Teresa of Avila: An Extraordinary Life [Paperback]

Shirley du Boulay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2004

This refreshing biography captures the compelling combination of down-to-earth humanity and profound, enriching spirituality that is Teresa of Avila’s hallmark. This intelligent, balanced portrait of an irreverent, intense, and fiery Renaissance woman and her times includes moving excerpts from her letters and sublime spiritual writings. Her unconventional, progressive views on prayer and worship, her outstanding administrative and literary talents, her travels around Spain to found and supervise convents, and how she spent much of her life under the scrutiny of the Inquisition are all detailed. For readers of any faith or none, this book brings to life an extraordinarily ordinary, lovable, and inspiring individual.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Admired for her ardent devotion to God and her passionate mysticism, Teresa of Avila continues to fascinate and to inspire spiritual seekers. Surrounded by sickness and death as a young girl in Avila, Teresa developed a sense of life's fragility and a deep wonder about the afterlife. By the time she was 15, she had entered the convent and eventually would rise to her spiritual fame as the founder of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites, where she began a lifelong working relationship with the man who became known as John of the Cross. Using excerpts from Teresa's letters and other writings, du Boulay traces the development of Teresa's spiritual life, culminating in her now classic spiritual guides The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle. As complete as du Boulay's study is, the contours and details of Teresa's life are well known and have already been explored expertly by Cathleen Medwick in her Teresa of Avila: The Shape of a Soul. Du Boulay's often repetitious and workmanlike biography contributes no new insights to our knowledge of this famous saint's life and work.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A clear, reliable account of Teresa’s remarkable life." —The Times Literary Supplement

"Accessible to readers of all backgrounds. The real Teresa comes palpably near in these pages." —Ursula King, author, Christian Mystics

"One leaves this book with a deep appreciation of who Teresa was. . . . A delightful read." —Keith J. Egan, author, Carmelite Prayer

"Bringing her background in psychology to the book, du Boulay fully captures the inner Teresa for the modern reader." —Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bluebridge; Revised edition edition (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974240524
• ISBN-13: 978-0974240527
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the, (if not the), best bios on St. Teresa of Avila, April 23, 2005

By 

Spaniel Mom "Serious Bookworm" (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teresa of Avila: An Extraordinary Life (Paperback)

A wonderful account of the life of a determined and indefatiguablable woman! Teresa's "ordinary human-ness" comes across clearly in her initial ambivalence at the idea of becoming a nun. However, once she makes the decision, Teresa commits herself wholeheartedly. It readily becomes apparent Teresa made the right choice, for soon God begins communicating directly with her...a mysticism which is to last throughout her life. The convent, though, has more of a social focus than a focus on God, and after experiencing two Divine encounters, Teresa finally sheds any and all ties she retained to the matieral world and embarks upon re-estalishing the strict, cloistered lifestyle of the hermits of Mt. Carmel. Thus, with the help of influential friends, including St. John of the Cross, Teresa undertook the great reformation of the Carmelite Order, ultimately founding 16 "Discalced" Carmelite communities throughout 1500s Spain. The book includes a map of Spain, with each of Teresa's foundations marked, helping to put into perspective the distances, as well as the rigors and dangers Teresa and her nuns faced in their grueling travels, as they established new communities. Teresa's selfless love for God and the heroic measures she undertook in serving His Will are inspiring and beautifully depicted.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Biography of a Very Human Saint, May 9, 2007

By 

~~Hummingbirder~~ "Call me hb" (Pataskala, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Teresa of Avila: An Extraordinary Life (Paperback)

What I found extraordinary about this book is how the author packed in so much detail yet kept the book flowing and interesting. Besides including the dates and places of every convent St. Teresa founded, Ms. du Boulay expounds on much personal information. Yet the book is concise, relatively short. This is a very well-written biography. St. Teresa's life is covered from birth to death and after, and I found I could relate to her so much. Her accomplishments were great, but she was very human, and I think most of us will see some of ourselves reflected in this biography. Now I want to read St. Teresa's writings. I was interested in learning about her when I chose to read this book. Now I'm fascinated with her! This is good biography. I recommend this if you like the genre. And if you're interested in the contemplative life.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wholeness and Holiness, April 22, 2008

By 

J Martin Jellinek (Memphis, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teresa of Avila: An Extraordinary Life (Paperback)

Ms. DuBoulay has created a fascinating biography of one of the spiritual giants of the Catholic Reformation of the sixteenth century. Teresa of Avila is portrayed as one who lived in two worlds. The world of her visions, her devotion, her absolute obedience, and her writings show a woman who was totally in love with God and deeply indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The other world was the world of humanity - a world of conflict, jealousies, illness, politics and death. Teresa was amazing because she could live completely in both of these worlds with no apparent conflict. What a wonderful model for those of us who struggle to life a faith based life in this secular world! Ms. DuBoulay has opened this world to us and given us a glimpse at what in means to be truly holy and whole.