A thoughtful and readable history of just want the subtitle promises -- "The Catholic Worker and the Origin of Catholic Radicalism in America." I found Piehl to be less sympathetic to Peter Maurin than several of the other works on the Catholic Worker I've recently read. Piehl seems to be of the opinion that Day inflated Maurin's role in the movement for his symbolic value. Piehl does a wonderful job showing the cultural context from which The Catholic Worker emerged and highlighting Day's own skill in building a movement that would speak to a broad audience.
I enjoyed learning about how Catholic Worker thought fit in the larger movement of Catholic radicalism in the US. I am much more aware of Protestant history - being the new convert (and former protestant) that I am... (Baptized last Easter!)