The struggles and heroism of the saints are the subject of his action-packed historical novels.
The struggles and heroism of the saints are the subject of his action-packed historical novels.
M iddlemarch is a fabulous book, but when it takes you three months to read it, you’re ready for something new — and with more action. Determined to finally listen to my brother’s literary suggestion, I picked up Louis de Wohl’s The Golden Thread, a novel about Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and was immediately transported to the chaotic world of 16th-century Europe.
Everyone seems to be at war. The Spanish, the French, the Germans — it’s nearly impossible to sort out who is fighting whom and why. Into this messy fray comes Swiss soldier Uli von der Flue, and his actions during the siege of Pamplona change both his life and that of a young Spanish nobleman forever. This nobleman, Don Inigo de Loyola, has grand dreams of gaining an illustrious knighthood, of fighting for honor and glory, and of being noticed by the lady he has sworn to serve. God, however, has other plans, plans that affect the Church down to this very day.
Born in Berlin in 1903, de Wohl lived quite the fascinating life — if we can believe what is said about him, and what he said about himself. Sources on his early life are sparse, and he seems to have elaborated on his origins a bit. He was a rather prolific writer, nonetheless, and before World War II, many of his novels were turned into popular films. He left this success behind, however, to escape Nazism. In England for the duration of the war (where he took on quite a different line of work), de Wohl began to turn more toward his faith, and felt convicted to use his prodigious literary powers to tell the world about the lives of the saints.
When you pick up a de Wohl novel, you’re in for a historical treat. Details about battles, alliances, plagues, and passions spill off each page. These aren’t just history books, though, and there are no boring facts and figures. Well-written dialogue and realistic scenes show the skill and care de Wohl put into each tale. Intense fight scenes grip our attention, while moments of thoughtful tranquility help us ponder an important message. And for the romantic souls out there (me among them), his love stories are wonderfully told.
The word “saint” often comes with unfortunate connotations. We may think these individuals act “holier than thou,” or they pray all the time or that they were born with a halo. Far from it. Sainthood is something we are all called to, no matter our state in life or our past, and this is clearly something de Wohl wished to communicate through his books. He wanted to show us that sanctity is indeed attainable for all of us, and to give us role models in achieving that goal.
A hallmark of de Wohl’s works is that the saint isn’t always the central focus. We learn about him or her through the eyes of a secondary character, someone whose pride or ambition or pain has blinded them or made them jaded.
This is the case in The Spear, a book I often reread during Lent. Subtitled A Story of the Crucifixion, this powerful tale delves into the life of St. Longinus, the Roman soldier who pierced Christ’s side with a lance. De Wohl doesn’t construct his stories out of whole cloth; he weaves together biblical and historical realities — such as the woman accused of adultery — and takes some creative license to bring Jerusalem, its inhabitants, and Christ to life in our minds. We meet Mary and Martha, come to know Barabbas, and glimpse Pontius Pilate’s wife.
Of all de Wohl’s saint novels, the one that stands out most to me is Citadel of God. This novel about the life of St. Benedict dramatically portrays the founding of monasticism set against the final days of Rome. Boethius — known for his stunning work The Consolation of Philosophy — plays a serious role in this book, showing our author to be a man well-versed in numerous areas of learning. De Wohl manages to bring clarity to the chaos of history while also deftly incorporating tenets of the faith. Additionally, his writing is never forced or trite but uses the words of the saints themselves to drive the message home.
What The Chosen director Dallas Jenkins has done for Christianity in film, Louis de Wohl has done through literature. Reading about Thomas Aquinas in A Quiet Light, Francis Xavier in Set All Afire, or Catherine of Siena in Lay Siege to Heaven moves mind and soul. We are stirred by these figures’ transformation and growth, their will to love and serve God as He has commanded. We see those around them convicted by this example.
We see them struggle.
We see them fall.
And we see them — through the grace of God — rise again.