Dear friend,
I am so grateful for the truly precious experience of the Long Table Retreat, that I shared in my last letter to you, that I was unexpectedly able to attend. In the two weeks since then, I’ll be honest that there hasn’t been a ton of margin to process the myriad of gifts from that time. But I found a few quiet moments to jot down how my senses experienced the weekend, thanks to a prompt my friend Christine had shared. It felt like a practice to help me savor how I’d been cared for in an embodied way.
I also keep pulling out moments to remember, almost like stones I collected on a walk along the shore, one at a time, to savor and soak up. It was such a rich time, that I’m trying to not rush my processing, but make the space to listen and remember when I can.
Here’s one of my favorite moments that I wanted to share with you—
There have been many times in my life when the Lord has answered my prayers in deeply personal ways, where I've felt seen and known by Jesus' presence with me. One time that stands out is when I was very young, my precious cat, Midnight ran away while we were gone travelling. I prayed for several months for his return, and despite all the (reasonable) doubt that he was even still alive, he came back and was the beloved cat of my childhood.
And there have also been times where I've been given gifts that I didn't even know I wanted. It reminds me of how I pay attention to my kids, noticing their socks or their pants have a hole and buying new ones before they even have a chance to let me know.
One time, Jesus prompted people to gift us a car. It was in a season of transition and grief, where I was essentially stuck during the day with my one-year-old girl, in a place that didn't feel particularly safe. I hadn't even had the space to think or ask for a second vehicle for our family, and yet, here the Lord was giving me one. I dubbed it "the Jesus car" because it truly felt like it couldn't be called anything else. Grace straight from him.
At the last spiritual direction group (Table of the Beloved) we had before the retreat, Summer led us through a beautiful exercise in holy imagination, painting a vivid picture of our child selves being brought to Jesus at one of our most vulnerable ages. It was a powerful practice for me. But in the midst of it, an unbidden thought rose to the surface, "I wish I could take Clover to be blessed by Jesus." As with all grief, there are so many layers to it, and this felt like another layer of grief about our loss of local church and feeling forced out of that faith community. My other kids had been dedicated in front of our church community, and I grieved in that moment that this didn't feel particularly possible for the beloved baby in my arms.
And then I went on the Long Table Retreat, and there were so many gifts of community and care from women I've loved across Zoom screens or just met in those few days together. What a gift it was to introduce this much-longed-for, deeply-loved baby to my friend and shepherd, Summer. But then to see Clover in her arms, to have her anoint her head with oil, right along with me was a gift that I hadn't even known to ask for. It was overwhelmingly beautiful to hear her bless her with the precious affirmations from the book, Growing Up Again:
I'm glad you're alive.
You belong here.
I'm glad you are you.
You can feel all of your feelings.
I love you.
It was the fruition of that quiet desire of my heart to be blessed by Jesus. Here was Christ, meeting me through my safe, kind friend, blessing my daughter. Christ right beside me, paying attention to the desires of my heart, blessing me without me even needing to ask for it. I've cried the happiest tears to hold the gift it is to be loved by Jesus this way.
Alright, friend, I’ll be honest that my own reading life hasn’t been at it’s best this year. But with cooler temperatures arriving here in Pennsylvania, our family is spending more of our evenings reading the (beautifully illustrated) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix which has been pure joy so far. As we’re getting snug with less daylight and more candlelight, I can’t help but glance at my shelves, grateful for all the stories that have been company in the cozy nights of years past too. So I thought I’d put together a list of some of the best books to enjoy this fall.
If you've known me for any length of time, you've probably heard me recommend at least one of these books, if not all of them. They are some of my favorites and perfect for a comfy fall night, curled up on the couch with a mug of your favorite tea.
The Mitford series. I first read book 1, At Home In Mitford more than 20 years ago now (I think I was in 7th grade, reading that same copy with the orange spine) and I'm so grateful for how they've companioned me through many seasons. I was just chatting with an online friend who is making her way through them for the first time, and I loved how she described them to me.
"Each one just stuns me with its spiritual depth and its celebration of relationships and community. Love love love love!"
This is what I love about them too. I was happy to report to her that they stay this way for the entire series. And I am personally delighted to know that Jan Karon is writing another installment, at age 87.
The Chief Inspector Gamache series. If you're looking for a cozy mystery with a calming, steadying presence in the form of the Chief Inspector at its core, these books are absolutely lovely. They pair well with a croissant, and a mug of something warm. I do recommend reading them in order, starting with Still Life. Obviously, because they focus on a murder, they featured the worst of humanity, but I always come away feeling like I've seen some of the best of it too.
