North Pacific is a sweeping story of faith, love, and endurance set in Tacoma on the eve of World War II. Joseph Vaenko, an American-born Catholic son of Central European immigrants, comes of age along Commencement Bay in a community shaped by shipyards, sawmills, and the hardships of émigré life. From his devout mother, he inherits a deep sense of the sacred; from his father, the weight of hardship and the pursuit of the American Dream. Searching, Joseph wrestles with questions of faith, morality, and above all, the demands of love. His life changes when he glimpses a young Japanese American woman at Mass — a moment of unexpected grace that stirs a longing which will shape his journey, even as the shadows of war fall across the Pacific and force him to navigate the boundaries of faith and love. Lyrical and contemplative, North Pacific explores what it means to live faithfully when God seems silent, and how grace can be found even in exile and loss. Both intimate and universal, it is a story of hope and redemption in the face of suffering, for readers drawn to literary fiction that dares to ask enduring questions about God, love, and the human heart. CATHOLIC READS North Pacific: A Story of Life, Love, Suffering, and Grace by Michael Steffan by Theresa Frodin
Apr 5, 2024
Historical Fiction, Romance North Pacific is a story of a middle-aged man, Joseph, who at the onset of World War II finally thought he found a little bit of happiness. Her name was Miku. She was a Japanese American, and she loved him too. However, to Joseph's devastation, Miku disappered the summer before Pearl Harbor is bombed; he searched for her in vain. In his ongoing search for her, he questions the faith of his childhood... The book is unabashedly Catholic. Scripture precedes every section, and the story itself explores the beauty of the Catholic faith, presenting it throughout as being the solution to the struggles of human nature... Like many Catholics, Joseph hopes for miracles in his own life, or for God to just tell him what to do, but despite his faith, and countless prayers, he has resigned himself to not experiencing God in a clear way - at least not in the direct way the saints seemed to have. I recommend North Pacific for those interested in reading about loss; the beauty of the Catholic faith when happiness is wanting; and a journey of trusting God when life does't make sense.
Apr 5, 2024
Historical Fiction, Romance North Pacific is a story of a middle-aged man, Joseph, who at the onset of World War II finally thought he found a little bit of happiness. Her name was Miku. She was a Japanese American, and she loved him too. However, to Joseph's devastation, Miku disappered the summer before Pearl Harbor is bombed; he searched for her in vain. In his ongoing search for her, he questions the faith of his childhood... The book is unabashedly Catholic. Scripture precedes every section, and the story itself explores the beauty of the Catholic faith, presenting it throughout as being the solution to the struggles of human nature... Like many Catholics, Joseph hopes for miracles in his own life, or for God to just tell him what to do, but despite his faith, and countless prayers, he has resigned himself to not experiencing God in a clear way - at least not in the direct way the saints seemed to have. I recommend North Pacific for those interested in reading about loss; the beauty of the Catholic faith when happiness is wanting; and a journey of trusting God when life does't make sense.