conversion of a scoundrel or a fool, it is not worth banking [...]

Great Books I Wouldn’t Want to Be In (And Some I Would!)

By |2021-04-22T18:12:42-05:00April 26th, 2019|Categories: Books, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Great Books, Homer, Jane Austen, Mark Twain|

It is interesting that at least half the great books I considered for this list were stories I would not want to enter, but loved reading. Literature allows us to gain a breadth of experience our own circumstances would not permit and at very little expense to us… If there’s something book lovers like almost [...]

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