Serious Little Catholics: A Memoir

Description

Serious Little Catholics follows Kathy Gereau, the oldest of seven children, as she grows up in the mid-'50s and '60s and makes her way through Catholic school alongside her siblings. Initially, she buys into the mysteries of faith and the litany of rules being spouted by the Sisters of Mercy. But when her fourth grade teacher tells the class that Kathy's sweet little Protestant grandmother would never be admitted into heaven, she begins to question the rigid dogma of the church. Later, she discovers that not all boys are as goofy as her brothers and struggles with the notion that it is a woman's responsibility to discourage men from the plague of impure thoughts. Even an innocent flirtation can sinfully lead men into a temptation they are not capable of resisting; it doesn't seem fair. Ultimately, with the help of her classmates and a few understanding teachers, she learns to laugh at the ridiculous bits of her religion-and discovers the spiritual message within.

Kathy Gereau was born into a family of natural storytellers in 1951. Her family soon moved from Washington, DC, to a small town in Illinois. After graduating from Northern Illinois University, she landed a special education teaching job in Galena, IL, where she currently lives. She retired at age fifty and began looking for her next passion. She joined a local writer's group and began jotting down stories from her childhood. Encouraged by these supportive and accomplished writers, she decided to put her stories into a book. She currently resides in Galena, IL.

"A page-turning saga of one woman's quest for truth, Serious Little Catholics is compelling, thought-provoking, and highly recommended." -Midwest Book Review "'The Devil was apt to be around every corner, in disguise, trying to get me to do naughty things, and because I was a girl I was especially in danger. After all, if Eve, a grown-up woman, had been fooled, I must be very careful.' If laughter is good for the soul, then Kathy Gereau's hilarious, effortlessly charming stories are exactly the elixir we need. Heavens above, this is righteously funny stuff." -Jane Guill, author of Nectar from a Stone "Serious Little Catholics is a seriously funny book. Gereau has a fabulous take on her grade school education ruled by a flotilla of scary nuns. You don't have to be Catholic to appreciate her wrangling with a passel of siblings or the speculations of her classmates (What do you think is under the nuns' habits?). And by the time she reveals her seventh-grade infatuation with the Beatles, we've already been swept up by her wry observations and engaging realizations. Five stars on the Chuckle Meter!" -Mary Ann Presman, author of The Good Dishes "Serious Little Catholics, Kathy Gereau's delightful debut memoir, captures a time and culture that is essential to the midwestern landscape. Gereau's inviting, conversational style draws us in and welcomes us to stay. Her hilarious, thoughtful, and moving stories evoke a time of station wagon way-backs, sock hops, fake Barbie dolls, road trips, and kids' tables at family gatherings. Through it all, Gereau moves to a deeper understanding of what she might believe, and perhaps more importantly, what she might not." -Patricia Ann McNair, author of Responsible Adults