Suffering. We all experience little sufferings on a daily basis. And sometimes, we experience great sufferings: when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, when a baby is lost, when a marriage crumbles, when a hurricane destroys one’s home, when a child falls away from the faith.
In moments of intense pain, we find ourselves confronted with the age old question: how can a loving God allow His children to suffer such pain? We ask, “Why, God? Why me? Why my child?” Or we meet friends who have fallen away from the Catholic faith because, “God let bad things happen to me.”
Fortunately, as Catholics, we have thousands of years of the human race’s most brilliant minds to look to for answers. Here are some of the books which have helped me come to terms with “The Problem of Pain,” as C. S. Lewis calls it.
To begin with a little philosophy, The Consolation of Philosophy
Historically juxtaposed to Boethius is the Book of Job, the Hebrew look at the problem of evil and suffering. Although much of the Old Testament seems to imply that God inflicts suffering as a punishment for sins committed by individuals, the story of Job offers a completely different perspective. Job is the innocent, good man who still loses everything he loves and undergoes intense suffering. Look it up in your Bible if you’ve never read it. Also, if you enjoy fiction, G. K. Chesterton’s The Man Who Was Thursday
In a personal favorite of mine, The Problem of Pain
Another favorite author of mine, Peter Kreeft, takes on suffering in his book Making Sense Out of Suffering
Sheldon Vanauken lost the love of his life to a terminal illness after a far too short marrigae. A Severe Mercy
Another powerful personal testimony, in Man’s Search for Meaning
Suffering: The Catholic Answer: The Cross of Christ and Its Meaning for You
In another favorite of mine, Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart
, which has over 200 book suggestions and even study guides for featured picture books.
is such a masterpiece of fantasy and literature that if your teenager has not read it yet, they most certainly should! And the 
movies are a splendid adaptation, mostly because they tried to stick to the book as closely as possible even if that resulted in a 10 hour plus movie.
books, which are each comedic masterpieces. But I happily admit that Fry and Laurie so capture the dynamics of Wodehouse’s hilarious duo that it is difficult to choose whether to read or watch in this case!
. The book is a classic of wit and wisdom, humor and human nature. And it is hard to imagine a better adaptation than the 
is a less mature Austen work stylistically than Pride and Prejudice, but still a worthwhile novel about two impoverished sisters with very different personalities.
will be a true joy to read. These were my very favorite books as a teenager, and I still enjoy re-reading them as an adult. These books were made into six seasons of an enjoyable TV series: 
is a powerful book by Ann Holmes about a boy who grows up in a Nazi concentration camp and finally escapes. His wide-eyed wonder at the world outside the camp, and journey to find his family, is sure to bring tears and smiles. The awesome movie adaptation is as least as good as the book and is called 
by Louisa May Alcott is the classic story of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, who grow up during the Civil War. There are many movie adaptations, but I like the old 
is a unusual book movie duo in that the movie is actually appropriate for a younger audience than the book. The book 
, the real Maria Augusta Trapp’s version of the family’s story, is charming and inspiring and even better than the movie! (Appropriate for fourteen and up.)
by Evelyn Waugh is a Catholic classic. Best understood and enjoyed by older teens, this is a story of great sin and redemption, a war torn world, a family destroyed, and an unexpected conversion. An acclaimed TV series was produced based on the book: 
is one of the most popular and easily read of Charles Dicken’s numerous works. Historical fiction about the French Revolution, it is a touching story of love and sacrifice juxtaposed with the horror of the guillotine. The 1935 movie 
is acceptable reading for older Catholic teens. If you agree, your older teens will be thrilled to also watch 
movie. Yes, it is violent, and I would recommend this book and movie for high schoolers and older, not younger teens.
by Alexandre Dumas is a wonderful novel about revenge and redemption. The movie 
with Maggie Smith, and 
with Tom Hiddleston.
has a great 1945 black and white movie adaptation: 
was adapted into a creepy, captivating movie: 
was also adapted into a multi-episode Amazon Prime series of the same name. These two films deal with more chilling evil and some adult content which make them more appropriate for viewers over 18.
, starring Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon has wonderful acting and is my favorite, despite the the blurry film quality common in early black and whites. 
made more recently in 1982 with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour is also excellent, though parents need to beware of one scene, fairly easily skipped.
and 
are two of his books which were actually made into movies: 
and 
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is the perfect book and movie duo for children who love animals, particularly horses. Marguerite Henry’s poignant story of love and loss on the Outer Banks of North Carolina is equally appreciated by adults.
