Customer Reviews

Lay Siege to Heaven

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I first read this book in 1963 - as it was being serialised in Extension Magazine. I was drawn to Catherine Benincasa, the stubborn, forthright, reclusive young woman who refused to allow herself to be used for any reason by her mother or her city - or even the Church. Catherine was a woman of rare courage and spirit. She was spiritual - but that did not stop her from denouncing cardinals & bishops as "whoremongers" when she found them chasing after wealth and political advantage. Mr DeWohl's wonderful introduction to Catherine is a bit superficial, but if this is understood at the beginning the reader will not be disappointed. It must also be remembered that DeWohl wrote during a less critical age when the culture of the Faith was stronger and an effort to demean th subject of a biography was not the all-consuming sine qua non of such books as it is now. Because of this book I began to read as much of DeWohl as I could find. He was a straightforward wordsmith and his Faith shines through in every page. Mr DeWohl has many titles to his credit while also contributing to journals and articles to World Book Encyclopedia. I am very happy to see that his novels are being reprinted in time for another generation to discover him. DeWohl made saints much more real than their official hagiographies ever did. Teenagers especially will find the story of St Catherine eye-opening as they will find DeWohl's other saintly subjects were not made of plaster and synthetic feelings but were men and women of the world who overcame the carnality of life, but only through the help of Jesus Christ.

This is a very uplifting and entertaining read. St.Catherine was one of the most amazing saints the church has ever had. She was a very humble person yet she had great influence on many of the politcal and church leaders of her day. The book starts off with her struggle with her mother who was very stubborn. She wanted Catherine to marry, but Catherine wanted to dedicate her life to God. In the book you read about the many people Catherine led to Christ, many of them were very hard hearted, and her influence on the pope convincing him to come back to Rome. Catherine lived in a very difficult time, there were many wars going on, the church was very divided, and it was also the time of the plague, but through it all Catherine was a shinning light who inspired others. I think anyone interested in the lives of the saints will love this book. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

I read this book in a matter of days. St. Catherine has always interested me, and this book put a new dimension to a very well-known and loved saint. Among other things, this book showed me how Catherine prayed. As she spoke to her Lord, she was filled with fire and persistence, saturated in love for her Lord. Truly a book that sheds light on the true strength of an incredible woman.

Lay Siege to Heaven is a real treasure, and one of my favorite books of all time. DeWohl does a wonderful job bringing St Catherine alive. This is a book I would recommend to anyone. An enjoyable & pleasing volume, and one of the best historical novels I've ever read.

An amazing book and inspiring to anyone yearning to lead a Christ centered spiritual life.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me insight into how one person can change the world.

What a great read! Generally I don't like books about saints because they are poorly written and have a boring story line. This book was wonderful. I didn't want to put it down. When I finished reading it I just wished there were still more book to read.

I've been a member of a parish named in honor of St. Catherine of Siena and I knew absolutely nothing about her. Before reading something "non-fiction", I wanted to let Louis de Wohl introduce me to her. I've read one other book of his, "The Spear", and through that experience I was able to visualize the Gospels more fully. After reading this book I'll look at some biographies on St. Catherine of Siena, and I expect the narrative image provided by Louis de Wohl will enable me to better appreciate the bios and the life of this great saint. [Read on Kindle Fire]