The Sensible Shoes books. This series is unlike any fiction I've ever read. They are what I wish all Christian fiction would be. The first book, Sensible Shoes, offers a gentle, real look at four very different women as they engage in spiritual practices over a series of Saturday retreats in the fall. These books offered an introduction to many spiritual practices (holy imagination, Lectio Divina, spiritual direction, etc) that are ones I use regularly now, without being dry & fussy or saccharine sweet . I also love that I couldn't put this book down, as I had to find out what happened to these women who felt like friends.
The Year of Miss Agnes. This is a beautiful story of a kind, creative teacher who comes to a rural community in Alaska in 1948. I loved introducing my family to it right before school started this year. If you find yourself missing the start of school or are in the thick of school days, this one might be a real gift.
This middle grade reader truly captures the magic of a teacher who instills a love of learning in her students, because of the love she has for those she teaches. There was so much I loved about this one, but I don’t want to say much but instead urge you to read for yourself this precious book that brought me to tears. (And it is short! I read it aloud to our family in two days.)
The Wishing Game. (not pictured) I recommended this one last fall, and if you haven't read it yet, please consider this your invitation. If Charlie and the Chocolate Factory became a love letter to all of us who were helped by the books we read as a child, and starred your favorite author instead of Willy Wonka, this would be it. I absolutely loved this one. It was magical and hopeful, staying grounded without being sickly sweet.
The Thirteenth Tale. I loved the writing and the storytelling. If you just read the back cover, you might think it sounds a little boring as a biographer is tasked with writing down a famous author’s story but it was anything but boring. It felt like the perfect mysterious book for fall. As someone who is pretty sensitive, I was nervous for triggering material, but I was grateful for how much things were hinted at rather than shown to shock the reader. I loved how much this book surprised me and drew me in.
This one reminded me of books by Kate Morton and Susanna Kearsley, whose books I definitely recommend for fall. If you enjoy either of those authors, I’d suggest giving this one a try. Or if you've read this one and want more like it, try The Lake House by Kate Morton or A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley.
The Kitchen Front. (not pictured) If you love watching The Great British Bake Off in these autumn days, this book is for you. I loved the baking competition element and learning more specifics of rationing challenges (like whale!) during WWII, plus the pleasure of being transported to England. But my favorite part was the way competitors turned towards each other in the end. I loved seeing women who had been pitted against each other pivot to support each other through real difficulties. This was a heartwarming story that had some depth, plus the joy of recipes at the end of the chapters.
Ps. There are few triggering elements, including physical and emotional abuse. I thought what was included felt fairly tasteful and important to the plot.
What the Wind Knows. This is my favorite Amy Harmon book, (which is saying something, because I love her writing) and is perfect for fall. When I last reread What the Wind Knows, I remember thinking it may have been even better than the first time around. Knowing what was coming only gave me more space to soak up all the details of this story.
I absolutely love how this beautiful book that taught me so much of Ireland’s history through some of the best characters. I hesitate to say much because so much of its magic is best experienced. I highly recommend this historical fiction if you want a book you’ll have trouble putting down. Or if you’ve already read this one, I’d recommend any of Amy Harmon’s other books.
And a few runners-up that came to mind after I finished this list:
The Timeless Series by Gabrielle Meyer is perfect if you enjoy the moral dilemmas of time travel and want a thoughtful, faith-based (but not cheesy or cliche) historical fiction. And the first one is currently free on Kindle, if you’d like to give it a try!
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches was one that surprised me with its cozy vibes and theme of found family. If you’d like Halloween-feeling book that isn’t spooky, this whimsical one might be just right.
The Understory by Lore Wilbert is one I’m currently reading, and it feels so lovely to be heading into the forest through Lore’s tremendously thoughtful prose. I’m really grateful for this one as one of my fall companions.
Dear friend, thank you for being with me. I'd truly love to hear from you. Feel free to just hit "reply" to this email. I read and savor every email that comes my way, even if I don’t always have the space to respond (which is often these days, but I’m trying!) I’d be so glad to know how the Lord is meeting you, what your favorite fall reads are (tell us in the comments, so we can expand the reading list!) or if my words brought up anything to the surface of your heart today.
Warmly,
Alison
PS. I’m so glad to write you this letter for free. It is a joy to do so. It is such a gift for you to be here, and I don’t need more thanks than that. But if you find my words helpful and would like to support me even more, here are a few ways to do so:
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