E.P. Cowley is a retired homeschooling mother and author living in southern British Columbia whose debut novel, Tales from Wakken Wood, published by Ignatius Press, draws on the folklore of the Isle of Man to tell an enchanted story of courage, virtue, and wonder. In this conversation with Kaylee Stoll—part of the Tolkien and Lewis series—E.P. shares how entering the Catholic Church transformed her writing, how Tolkien's vision of sub-creation shaped every scene of the novel, and how wonder at Marian apparitions quietly shaped the book's spiritual heart.

What We Talk About:

• E.P.'s conversion journey from Protestantism into the Catholic Church and how it unlocked her sacramental imagination
• The origin of Tales from Wakken Wood—writing for her children, asking God for help scene by scene, and how the story surprised even its author
• Tolkien's influence on the novel, from Lord of the Rings to Smith of Wootton Major and his essay on fairy stories
• The unique mythological DNA of Manx folklore from the Isle of Man, and how E.P.'s research shaped the creatures of Wakken Wood
• Marian apparitions—Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and others—and how wonder at Our Lady shaped the spiritual atmosphere of the novel

Chapters:

• 00:00: Introduction and Welcome
• 03:34: E.P.'s Yes to the Lord
• 06:20: The Making of Tales from Wakken Wood
• 09:04: Tolkien, Sub-Creation, and Fantasy
• 11:47: Why Modern Readers Still Need Fairy Tales
• 16:19: Manx Folklore and the Isle of Man
• 18:47: Spiritual Symbolism vs. Allegory
• 20:54: Peter, Pixel, and the Power of Children in Story
• 24:00: Marian Apparitions and the Heart of the Book
• 26:28: Consolation, Wonder, and What Readers Take Away

Resources Mentioned:

• Tales from Wakken Wood by E.P. Cowley (Ignatius Press)
• Tales from Wakken Wood — Review
• Paloma&Fig

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

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Andrew Swafford, professor of theology at Benedictine College and author of Next Stop: The Afterlife, joins us to explore how C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce illuminates the reality of heaven, hell, and purgatory and why every ordinary choice we make is quietly shaping our eternal destiny. Andrew also shares the pivotal yes that changed his own life: a football scholarship to Benedictine College, an unexpected encounter with Christ, and the discovery that going all in with Jesus never costs you who you are—it makes you more fully yourself.

What We Talk About:

• How a football scholarship became the setting for Andrew's conversion and why he says the risk of faith always produces a deeper, truer version of who you already are
• What makes The Great Divorce such a powerful entry point into thinking about heaven and hell, including Lewis's insight that heaven is more real than earth, and what that means for how we love and live right now
• The unforgettable characters in The Great Divorce—Pam the grieving mother and the man with the lizard—and why even the highest loves in us must be surrendered to God if they are to be transfigured in glory
• Why the small, ordinary choices we make at home—in marriage, parenting, and the hidden moments no one sees—are where eternity is truly won or lost, and why repair matters far more than perfection
• How to stay rooted in Jesus when the culture feels heavy and overwhelming: think local, pray more than you worry, and keep the Eucharist at the center of your life

Chapters:

• 00:00: Welcome and Introduction
• 02:24: Andrew's Journey to Yes: Football, Conversion, and Going All In
• 04:17: Introducing Next Stop: The Afterlife
• 06:39: The Great Divorce, Purgatory's Joy, and the Transformation God Desires
• 07:22: What Makes The Great Divorce Such a Powerful Entry Point
• 09:42: Why C.S. Lewis Chose Story Over Straight Theology
• 11:22: Heaven Is More Real Than Earth
• 14:43: Recognizing Our Own Attachments: Pam and the Man with the Lizard
• 18:38: Small Daily Choices and Eternal Destiny
• 21:29: The Gift of Repair in Family Life
• 25:01: Heaven, Hell, and the Choices We Make Now
• 29:32: Staying Centered on Jesus in a Heavy Culture

Resources Mentioned:

• Next Stop: The Afterlife by Andrew Swafford
• The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• The Swaffords
• Paloma&Fig

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios.

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Kaitlyn Facista is the founder of Tea with Tolkien, an online community celebrating the life, writings, and Catholic faith of J.R.R. Tolkien and the author of Into the Heart of Middle-earth, published by Ave Maria Press. In this episode, she shares her journey from Protestant roots to Catholicism, how Tolkien's fiction was woven into her conversion story, and why the spiritual depth of Middle-earth is anything but accidental.

What We Talk About:

• How Kaitlyn's winding path through medical school moves, a search for truth, and life in England led her and her husband into the Catholic Church
• The discovery that Tolkien's Catholic faith is not allegory but something woven into the very fibers of Middle-earth, and what "applicability" means versus allegory
• What characters like Samwise, Aragorn, and the hobbits reveal about humility, discernment, and the power of the small
• How Tolkien's villains warn us against isolation while his heroes model fellowship, counsel, and communal discernment
• The one spiritual insight Kaitlyn hopes readers carry away from her book: that small, daily choices are how we bring ourselves—and the world—closer to goodness

Chapters:

• 00:00: Introduction and Guest Background
• 02:48: Kaitlyn's Yes—Converting to Catholicism
• 07:02: What Drew Her to Tolkien and When the Spiritual Depth Clicked
• 09:30: How Tea with Tolkien Began
• 14:38: Why Now Was the Right Time to Write Into the Heart of Middle-earth
• 16:13: Allegory vs. Applicability: How to Read Tolkien's Faith Without Forcing It
• 17:49: The "Ever-Present Person"—Providence Hidden in Plain Sight
• 19:57: Samwise Gamgee, True Hero? Loyalty and Holiness
• 21:08: Aragorn, Humility, and the Long Road to Kingship
• 24:15: Connecting Tolkien's Characters to the Saints
• 25:21: Fellowship as a Model for Faith, Family, and Parish Life
• 27:02: The One Takeaway from Into the Heart of Middle-earth

Resources Mentioned:

• Tea with Tolkien
• Into the Heart of Middle-earth — Ave Maria Press
• Paloma&Fig

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Follow Paloma & Fig on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. Learn more at www.palomaandfig.com. Join in the conversation by joining our Facebook group, A Resounding Yes!