The Story of a Soul »

St. Thérèse's autobiography was first published soon after her death in

1897 at the age of twenty-four. Combining charming descriptions of family

and community life with a sense of humor and intense devotion to God, it

was an instant bestseller. But earlier editions often excluded passages,

and refined her use of the French dialect often spoken by peasants. This

remarkable new translation includes every word of the original text,

retaining the complete charm of the original. The result is a complete and

unabridged work, longer than most other editions available today.

Millions of hearts have been touched by St. Thérèse of Lisieux's desire,

not to be mighty and great, but to be a humble, little flower that would

gladden God's eyes as He glances down at His feet. Now, yours will be, too.

Robert Edmonson also took the time to translate the poem "Divine Prisoner" which is referred to in Story of a Soul as Therese's favorite poem, and the inspiration behind her name "Little Flower." This is not actually in the book, but we have put it on the website as bonus material and you can read it by clicking on the "excerpt" button below.

Library Journal

Canonized in 1925, Th r se of Lisieux was declared a doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997. Her "little way" of living her religious life has appealed to many people since she described it in her autobiography, which she wrote at the request of her superiors. Having entered the Carmelite monastery in 1888 at the unusually young age of 14, she died in 1897 from tuberculosis. The appeal of her autobiography comes from the very simple, disingenuous way she writes, relating her life story and her religious experience with the utmost candor. In a smooth translation from the French original, Edmonson (translator, Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God) eschews footnotes and adds clarifying phrases, set off by brackets, to the text itself. Those seeking a more scholarly footnoted English edition will still want to use John Clarke's translation (ICS Pub., 1976), which also includes photographs. Those seeking a popular biography should consider Kathryn Harrison's Saint Therese of Lisieux in the "Penguin Lives" series. Recommended for most collections.-Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, NJ Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.