How Firm a Foundation by Marcus Grodi(Book Review by New Oxford Review)

The New Oxford Review (transcribed, not online) | February 2004 | Ronda Chervin

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

How Firm a Foundation. By Marcus Grodi Coming home Resources, 544 pages

You'd think that if you've read Scott and Kimberly Hahn and Surprised by Truth (and sequels) edited by Patrick Madrid you'd have a pretty good idea how dramatic Protestant conversions to the Catholic Church can be. At least that's what I thought, until I read Marcus Grodi's fictional version. It's a humdinger. The hero is a minister, as was Grodi, only slightly altered for fictional purposes. The tale involves his wife and teenage boys, a fundamentalist fanatic, and the Holy Spirit.

Somehow all the intellectual conflicts we have read about in the nonfiction accounts come doubly alive in novel form. Perhaps this is because the depiction of the noble sincerity of the fictional character cannot be easily portrayed when writing in the first person, where modesty intervenes.

Grodi gets us to love and admire his complex hero, as well as his wife, whose love, already tested by the long hours away from home demanded of any good minister, becomes still shakier as she realized her husband is leaning toward Rome.

Grodi weaves a convincing and suspensful plot in such a way that just when the theology becomes a trifle heavy, the reader is jerked into a wide-awake "page turning mode," worrying about a violent turn.

But stop! I'll give nothing away. Get this book for yourself -- and for gifts.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

Ran across this review a while back in NOR. Decided to get the book over Spring Break and finished it in one afternoon/evening at the airport, plane and back at home. It really was a page turner, I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. I tried. Thought it might be of interest.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

Defenders of the Faith Ping List!!

Good Book Ping!!

[NYer]

Somehow all the intellectual conflicts we have read about in the nonfiction accounts come doubly alive in novel form.

Truth can indeed be stranger than fiction, as I have learned from watching Grodi's program, The Journey Home, every Monday night. If you enjoyed the book, you'll spend hours listening to these Real Audio links - all true stories. Just when I think that Grodi can't come up with a more amazing conversion tale, he does!

The first link is to Monday night's guest, Doug Gonzales, a former Nazarene minister. His conversion story will totally surprise you!

CONVERSION STORIES

Keep in mind that Marcus also hosts the Coming Home Network web site. Here too, you can read conversion stories and/or visit the forum to read posts from those who are somewhere along their journey.

Coming Home

[american colleen]

Thanks for the ping! Something I will definitely read sooner rather than later. I really like and respect Marcus Grodi.

How about his convert guest on this week? So inspiring, so joyful! At one point I got misted up.

[NYer]

How about his convert guest on this week?

Do you remember the audience reaction when he mentioned the aroma of roses?!! Even Marcus grinned ... tee hee ... had to explain it to the non-catholics. What a story!!! St. Bridget - unbelievable!

(How is everything going?)

[undirish01]

As a member of the Coming Home Network as a "helper" (and a subscriber to the New Oxford Review), I can honestly say, with no pre-supposed bias, that Marcus' book is REALLY excellent work!

Myself and some friends bought 20 copies to hand them out to friends (so they could hands them out to friends).

It has drama, mystery, intrigue, humor, betrayal, as well as Catholic apologetics, references to the Early Fathers, reason and logic for THE Christian faith (ie: Philosophy) etc., etc.

If you have a friend out there who is "searching", this book is the sure remedy to point one in the right direction BECAUSE it is not specifically Catholic apologetics oriented (which could possibly put one off). It is a fictional novel and this is the reason Marcus wrote it (so he could reach out to his loved ones who had not yet considered the Catholic faith, even though he and his wife had converted).

Highly recommended.

[StAthanasiustheGreat]

My library occasionally makes the rounds among my friends. I picked up this book after I read the review when I finally found it at the National Shrine bookstore (tried borders, barnes and nobles, ... don't get me started on bookstores in churches). Had to get it. Turned out, it was an autographed paperback, really nice treat, really great read.

[Thorin]

Marcus Grodi is wonderful on TV. We need thousands more like him.

[Dajjal]

Bumpus ad summum