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A Thousand Hands But One
How GOD Prepared a CATHOLIC Chaplain For the Surrender She Never Expected
Laura Riccardi
Memoir
She held the hands of a thousand patients as a Catholic chaplain—offering prayer, comfort, and Christ’s presence in their final hours. But when her own beloved husband was hospitalized during the Covid-19 pandemic, Laura found herself separated from him at the very moment he needed her most, when rigid hospital policies left no room for loved ones at the bedside.
In A Thousand Hands But One, she shares a deeply personal journey of faith tested in suffering. Years of ministering to the sick had been quietly preparing her for a surrender she never expected: entrusting her husband Len to God’s mercy when she could not be there to hold his hand.
As she wrestled with grief, Laura encountered others whose families endured similar separations—voices that deepen this moving witness to love, loss, and spiritual resilience. Heartbreaking yet hope-filled, this memoir reveals how surrender to God’s will can transform even the most painful absence into a path toward grace, trust, and enduring hope.
Where human hands fall away, God’s grace remains.
Who is
A.J. Neal Publishing
A.J. Neal Publishing is an independent publishing company dedicated to bringing distinctive stories and ideas to readers.
Our titles span fiction, satire, memoir, faith, culture, and family—books that entertain, challenge, inspire, and sometimes look at the world from a decidedly different angle.
Founded by author Christopher Holl, A.J. Neal Publishing is home to The Kano, The Teacher, & The Lola: A Filipino-American Fable, The Schiff Who Cried Wolf…Blitzer, Life Lessons From The Chocolate Factory, and other original works, including A Thousand Hands But One by Laura Riccardi.
Independent books. Original voices. Stories worth telling.
Books from A.J. Neal Publishing
The Kano, The Teacher, & The Lola
A Filipino-American Fable
A celebration of the warm and wonderful Filipino people, this whimsical tale follows Michael—the “Kano”—a despondent American who regrets his dismissive behavior toward Maria, a beautiful immigrant from the Philippines.
Determined to prove himself a worthy suitor, Michael encounters a mysterious Teacher who offers to instruct him in The Way of the Filipino. Soon he is transported beyond time and space into a Filipino world where the Lola—guardian of tradition, folklore, and superstition—helps him discover what it truly means to be Pinoy.
But before the Kano can return to the place where his heart waits for him, he must discover the “something more” the Teacher is looking for.
The Schiff Who Cried Wolf….Blitzer
Frustrated by the Swamp? Bugging out over Adam Schiff’s attempts to hoodwink us? Able to make sense of a Nancy Pelosi prayerful press conference?
The Schiff Who Cried Wolf….Blitzer is an uproarious look at what’s really behind the “non-impeachable impeachment” scheme (emblematic of every tactic the left has tried—and failed at—even with help from the Fake News) to create discord and separation between Donald J. Trump and his loyal supporters.
Featuring Congressman Adam Schiff as the court jester, Speaker Pelosi as Queen Nanshee, and Donald J. Trump as King MAGA, plus a few other recognizable figures you’ll love to laugh at.
Take a break from the lunacy—grab your favorite beverage, put up your feet, and enjoy this book that’s small in size but big on truth—and remember, you’re not alone.
Dispense-sation: A Pharmacist’s Rx For A Laugh
It’s more challenging to be a retail pharmacist today than ever before. The health care system makes endless demands on you. You’re pulled in a dozen directions at once, workloads are heavier, expectations are higher, and credentialing and CE requirements remain arduous—all while working in a persistently growing “McPharmacy” environment.
Dispense-sation finds the humor in all of it: managed care, corporate “suits,” impatient patients, doctors, lawyers, and much more.
You deserve to get off the retail pharmacy hamster wheel! And now you can, because Dispense-sation is your prescription to get off your feet, take a break, and have a laugh.
Life Lessons from the Chocolate Factory
Satisfying as your favorite chocolate—without the calories!
Using the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory movie as a metaphorical backdrop, Life Lessons from the Chocolate Factory unwraps bite-sized nuggets of “zero-calorie wisdom” that are as relevant today as ever.
Whether or not you’ve seen the movie, this book reveals simple yet timeless lessons we can all embrace to help get hold of life’s real golden ticket—lasting peace of mind.