, a hilarious comedy for the whole family to watch.
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is a lesser known work by Jules Verne of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea fame. I have enjoyed every Jules Verne book I ever read, and this one is no exception. Mary and Robert Grant embark on an epic treasure hunt around the globe to find their shipwrecked father. It was adapted rather successfully into a fun film starring the Mary Poppins children: 
movie is a classic family film, and the book has even more interesting details about how the Robinson family survived on the island.
, which closely follows the book’s plot. (Note that I did not think the subsequent films in this series to stick close enough to their respective novels to be considered good adaptations.)
, since I felt the film really captured the magic of Sarah’s imagination.
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and 
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, 
, and 
, actually does fall in love with a woman on trial for murder in 
, a whodunit, and 
are her best works, but if you haven’t read some of her lesser known books, they are a perfect length and lightness for a vacation! For example, 
trilogy is also excellent.
to her older brother. When we finished the chapter, she went to the bookshelf and out of the confusion of several hundred picture books she carefully selected 
, 
, and 
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1. Shirley Hughes is one of my absolute favorite children’s authors/illustrators. Not only are her distinctive illustrations carefully executed, they contain so many small details that little children delight in studying them. Her stories are always simple and engaging on the surface, but underneath they invariably present an age appropriate lesson. For example, 
encourages children who are moving that there will be good aspects of their new homes. In 
, Alfie exemplifies that even a small child can offer comfort and help to an older child. And 
is what I consider Hughes’ masterpiece: a tear-jerking tale of sibling love and sacrifice. Hughes also wrote one of my favorite book of children’s poetry:
.
, a lovely story about a pony who realizes that being gentle and kind is more important than being physically beautiful. We also enjoy 
, 
and 
. While I enjoy the illustrations in her Christmas themed books, I do not recommend them since she sadly promotes a heavily secularized view of Christmas.
. We love all her stories about Old Bear, Jolly Tall, Little Bear, Rabbit, and Bramwell!
, star Percy the Park Keeper, a sweet-natured gardener who makes friends with all the animals in the park. The largest collection of Percy’s adventures, 
, is out of print but can often be found in used condition quite cheaply.
follows 16 Carmelite nuns as they face the guillotine during the French revolution. An inspiring story based on true events. 
by Lloyd Douglas is the fascinating story of a Roman centurion whose life is changed forever when he acquires Christ’s robe. 
. Actually, both of us loved this book, because it offers exactly what the title states: practical wisdom about everyday moral decisions. Kreeft provides a general framework and then addresses some specific common moral conundrums.
. In this book, Kreeft shares his astute thoughts on what is most important to discuss and pass on to our children.
was extremely helpful for my husband in mapping out his path forward for his career and our family.
. This book is sure to help you improve communication with your spouse and build a more meaningful relationship. Matthew Kelly’s simple, direct style makes this a quick and easy read.
is similar to Matthew Kelly’s 
. In this book, Hain undertakes to synthesize a lifestyle that combines authentic masculinity with a deep spirituality.
is a very short but highly practical little book which lays out a path to holiness based on submitting our will to God’s throughout the events of every day life.
is a favorite wedding gift for my husband’s friends. This isn’t simply a book about sex. Rather, it’s about how every moment of our day to day married lives needs to be about loving and serving one another, because that is the path to a happy marriage.
has been our general road map for parenting style.
recently, and has already loaned it out to a friend! He was really impressed with how important the father is for girls’ success in life on every level from emotional stability to academic success to being able to pick a good husband.
. Cuddeback draws on Aristotelian philosophy to explain what true friendship looks like and what its purpose is.
, which is a collection of scripts from Sheen’s extremely popular television show of the same title. Each chapter is short, but thought-provoking.
is a series of very short (three page usually) chapters which clarify Chesterton’s unique wisdom and insight on a wide variety of topics.
are three spiritual classics by Josemaria Escriva which my husband enjoys for its concise yet compelling one liners about following Jesus.
is a wonderful new collection of inspirational stories from Ignatius Press. Tyler Rowley edits these moving accounts from 23 famous modern Catholic figures about the impact of their fathers on their lives. A great Father’s Day present!