Humble Powers

by Paul Horgan

Here, gathered together in book form for the first time, are three unforgettable novelettes by Paul Horgan, Pulitzer Prize Winner. Though each story has no direct connection with the other, there is a common theme uniting them--certain humble powers, as old as mankind, that have moved men and women--powers that are humble but which are capable of shaking the universe.

The first story, The Devil In The Desert, laid in the Rio Grande country of our Southwest a hundred years ago, illustrates the power of faith. The second, One Red Rose For Christmas, against the background of a modern city in the eastern United States, illustrates the power of love. The third, To The Castle, through an episode of violence in the battles of the Allied campaign in Italy during the Second World War, illustrates the power of sacrifice. Faith, love, sacrifice--these can indeed change the world.

Humble Powers presents a great author at his best. Three unforgettable characters movingly depicted against varied backgrounds drawn in a vigorous and tender prose style that moves equally effectively through moods of humor, mystery, tragedy, and spiritual exaltation will provide you with a memorable reading experience.

Genres: Fiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1955

About the author

Paul Horgan was an American author of fiction and nonfiction, most of which was set in the Southwest. He received two Pulitzer Prizes for history.

The New York Times Review of Books said in 1989: "With the exception of Wallace Stegner, no living American has so distinguished himself in both fiction and history."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ho...

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the three short stories that I've read by Paul Horgan of late. This story is based around an un-named fictional Catholic priest serving as a Chaplin in World War II. He meets up with an exhausted and discouraged platoon assigned an impossible task and is able to help them rally. He even goes so far as to join them in their mission.
I had never heard of Paul Horgan until I found his book on my dad's bookshelf where it had been kept since the 1950s. I wish he had brought it to my attention years ago so that we could have discussed it and enjoyed it together. Although Paul Horgan received the Bancroft and two Pulitzer prizes he is relatively unknown today and most of his nearly 40 books are out of print. Perhaps his lack of enduring fame is due to the fact that he was considered a regional and a Catholic writer. Even though Horgan himself didn't want to be categorized as such that was nonetheless how he was seen. His books were best sellers for a time, but perhaps the labels limited his audience. Pope Pius XII made him a Knight of Saint Gregory in honor of his contributions to Catholic literature and in 1960 Horgan served as President of the American Catholic Historical Association. Horgan wrote history as well as fiction and there is an effort afoot to dust of his name and have reader's give his stories another look.

[C. Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

My introduction to this writer's fiction. Delightful use of euphemism to speak of 'delicate' matters, something that often irritates rather than pleases me. More importantly, he deals with the big issues of life and death in these three quite different stories in a way that is affirming even if the stories contain incidents that induce regret. Openly faithful, openly Catholic, and positively so.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a 5 star book, recently republished by Cluny Media.

[Benjamin Barre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy knows how to write characters