A.J. Neal Publishing has announced the release of A Thousand Hands But One: How GOD Prepared a CATHOLIC Chaplain For the Surrender She Never Expected, a new memoir by former Catholic chaplain Laura Riccardi. The book, published on September 8, 2026, recounts how Riccardi's years of ministering to the sick and dying prepared her for the greatest trial of her life—and her ultimate surrender to God's will.
For years, Riccardi held the hands of patients at their bedsides, offering prayer, comfort, and what she describes as Christ's presence. Yet when her own husband, Len, was hospitalized during the Covid-19 pandemic, his was the one hand she could not hold. Rigid hospital protocols kept them apart as he became gravely ill and died alone. That experience forms the emotional core of the memoir, which interweaves stories from her chaplaincy with the central spiritual lesson of surrender to God's will.
The book has drawn endorsements from figures within Catholic media and religious life. Cynthia Zack, composer and host of Mary, Mother and Queen of the Divine Will on Radio Maria, said, "This is a story of spousal love both on earth and as the Bride of Christ—a story for every soul seeking understanding of God's eternal plan, with lessons for us as a people and as a nation." A Benedictine monk and priest of more than 50 years, who has known Riccardi for many years and asked to remain anonymous, added that the memoir "is more than a memoir. It is a testimony to the grace of surrender—to trusting God when the path ahead is uncertain."
Riccardi's background lends weight to the narrative. Her Catholic life and ministry include eighteen years of formation with the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, fifteen years as an RCIA catechist, seven years as a hospital chaplain, and five years cohosting Radio Maria's Mary, Mother and Queen of the Divine Will. She is also an award-winning former teacher, a mother of four, and a longtime homeschooling mom.
The book is available in paperback and ebook editions through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers. According to the publisher, the paperback is priced at $16.95 (ISBN: 978-1-970956-00-9) and the ebook at $3.99. More information can be found at www.athousandhandsbutone.com.
A.J. Neal Publishing, based in Jackson, New Jersey, is an independent publishing company founded by author Christopher Holl. Its catalog includes fiction, satire, memoir, faith, culture, and family titles, such as The Kano, The Teacher, & The Lola: A Filipino-American Fable and The Schiff Who Cried Wolf…Blitzer. The publisher describes its mission as bringing distinctive stories and ideas to readers, with a focus on original voices. Additional information is available at www.ajnealpublishing.com.
Riccardi's memoir arrives at a time when many readers continue to process the personal losses and isolation brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. Her story of finding grace when human hands fall away may resonate beyond Catholic audiences, offering a narrative of love, loss, and trust in the face of uncertainty. As the book's central message suggests, where human hands fall away, God's grace remains—a theme that could provide comfort to others navigating their own experiences of grief and surrender.
