Tales of Grace

Reflections on the Joyful Mysteries

This compelling and charming book employs story and whimsy, with delicate, lyrical touches, so that readers can experience in new light the joyful mysteries of the Rosary. Translated for the first time into English, the great Italian writer's poetic, original vision helps readers rediscover the tenderness and beauty in the miracle of Jesus’s birth and childhood, beginning with his conception, and concluding with his adolescence. "Demetrio S. Yocum’s masterful translation of Luigi Santucci’s Tales of Grace makes available what is often lacking in contemporary spiritual reading – a work of high literary value that communicates a sense of mysticism not often exhibited in devotional writing. Without going the route of academic exegesis, Santucci’s tales transpose the reader from the gospel texts to imaginative times and places that inspire fresh insights and awakenings. These are robust meditations that seem particularly appropriate in these days of the pope whose Joy of the Gospel echoes these narratives of wonder and awe." —Andrew D. Ciferni, O.Praem, St. Norbert College "Luigi Santucci’s book is a wonderful and compelling account of the joyful mysteries. Readers will particularly enjoy the way Santucci links together the Scriptural events with his own personal experiences and observations. Yocum’s graceful and impeccable translation fully captures the sound and rhythm of Santucci’s elegant, mid 20th-century Italian prose. A beautiful edition, highly recommended." —Massimo Faggioli, University of St. Thomas, author of John XXIII The Medicine of Mercy "Complete with angels who move houses, a dairy boy and pregnant women who share secrets, rogue guests at the Christmas banquet, a miraculous baptism, and students and teachers who reverse roles at an alumni gathering, Luigi Santucci’s Tales of Grace celebrate the mystery of Word made flesh. Like the joyful mysteries to which they point, these are tales to savor, to ponder, and to embrace. Thanks to the gifted translation of Demetrio Yocum and the artistry of George Kordis, English-speaking readers are now invited to this imaginative feast as well." —Mary Catherine Hilkert, O.P. University of Notre Dame author of Naming Grace: Preaching and the Sacramental Imagination "This book is an extravagant invitation inviting the reader on a rich and powerful journey through the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. We follow the author as he is inserted into the story in the style of imaginative contemplation. Examining everyday elements of sin and grace, this astonishing allegory is rich in language and symbols, illustrated with magnificent icons that beckon us into deeper prayer. The mystical meditations build to a brilliant crescendo of the joy of the salvific power of Christ. —Fran Rossi Szpylczyn is a Catholic writer, speaker, and lay minister in Albany, NY. Her work can be accessed at There Will Be Bread