Gr. 7-12. Readers will be intrigued by the life of the Trappist monk whom poet Robert Bly once referred to as one of the few truly "awake" people of our century. In this well-organized biography, Bryant traces the odyssey of Merton's spiritual awakening, beginning with his childhood in France, the devastating loss of his mother, his turbulent college years, his entry into the Abbey of Gethsemane, his success as a writer, his commitment to the civil rights movement, and his desire to bridge Western and Eastern religions. Bryant consolidates an incredible amount of material, having done extensive research, and peppers the book with quotes from Merton's autobiography and journals, as well as from other biographers. The result is to make the remarkable transformation of this man believable and accessible, though perhaps a bit dry. Readers may want to see Merton's own exuberance and extraordinary vision manifested more passionately--that is, to "read something that knocks sparks in the . . . brain," as Merton's agent once said of his writing. Sources as well as suggestions for further reading are included. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs.
Shelley Townsend-Hudson
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From Kirkus Reviews
What does it take for a person to begin a spiritual journey? What is the process through which one goes to find meaning in life? In a remarkable biography in the new Men of Spirit series, Bryant (Lucretia Mott, 1996, etc.) addresses these questions to help explicate the life of Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk who recorded his spiritual experiences in his journals and in his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain. Merton was born in France in 1915, the child of a New Zealander father and American mother, both professional artists. Bryant makes clear how their examples of individualism and creative thinking were carried on by their son, who had a nomadic, even dissolute youth before zealously converting to Catholicism. The books and poetry borne of his gift for writing connected with others and had a deep impact on people's lives after WW II. Bryant relies too heavily on Monica Furlong's biography, but ably conveys to a younger audience, involved in their own spiritual journeys, the message of Merton. They may come away from this book not only with a real sense of the man and his writings, but courage enough for their present and future struggles as well. (index, not seen, b&w photos, further reading) (Biography. 10-13) --
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