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A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus
The holiness of St. Therese of Lisieux's recently beatified parents is revealed in their letters. The 218 letters of Zeile and the 16 letters of Louis Martin reproduced in these pages provide us with a treasury of rich insights into the lives of these two individuals
421 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2011
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August 17, 2023the beauty of the family!!! A Call to a Deeper Love -- the holiness and sanctity found in the ordinary.
very much in love with how Zelie and Louis met: April 1858. Zelie Guerin passed Louis Martin on the Bridge of St. Leonard over the River Sarthe in Alencon and heard an interior voice saying, "This is the man I have prepared for you."
very much in love with how Zelie and Louis met: April 1858. Zelie Guerin passed Louis Martin on the Bridge of St. Leonard over the River Sarthe in Alencon and heard an interior voice saying, "This is the man I have prepared for you."
June 21, 2025
At times this was very slow to read. This is, in some ways, encouraging, as it shows that saints can be ordinary people.
There is still a lot of pain regarding Leonie. To me, her disability seems obvious, although Zelie still doesn't seem to see why. As Zelie faces death, she struggles with the same concerns that parents of autistic children today do. Zelie wishes that she could live longer to take care of her daughters, but especially because she worries about what will become of Leonie when Zelie dies. I've seen this dynamic play out in real life- the autistic child grows up with a lot of shame regarding her behavior (why can't I be as good as other girls), not sure how to fix herself, but wanting to be good. The parent wonders what can be done to help the autistic child, not always knowing what accommodations should be made, not always knowing how to love the child. I imagine this was twice as difficult growing up with such a holy family. I write so much about Leonie because she is the odd one out of her family. Her other sisters have many letters written about them and to them, about their pleasantness. But when Leonie is mentioned, it is unusual that she is spoken of apart from her difficult nature (either that she is difficult, or that she is less difficult than she was before). I know that everyone was doing their best based off of the situation.
I don't know why Louis did not write more letters. However, the ones he did write were lovely and Godly.
There is still a lot of pain regarding Leonie. To me, her disability seems obvious, although Zelie still doesn't seem to see why. As Zelie faces death, she struggles with the same concerns that parents of autistic children today do. Zelie wishes that she could live longer to take care of her daughters, but especially because she worries about what will become of Leonie when Zelie dies. I've seen this dynamic play out in real life- the autistic child grows up with a lot of shame regarding her behavior (why can't I be as good as other girls), not sure how to fix herself, but wanting to be good. The parent wonders what can be done to help the autistic child, not always knowing what accommodations should be made, not always knowing how to love the child. I imagine this was twice as difficult growing up with such a holy family. I write so much about Leonie because she is the odd one out of her family. Her other sisters have many letters written about them and to them, about their pleasantness. But when Leonie is mentioned, it is unusual that she is spoken of apart from her difficult nature (either that she is difficult, or that she is less difficult than she was before). I know that everyone was doing their best based off of the situation.
I don't know why Louis did not write more letters. However, the ones he did write were lovely and Godly.
March 21, 2023
So gratifying, as a parent of a toddler, to read that even saints struggle with 3 year olds (and also, even saints are rough as 3 year olds!)
September 24, 2017
Zelie Martin gives me hope of becoming a saint. She was a difficult woman, strong-willed, determined, humorous. Unlike many saint books, these letters show a truly human woman, struggling (often failing) and trying again and again to reach perfection in her daily life.
October 19, 2024
This book is a treasure. Having an insight into the daily lives and sufferings of this beautiful family is truly humbling. The footnotes added rich context and were extensive. The book read like a story unfolding before me, even though it’s a compilations of letters! I am so thankful I read this book.
November 22, 2022
This is mostly letters from Zelie to her family members (husband, brother, sister in-law, and daughters. It is a good account of what he life was like and how she trusted the Lord despite all the sad and heartbreaking things she experienced on earth. It made me emotional at times, especially when she wrote about being ill and so afraid of not being able to raise her daughters any longer. Sometimes it was boring to me and it took me a very long time to finish from start to finish because I put it down for long periods of time.
I give it 3.5 stars.
I give it 3.5 stars.
May 17, 2024
It has been a long time since I’ve been this sad to finish a book. Granted I was primed to relate to Zelie: a Catholic mom of many girls who works too much from home. I guess what surprised me though was that she was so… normal. Her concerns were so similar to my own and those of the women in my life. She died less than a year younger than I am, so she was in the same stage of life as I’m in. Now I’m down the Martin family rabbit hole and started listening to a podcast series on Leonie Martin.
November 18, 2019
The letters of Sts. Zelie and Louis provide insight to the lives of these saints and the many crosses they carried.
February 7, 2020
Almost entirely St. Zelie's letters, but this is not the fault of the editors - St. Louis was not a prolific letter writer.
October 17, 2025
Beautiful!
