What makes a book good? According to Mary Batchelor, good fiction 'rings true'. It encourages us to exercise our moral judgment, leads to greater understanding of ourselves and others, broadens our compassion, and expands our knowledge of life and of human strength and frailty. This book takes readers on a rich and stimulating journey through some of the world's finest literature, where the struggles and joys of life and faith are illustrated in timeless words and images. From Dante, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens to Graham Greene, C.S. Lewis, and Maya Angelou, this comprehensive anthology brings together some of the best literary writing from the Bible onwards. Ranging from imaginative excerpts both powerful and profound to delightful selections of humor and satire, it offers a literary feast for browsing, discovery, and growth. The collection is divided into five topical sections reflecting the desires, sufferings, and searchings of human existence: the world we live in, being human, knowing God, good and evil, and the cycle of life.
