This month, the regulars welcome Chase as they discuss Laurus, a novel by Russian author Eugene Vodolazkin. The book follows Laurus, a traveling healer and penitent who is desperate to make up for the unjust death of his lover who he allowed to die unshriven and without communion. It is about life, death, and the timelessness of God's mercy and our cooperation with it.The conversations surround translations (a specialty of Chase) and the themes of time, death, life, and the sacramentality of the human experience. We were also blessed with a special treat as Christine was able to interview Mr. Vodolazkin himself. Drink of the day: Brandy in honor of the Whiskey Priest's preference in Graham Greene's classic.Make sure to follow us on Twitter @returnbypodcast to vote/find out what the next read is!

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005 - "Laurus" by Eugene Vodolazkin

The regular "Return By:" crew breaks open Graham Greene's gritty novel about a Mexican Whisky Priest during the Mexican Catholic persecution of the early 20th century and his inner and external struggles. Greene focuses on themes of sin, sanctity, natural virtue, and the grittiness of the sacramental reality that can cut through the grossness of the human condition. Drink of the day: Aged Eggnog... a shout out to the Spiced Wine of Ivanhoe.

004 - "The Power & The Glory" by Graham Greene

Grace, Kathleen, Christine, and Fr. Brad tackle the classic book "Ivanhoe" written by Sir Walter Scott and first published in 1819. It's a tale of knights, jousting, love, lust, and a harsh critique of religious and royal hypocrisy. Enjoy!

003 - "Ivanhoe" by Sir Walter Scott

Grace, Kathleen, Christine, and Fr. Brad join each other for some Leisure. That is in practice and in theory. They talk about Josef Pieper's philosophical classic "Leisure: The Basis of Culture." If you want to join in on the fun, pick up a copy, read it, and listen. Don't forget, there is a spoiler alarm for your convenience. Our next book will be "Ivanhoe" an historic novel by Sir Walter Scott.Return by: October 23rd& Contact us with any haiku's, tweets, or insights at returnbypodcast@gmail.com

002 - "Leisure" by Josef Pieper

Grace, Kathleen, Christine, and Fr. Brad sit down to discuss what they gleaned from Gilbert Keith Chesterton's whimsical novel "Manalive," a tale of murder, burglary, bigamy, and insanity, and Truth, Beauty, and the Goodness of Life.If you want to join in on the fun, pick up a copy, read it, and listen. There is a "spoiler alarm" in the episode if you care about such things. Our next book will be a nonfiction philosophical work by Joseph Pieper called "Leisure: The Basis of Culture"  Return by: September 24th& Contact us with any haiku's, tweets, or insights at returnbypodcast@gmail.com

001 - "Manalive" by GK Chesterton

New to return by? Here's the low down. We'd love to have you join us as we keep each other accountable and cram for that return date! 

Return By: Introduction

A podcast for literary procrastinators. Do you love books but hardly ever read them? We all need need a fire fire lit under us... a deadline... like a library return date with no renewals allowed.Join us as we explore the books we’ve had on our list for years but haven’t gotten around to reading. We will post the “return by” dates so you know how long you have to join in the fun. This will be an interactive podcast welcoming lots of listener input! So if you feel so inclined, finish a bit before the “return by” date so you can best get in on the action. Email your insights and reviews to returnbypodcast@gmail.com

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