Therésè of Lisieux

Therese Martin, declared a Roman Catholic saint in 1925, entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux in 1888, when she was 15, fulfilling a nearly lifelong ambition. In this brief biography, Furlong struggles to understand Therese's personality as well as the reasons behind her vocation. In composing a psychological portrait of Therese, Furlong speculates that the girl's fervid vocation stemmed from these factors: the death of her mother when Therese was only three, the later departure of her older sister (a surrogate mother) for the convent, and the fact that both of her parents were unsuccessful in their attempts to dedicate their lives wholly to the church. Although the emphasis on psychological matters leaves Furlong little space to discuss Therese's actual life the details of her time in the convent, her method of pious abnegation, her canonization this insightful study is a fine antidote to the cloying sweetness typical of other life stories of the revered Catholic saint known as the Little Flower. Therese of Lisieux is also the subject of the controversial 1985 film Therese. Bibliography; to be indexed. DPD. 282'.092 (B) Therese, de Lisieux, Saint / Christian saints France Lisieux Biography / Lisieux (France) Biography [OCLC] 87-43048

One of a series that reexamines significant women's lives through a feminist lens, this biography gently challenges Therese's traditional image, suggesting that beneath her apparent submissiveness and fatal battle with tuberculosis lay a capacity for subtle but effective manipulation, the only outlet for power available to her as a woman and a Carmelite nun in the French Catholic world of the late 19th century. Despite her sophistication, Furlong clearly feels deep empathy for her subject and profound respect for Therese's contributions as spokeswoman for the ``Little Way'' to God. A captivating, accessible book. EC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

ThÉrÉse of Lisieux, canonized in 1925, was referred to privately by Pope Pius X as the greatest saint of modern times. Her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, has been recognized as a classic ever since it was published, shortly after her death from tuberculosis in 1897. This slim volume by Furlong (biographer of Alan Watts and Thomas Merton) presents a three-dimensional portrait of the young French girl whose greatest desire in life was to be a Carmelite nun. Because ThÉrÉse's entire family considered sanctity the single, greatest value, they left detailed records of her life. These details of personal life are set in historical context and illuminated with psychological insight by Furlong. ThÉrÉse is revealed as the product of an extreme family situation: she was raised to be a saint, as indeed were her sisters (all of whom became nuns). At the same time, she suffered the trauma of loss over and over again in a series of early separations, and this created in her a fierce need both for mothering and for constancy in her environment. Pampered and overly protected, she became a nun at fifteen. It was then that the strength of her personality became apparent: ThÉrÉse herself approached the ecclesiastical authorities, including the Pope in Rome, in order to receive permission to enter Carmel under age. And she won. In the end (she was 24 when she died), she articulated a spiritual path called The Little Way--taking the smallest opportunity and making out of it a great challenge. Furlong's writing is sympathetic, yet she cuts through sentimental glosses. By touching the pain and need and neurosis experienced by ThÉrÉse, she evokes understanding and empathy for a very human saint. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.