The Story of a Soul [Paperback]

Saint Therese of Lisieux (Author), Roman Catholic Church (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

The Story of a Soul, better known to the English public as The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, was first published in 1899. Today it ranks amongst the greatest Christian spiritual classics and it has been translated into practically every well-known language. Almost every pope since its publication has proposed St. Therese teaching to the faithful for their imitation Pius XI declared her the greatest saint of our age and John Paul II made her a Doctor of the Church. The Story of a Soul possesses in some degree a characteristic common both to the Gospels and The Imitation of Christ. Men and women open the book, often quite casually, and are caught by the vivid clarity or simple profundity of some sentence in such a way that their lives are completely changed. The style of St. Therese is extremely simple and spontaneous, having a charm that is hard to describe, especially when she rises to poetic heights. The final chapter, written for her eldest sister Marie, is simply a childlike outpouring of her heart to Jesus Himself. This spiritual classic will speak gently to your heart.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

St Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) became a Carmelite nun at the age of 15, after having appealed to her local bishop and the Pope himself in order to be able to enter at such a young age. During her entire life, and especially her time in Carmel, St Therese resolved to do little things with great love. That is, she would perform the lowest and simpliest tasks out of pure love for God. Her spirituality, called the Little Way, was based on complete trust and childlike confidence in God. She spent nine years as a religious and died at 24 of tuberculosis. During the last two years of her life, she suffered overwhelming doubts against the faith, but persevered in her belief and in the performance of her duties as a nun. After her death, she was quickly canonized and was named patron of the missions in 1927 and, in 1944, was made the patron of France. Pope St Pius X declared St Therese the greatest saint of modern times, and Pope John Paul II made her the 33rd Doctor of the Church in 1997.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Baronius Press Ltd; 1st Edition edition (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905574258
• ISBN-13: 978-1905574254
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,935,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars plenary indulgence just for reading this, June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux (Paperback)

This is a lovely book by 'the greatest saint of modern times.' read any chapter and you will see the heart of Catholicism. You will learn catholic spirituality and the reason why Therese was a saint. Some men have said they are improved every time they read this book. It is true. Besides the Eucharist itself, St. Therese is the saint that drew me into the Church. Her Little Way gives me hope that perhaps we all have a chance of getting to heaven.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, October 30, 2008

By 

Da Fyfe (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme): The Autobiography of St. Thérčse of Lisieux (Paperback)

I read this autobiography with some misgivings, I thought it may be the usual Catholic orientated stuff.I must admit that after the full reading, I was moved to tears at the pain this lovely young novice experienced in her short life and the extreme love that she had,(at all stages in her life) for our Lord. Yes, I'm a practising Catholic, but I think that the reading of this book (I'm now slowly reading it for the 3rd time) has changed my whole life and I'd like to think her story has made me a better Catholic.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Flowers, August 24, 2008

By 

JMack (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Story of a Soul (Paperback)

In terms of her ability to maneuver words in the written form, Saint Therese of Lisieux was not as established as other writers such as St. Augustine or Thomas Merton. For this trait, she often apologizes in her writing. However, her insight in developing a relationship with Jesus and her devotion to that relationship make a profound statement. Even in the littlest of sacrifices, she shows herself growing closer to Jesus. The message outweighs the writing style in terms of importance.

The product of three separate journals St. Therese kept during her short life, the book can be divided into these sections: The story of her life, the letter written to Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, and the notebook written for Rev. Mother Marie de Gonzague. While each of these writing tasks were given as an assigned task, they had a greater purpose and may have been the most important work of St. Therese's life. Even at a very young age, St. Therese showed strong devotion to the Lord. The story of her life makes up the greatest percentage of the book. Despite the death of her mother at a young age, St. Therese seemed happy and her devotion led her to pursue a devotional life at an unusually young age.

In her short life, St. Therese saw the unbelievable and was touched by the hand of God. She showed her devotion even in the smallest of sacrifices. Still I believe that nothing is more touching than the initial pages of the book. It is perhaps one of the best explanations of God's love.