Crusader in the Cold War A Biography of Fr. John F. Cronin, S.S. (1908-1994) Book

An intriguing collection of stories about bodily disease and the mysteries of human desire. This is a translation from Italian. The prose is simple and fittingly clinical, even when describing dramatic and sometimes rather insane interactions between characters. Unglamorized depictions of the effects of disease, spittle and colostomy bags and all, ground the stories in the reality of sickness.

The longest and most puzzling of the stories is "Vera," about a woman who will always remain in the form of a child because of a disease that stunts her physical growth, and the doctor who is drawn to her for mixed reasons. My personal favorite, however, is the final story, "Choices." Within a few pages, Pressburger captures the lives, hopes and sufferings of a family losing its patriarch. It is a sad story but perhaps the most hopeful of the set.

More than one of the doctors in the collection gives up on medicine and science by the end of his tale (yes, they are all men). I don't know if that can be considered a "spoiler," but it should give potential readers some idea of what sort of stories these are. They are not about the triumph of rationality. This is fair, as disease can often be ruthless, its consequences devastating. How we survive emotionally, mentally and spiritually from its effects should be taken as a miracle. Not many writers broach the issue except in the most abstract of terms, so I appreciate Pressburger devoting an entire book to it.