Borne on the Wind - Alice Curtayne

Borne on the Wind
Alice Curtayne

Cluny Media

ISBN 9781950970810

I will be honest, I picked this book up never having read a description, review or really knowing anything about it. In fact I had always thought it was one of Curtayne’s novels. I picked it up because it was a new edition of a long out of print book by Alice Curtayne. A few years back I encountered the works of Alice Curtayne. I became fascinated by them. I was able to track down about a dozen of the 32 books and booklets I believe she wrote. It should be noted that this reprint edition from Cluny is very well done. Unlike many book brought back from the public domain, this volume went through a process of a high quality scan. And a complete re-typesetting. Cluny is dedicated to restoring quality editions of old books, focused on the Catholic Tradition. Their motto is: ‘Promote the tradition. Preserve the Past.’ Which is a very worthy cause. Unfortunately, there is not an eBook edition of this, nor of any of the other five Alice Curtayne volumes they have resurrected. It seems to be rather random which of their books end up with electronic editions. More the pity. But back to this volume. The description of the new Cluny edition is:

“Borne on the Wind opens a wide window onto fourteen little-known but remarkably vibrant people, places, and moments of history, spanning fifteen centuries and the entire European continent. Part One, “Today and Yesterday,” covers such figures and events as Blessed Matt Talbot, Theobald Mathew, and the 1932 Eucharistic Congress in Dublin. Part Two, “Far and Wide,” describes an array of topics, ranging from the “Vincete la battaglia del grano” in Italy and the proper time to build a Cathedral to the septecentenary of St. Anthony of Padua and the the letters of St. Catherine de Ricci. First published in 1934, Borne on the Wind evidences the lavish attention to detail, vivid descriptive powers, and resilient humor and hopefulness that marked Curtayne’s career of writing.”

And the sections and chapters in this book are:

I Today and Yesterday

     The Silence of Matt Talbot

     The Eucharistic Congress in Dublin

     An Excursion into the Fifth Century

     The Paradox of Theobald Mathew

     Irish Fioretti

     Derryane

     Saint Patrick and the Cyclops

II Far and Wide

     Italy’s Battle of the Wheat

     The Septecentenary at Padua

     The Truth About Giovanni Papini

     Saint Catherine of Siena

     The Letters of Saint Catherine De Ricci

     On Building a Cathedral When the Time Is Not Ripe

     The Confessions of Saints Augustine and Patrick

Many of the pieces in this volume were previous published in magazines, newspapers, and periodicals. The Acknowledgements states:

“For permission to reprint the various papers that form this book, grateful thanks to the Management of The Clergy Review, London, and to the Editors of The Spectator, London; The Missionary, Washington; The Cathedral Record, Liverpool; The Irish Rosary, The Father Mathew Record, Assisi, and The Standard, Dublin. Since publication, all the essays have been rewritten for the purpose of reprinting in book form.”

This book was originally published in 1934, and all of the pieces would have predated that. And what we have is fourteen wonderful pieces. This volume was very hard to put down once I started. It flowed from one excellent piece to another. A mix of people, places and events. Masterfully written. Finding out about the Battle of Wheat in Italy might not seem fascinating but it was. Reading about Matt Talbot was inspiring. And the comparisons between Saint Patrick and Francis was illuminating. 

This is an excellent volume. And we owe a debt of gratitude to Cluny for bring it back in print. I highly recommend this wonderful collection. If you are already a fan of Curtayne’s I am certain you will enjoy it. It you are unfamiliar with her and her works it is a great starting point. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Alice Curtayne:
St. Catherine of Siena
A Recall to Dante
Saint Brigid of Ireland

Saint Brigid of Ireland - Cluny Media Reprint Edition
Saint Bernard Abbot Of Clairvaux And Doctor Of The Church
Saint Anthony of Padua
Saint Columcille: the Dove of the Church
St Francis of Assisi: Founder of the Franciscan Order
St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland
House of Cards
Borne of the Wind
Lough Derg: St. Patrick's Purgatory
Twenty Tales of Irish Saints
More Tales of Irish Saints
Irish Saints for Boys and Girls
Jean-Baptiste Debrabant
Patrick Sarsfield
Saint Bernard and His Friend Saint Malachy
The Trial of Oliver Plunkett
The Irish Story
Francis Ledwidge: A Life of the Poet

Booklets by Alice Curtayne:
(Catholic Truth Society and others)
Saint Philomena
Saint Brigid, The Mary of Ireland
St. Bernard Doctor of The Church 1933
Saint Catherine Of Siena A Woman Who Changed The World
The Story of Knock
The servant of God, Mother Mary Aikenhead
The Holy Man of Dublin; or, the Silence of Matt Talbot
Croagh Patrick. An account of the great national pilgrimage to Ireland's holy mount. 
The New Woman Transcript of a Talk

Books Edited by Alice Curtayne:
The Complete works of Francis Ledwidge

Books Translated by Alice Curtayne:

Labours in the Vineyard by Giovanni Papin

Books Contributed to by Alice Curtayne:

The Irish Way

Three Great Catholic Writers That You Might Never Have Heard Of! Curtayne - Lord - Powers