I recently finished reading Michael D. OBrien's, Island of the World. It has probably been one of the most meaningful books I have ever read. You read of one man's sorrows, and losses and then his perseverance and the true love and selflessness that grows within and out of him. There were several points where I didn't know if I could finish because it was truly so heart wrenching. But I did and I am so glad I did. Josip, the main character, was faithful in the small things in life. He did not have grand ambitions, according to the world's standards, but he was simply faithful. He is Catholic, he went to church, made confession, took communion, and tried to love his neighbor. He ends up being a lowly janitor at one point in the story. In doing the seemingly small, ordinary, and mundane things of life he actually does achieve great things. He loved and was loved and in the end he was at peace in his soul. I'm not sure it gets much better than that.
Now, the book is a little over 800 pages. For some that is nothing. For me, in this stage of life it is something. It has taken me roughly 10 months to complete. I know because I started shortly after Felicity was born. I do not mean to sound cliche but this book may change your life. Also, here is an interview of O'Brien. It is a good interview. Enjoy, and happy reading.
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