NOVA: Lost Tombs of Notre Dame
Reviewed by Sam Guitierrez
In 2019, the world watched in horror as the 800-year-old Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris burned. The moment its iconic spire collapsed into the massive flames below is an image seared into our collective memory. Thankfully, firefighters could extinguish the fire and preserve much of the building, but everything inside was left caked with ash and toxic chemicals.
As restoration work began, a surprising discovery was made: two sarcophagi made of lead buried in the rubble. Workers also discovered another mystery beneath the cathedral floor—thousands of broken sculpture fragments related to the Protestant Reformation.
This episode of NOVA is the third in a series about this great cathedral, the fire, reconstruction efforts, and important discoveries. (PBS.org)
You’ll Always Have a Friend: What to Do When the Lonelies Come
By Emily Ley; illustrated by Romina Galotta
Reviewed by Sonya VanderVeen Feddema
Emily Ley begins her compassionate, gentle book for young children on the challenges of finding and being a friend by explaining that everyone has felt lonely at some point in their lives. She encourages children to combat loneliness and make friends by being kind, loyal, and true to others, by being brave and saying hello to kids they’ve never met, by joining a sports team or other group, or taking care of a pet friend.
Illustrator Romina Galotta’s sweet pastel pictures reveal kids’ vulnerabilities as they combat loneliness and portray their joy upon finding a place to belong.
Christian parents and caregivers who share this book with children will have the opportunity to talk with them about whether they feel lonely and about the friends they may already have. Most importantly, they can point their children to Jesus. (Tommy Nelson)
Pachinko (Season 2)
Reviewed by Daniel Jung
Pachinko chronicles the lives of a Korean family learning to survive through three consecutive generations of subjugation, discrimination, and social degradation. Adapted from Min Jin Lee’s novel of the same name, Pachinko centers around matriarch Sunja, played by Kim Minha as the younger Sunja and Youn Yuh-jung as the elder.
Throughout this second season, Sunja and her family are continually reminded that they are Koreans living as second-class citizens in Japan. They’ve learned Japanese and only speak Korean in safe spaces.
Pachinko expands our awareness of our Korean American neighbors. The experience of being passed over for jobs and the feeling of simply being tolerated is a reality that takes a toll. Safe spaces are needed to take a breath and let down our guard. (Rated TV-MA for violence, some strong language, and non-graphic sensual content. Recommended for 15 and up. Apple TV+)
Treasures in the Dark: 90 Reflections on Finding Bright Hope Hidden in the Hurting
By Katherine Wolf (with Alex Wolf)
Reviewed by Amie Spriensma
In April 2008, Katherine Wolf suffered a massive brain-stem stroke that left her with life-altering disabilities at 26. As a wife and new mom, Wolf spent months in a neurological rehabilitation hospital learning how to walk, talk, and swallow again. She tells how the darkest days of her suffering taught her things she never could have learned through a pain-free life.
The book is recommended for mature readers who want to grow in their understanding of how suffering and uncertainty affect daily life in both positive and negative ways. Wolf does not have the life she once imagined as a newlywed, but she is actively choosing to bless God and bless others through the good/hard life she has now. Her life showcases God’s faithfulness amid disappointments, losses, and grief. (W Publishing)
The Lowdown
When Work Hurts: The Bible tells us that work will be difficult—filled with thorns and thistles—but no one prepares us for the pain we experience on the job. In this book, Meryl Herr explores the emotional, relational, and vocational pain that work causes and helps us rebound and build resilience so we can fully participate with God in God’s mission. (March 11, IVP)
Based on a True Story: In Doc, Molly Parker is Dr. Amy Larsen, chief of internal medicine at a Minneapolis hospital. But she has a brain injury that caused amnesia, and she can’t remember the past eight years of her life. One thing she does remember? That healing people is her calling. (Fox/Hulu)
Snow White, Redux: This live-action musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film stars Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) in the title role and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as her stepmother, the Evil Queen. (Walt Disney, In theaters March 21)
One Step Forward: Written by Marcie Flinchum Atkins, this YA historical fiction novel in verse features Matilda Young, the youngest suffragist to be arrested and imprisoned for lawful protests during the five years leading up to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. (March 4, Versify)