nine books that have shaped me as a person
or my foundational booklist
I grew up in a family where reading was held in high regard. I remember early mornings, where at five years old, my mama would read the Little House on the Prairie books to me. My Dad spent hours after supper reading everything from Narnia to the Tale of Despereaux out loud to us. By twelve, I had read the Lord of the Rings trilogy five times.
All that to say, I’m a big reader. In the last while, I’ve been picking up some old favourites and reflecting on how certain books have truly shaped my spirituality, intellectual perspectives and even my lifestyle. There’s been a few other Substackers that have shared similar posts, and I enjoy the insight that a good booklist can give into who a person is. So today, I’m sharing my foundational booklist with you. They span across many genres and topics. Whether you are looking for some inspiration, a next good read or are simply curious about the inner world of Hannah Chartier, I welcome you to this list of nine books that are foundational for who I am.
Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Fr. Jacques Phillipe
This is my number one book recommendation for anyone and everyone. I have read it three times at this point, and each time it brings about a deeper and more clear sense of what it means to trust in God and grow in peace, no mater what external circumstances you find yourself in. The truth that Fr. Phillipe preaches has helped me through many difficult seasons. If you’ve read even a few on my posts, you have probably heard me quote this book. It is around 100 pages or so, and usually costs around $10. You should probably buy it right away.
“The Lord can leave us wanting relative to certain things…, but He never leaves us deprived of what is essential: His presence, His peace and all that is necessary for the complete fulfillment of our lives, according to His plans for us.”
I first read this book as a young woman, as I struggled with deep feelings of being unloved. It is collection of short interactions between Jesus and modern French mystic Gabrielle Bossis. It has inspired deeper intimacy with Christ as my friend and lover of my soul. I read it over a year, taking in one short passage each night before going to bed.
“Invite Me often to be present in your life, as though you gave Me a ticket for a concert. And keep Me a place of honour in the front row, as if you were concerned that I miss nothing of the spectacle, this spectacle of your daily acts, all lived for Me.”
Essays on Women by St. Edith Stein
This one will probably come as no surprise to frequent readers. Edith Stein’s words have brought me so much clarity on what it means to be a woman - body, soul and mind- and provide a direct remedy for the culture war between feminism and extreme traditionalism. It is not a light read, but you will find everything from essays on marriage, education, and the value on women participating in national life.
“According to the intended original order, her place is by man's side to master the earth and to care for offspring. But her body and soul are fashioned less to fight and to conquer than to cherish, guard and preserve. Of the threefold attitude towards the world--to know it, to enjoy it, to form it creatively--it is the second which concerns her most directly: she seems more capable than man of feeling a more reverent joy in creatures; moreover, such joy requires a particular kind of perception of the good, different from rational perception in being an inherent spiritual function and a singularly feminine one.” (Separate Vocations of Man and Woman)
A Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace by John Paul Lederach
This one is a less known title, but it had a profound impact on me during my undergrad when I was studying conflict resolution and peacebuilding. It speaks of the importance of having an imagination that can see beyond the ways of conflict, and envision creative solutions to problems both on an interpersonal and global level. It convicted me of my vocation to be “peacebuilder,” wherever I find myself.
“Longing for a true home, this is vocation. Finding a way to that home is a journey towards understanding who I am. At its essence, home provides a sense of place. Vocation does the same.”
A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
This is a memoir type book that focuses of themes of marriage, grief and the slow but steady process of conversion. It tells the story of a couple who journeyed to Christianity through the inspiration of C.S. Lewis. I read this before I had met my husband and was deeply inspired by the hopeful images of friendship and comradery between spouses that it paints.
“God gives us many gifts, but never permanence; that we must seek in his arms.”
Anne’s House of Dreams by Lucy Maud Montgomery
I could probably include the whole Anne of Green Gables series which I have read over ten times, but Anne’s House of Dreams stands out for me. I have returned to it time and time again for the beautiful way that it shows both the struggles and joys of early marriage, as well as the importance of intergenerational communities. Anne and Gilbert’s cozy life and home has inspired my own home-making and relational endeavors.
“I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people know more... though I know that is the noblest ambition... but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me... to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born.”
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
I only read this book for the first time this past year, despite having loved Little Women for many years. I found myself laughing, crying and deeply inspired by the family and community life that is portrayed in its pages. Even more so than that, I found the educational principles presented through Jo and Professor Bhaer’s community school inspiring, including their methods of discipline. Students tend to their own gardens, are mentored by educators of many ages and backgrounds and are invited to enter into the world of imagination through literature. Although not meant as a parenting or educational book per se, Little Men has helped me start to think of how I want to raise my family.
“The small hopes and plans and pleasures of children should be tenderly respected by grown-up people, and never rudely thwarted or ridiculed.”
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen
I listened to this book on audio during the last few weeks of my first pregnancy and found it interesting. As someone who has had issues with food intolerances in the past, it was fascinating to look at how food has changed over the years, contributing to the many health issues of the modern Western world. It started me on the journey of embracing whole foods, which eventually led me to the wonderful world of ancestral eating.
“Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. "When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can't pronounce, ask yourself, "What are those things doing there?"
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon Morrell
I couldn’t complete this list without a cookbook. Sally Morrell is the president of the Weston A Price Foundation, which advocates for nutrition that is based on traditional ways of eating. The book contains recipes and detailed instructions for making things like sourdough, fermenting vegetables and cooking organ meats. What I love about it is that it is inclusive of every food group, focusing on preparation rather than a specific approved list of ingredients. These days, most of my recipes are from this book or at least inspired by the principles in it.
“Modern food choices and preparation techniques constitute a radical change from the way man has nourished himself for thousands of years and, from the perspective of history, represent a fad that not only has severely compromised his health and vitality but may well destroy him; and that the culinary traditions of our ancestors, and the food choices and preparation techniques of healthy non-industrialized peoples, should serve as the model for contemporary eating habits, even and especially during this modern technological age.”
I’d love to know what some of your foundational books are!
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Things I’ve enjoyed this week:
My sister wrote an article on What the Sign of Peace Actually Means within the context of Mass. Highly recommend it, if you are like me and feel overwhelmed by the chit-chat and peace signs that get thrown around.
I loved this cozy October reflection from
over at The Large Family Letters.Jillian Edwards is an all-time favorite musician of mine and her darling new EP called Emotional Rollercoaster is just lovely.
I hope you have a peaceful week,
Hannah Chartier
Great list here! I'm inspired to write my own version. I love Little Men! Haven't read Edith Stein yet, but I've seen her quoted so often by women I respect here on Substack, that I picked up a copy. Just waiting for enough free time to get around to it.