Gregory Schlueter / Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // Greg Schlueter’s recent book Twelve Roses: 12 Roses. 12 Messages. ONE LIFE. tells the story of a woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and struggling to navigate her future. Inspired by real-life events, the novel speaks to a broader theme: how faith sustains us in life’s most difficult moments.
Schlueter recently spoke with CatholicVote about how Twelve Roses is not just for pregnant women but for anyone facing trials that test their faith.
In the novel published last month by Squigglesprout, the protagonist, Anna, finds herself “alone, pregnant, and grappling with a broken heart.” Amid her struggles and anxiety, roses keep appearing in her life over the course of 12 days. Though she does not know who is sending her roses, each flower carries a message that speaks to her suffering and encourages her.
Schlueter shared that his wife, Stephanie, was just 5 years old when her mother died unexpectedly in her sleep in 1976 when her parents were on the way to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life.
“Here’s a man who lost baby number 13 in the womb on the way to the March for Life,” Schlueter said about his father-in-law. “His wife died on his shoulder. She was 39. He had to go back and raise these kids.”
Schlueter added that his father-in-law’s example has sustained him through his own journey of fatherhood.
The story of the family’s resilience became a deep source of inspiration for Twelve Roses, which explores similar themes in a different context.
The author found inspiration in his own family, too. Schlueter’s mother was very involved in the pro-life movement.
“My mom founded Bethesda Post-Abortion Healing, which helps women in their places of crisis, their places of need, particularly those who’ve made the decision to have an abortion and they’re battling with post-traumatic stress disorder,” Schlueter said.
The author added that seeing his mother’s work with post-abortive women showed him that while there is a contentious political battle on issues such as life, the core battle is for each person’s identity.
He said that while Satan whispers lies to each person, making them question who they are, God uses Our Lady to speak truth to each person.
To offset the lies from the devil, Schlueter said, “are these whispers of these truths that you are known, you are loved.”
Schlueter discussed how the book is a compassionate response to the challenges faced by pregnant women because it speaks to the individual’s battle for identity.
The book aims to show that each person is known and loved, and the Christian’s responsibility is to affirm that each person is loved. While the protagonist, Anna, faces a difficult situation, Schlueter said the book is just as much about the other character’s reaction to her circumstance.
“We’re all on the same page as sinners. And in that regard, can we have the heart of the Father?” he asked.
He added later on, “The characters involved… who aren’t in those circumstances, can we pray to have God’s heart of compassion and to look beyond the decision that was made, to look beyond the politics?”
Schlueter emphasized that the most meaningful response to life’s challenges is love, especially within the family.
“Regardless of the political situation, the most powerful thing we can do, as Mother Teresa says, is go home and love your family,” Schlueter said. “And by love, it’s not just be nice and be kind and be good. No, it means, ‘Am I willing to die? Am I willing to surrender my life?’”
At its core, Twelve Roses is about trusting in God, even when circumstances feel overwhelming.
“Whether or not you’re a woman or pregnant, I want us to see that each of us are in that place of trusting in God beyond what we can see, beyond what we experience,” Schlueter said. “When we feel desperate, dark, and all that, it feels bleak. That’s where our Catholic faith in particular is challenged. And the book is a little bit, I think, about that. “