April 12, 2023
Fascinating dive into the lives of a saint’s parents. Getting to read private letters is the closest thing you can get to a private diary and hence the thoughts and inner workings of a person.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how a Blessed’s daily thoughts and response towards daily challenges in life might contrast or not from your own, boy is this book an eye opener for you.
This book hides nothing from the letters, it lays itself bare and thus stands apart from the so often fanciful and white-washed narratives we so often hear of saints and their origin stories. Do you want to know what kind of wife and mother Zelie really was? How about Louis as husband and father? What kind of family milieu did they fashion so that a Saint Therese might arise from among their daughters?
Zelie is a strong willed woman in the midst of a challenging period for believers of hyper-secularized France during the mid 1800’s. As a part of of the bourgeois class, you can feel the tension she experienced being a laywoman straddled between the demands of running a successful business and trying to raise a faithful Catholic family.
She’s a real spiritual warrior fighting to develop, and nurture the faith for herself, her husband, and children.
What was most surprising for me was the amount of self-pitying and whining that was exposed in her letters. She complained about this and that and often even to God and the saints for not responding to this or that prayer request. I found it human that she was so neurotic about issues she really had no control over and by worrying about it exasperated the situation time and time again. Upon multiple occasions, she contradicts herself, forgetting what she had intended to do and even - in my opinion - neglected her children at times, justifying her somewhat obsessive relationship with her business in order to “better provide for her children’s future.” Incredible how human she was and I felt so sorry for her unnecessary attachments and the anxiety and pain it caused her sometimes.
Still, this is the reality on the path to sanctity; ups and downs, steps forward and sometimes back. We enter phases of stumbling and darkness and seeming silence or abandonment by God.
Reading this just sheds light into how much worrying does nothing to help us (as Jesus said) and how much more I can be doing to trust in God’s providence and loving care. If only I would listen to his invitation to accept the peace and serenity He offers daily my existence would be that much more tranquil and my road to sanctity so less dramatic.
Zelie gives me hope that the average practicing Catholic that refuses to give up and just tries and tries again, can indeed become sanctified. Its amazing how encouraging this is. This simple yet - for me - profound realization alone has made the read worth my time.
Ps
Louis seems almost too nice of a man but within his short collection of letters, still projects an impressive even-keeled and St Joseph-like stillness and peace about him throughout all the familial trials and tribulations. He was a rock for the family. I believe this is good for men to consider emulating.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how a Blessed’s daily thoughts and response towards daily challenges in life might contrast or not from your own, boy is this book an eye opener for you.
This book hides nothing from the letters, it lays itself bare and thus stands apart from the so often fanciful and white-washed narratives we so often hear of saints and their origin stories. Do you want to know what kind of wife and mother Zelie really was? How about Louis as husband and father? What kind of family milieu did they fashion so that a Saint Therese might arise from among their daughters?
Zelie is a strong willed woman in the midst of a challenging period for believers of hyper-secularized France during the mid 1800’s. As a part of of the bourgeois class, you can feel the tension she experienced being a laywoman straddled between the demands of running a successful business and trying to raise a faithful Catholic family.
She’s a real spiritual warrior fighting to develop, and nurture the faith for herself, her husband, and children.
What was most surprising for me was the amount of self-pitying and whining that was exposed in her letters. She complained about this and that and often even to God and the saints for not responding to this or that prayer request. I found it human that she was so neurotic about issues she really had no control over and by worrying about it exasperated the situation time and time again. Upon multiple occasions, she contradicts herself, forgetting what she had intended to do and even - in my opinion - neglected her children at times, justifying her somewhat obsessive relationship with her business in order to “better provide for her children’s future.” Incredible how human she was and I felt so sorry for her unnecessary attachments and the anxiety and pain it caused her sometimes.
Still, this is the reality on the path to sanctity; ups and downs, steps forward and sometimes back. We enter phases of stumbling and darkness and seeming silence or abandonment by God.
Reading this just sheds light into how much worrying does nothing to help us (as Jesus said) and how much more I can be doing to trust in God’s providence and loving care. If only I would listen to his invitation to accept the peace and serenity He offers daily my existence would be that much more tranquil and my road to sanctity so less dramatic.
Zelie gives me hope that the average practicing Catholic that refuses to give up and just tries and tries again, can indeed become sanctified. Its amazing how encouraging this is. This simple yet - for me - profound realization alone has made the read worth my time.
Ps
Louis seems almost too nice of a man but within his short collection of letters, still projects an impressive even-keeled and St Joseph-like stillness and peace about him throughout all the familial trials and tribulations. He was a rock for the family. I believe this is good for men to consider emulating.
February 19, 2018
This was a unique and beautiful way to learn about this family of saints (the Martin family). Reading about their lives through letters was a little challenging, as it's not a form of reading I often do. I would recommend this book to others and found insights and inspirations through reading the letters particularly those of St. Zelie Martin.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews