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My Sisters the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir
A poignant and powerful spiritual memoir about how the lives of the saints changed the life of a modern woman.In My Sisters the Saints, author Colleen Carroll Campbell blends her personal narrative of spiritual seeking, trials, stumbles, and breakthroughs with the stories of six women saints who profoundly changed her Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Faustina of Poland, Edith Stein of Germany, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Mary of Nazareth. Drawing upon the rich writings and examples of these extraordinary women, the author reveals Christianity's liberating power for women and the relevance of the saints to the lives of contemporary Christians.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
322 people are currently reading
3676 people want to read
About the author
Colleen Carroll Campbell
5 books134 followersColleen Carroll Campbell is an award-winning author, print and broadcast journalist and former presidential speechwriter. Her books include her critically acclaimed journalistic study, The New Faithful; her spiritual memoir, My Sisters the Saints, which won two national awards and has been published in five languages; and The Heart of Perfection: How the Saints Taught Me to Trade My Dream of Perfect for God’s, just released by Simon & Schuster. Colleen has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Christianity Today, America and National Review, and appeared on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, ABC News, PBS, NPR and EWTN, where she hosted her own television and radio shows for eight years. A former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and editorial writer and op-ed columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Colleen is the recipient of two honorary doctorates and numerous other awards and fellowships. She speaks to audiences across North America and Europe and lives in St. Louis with her husband and their four young children, whom she homeschools. Her website is www.colleen-campbell.com.
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March 27, 2025
ONCE THERE WAS A WAY
TO GET BACK HOME...
ONCE THERE WAS A WAY
TO GET BACK HOME!
The Beatles, Abbey Road
There are times when we realize we’ve lost our way in the dense, confusing undergrowth of life. A time when more search would be just too excruciatingly painful.
A time when we realize the only thing to do is to retrace our steps... and go back to our ROOTS...
This is a wonderfully sensitive, intelligent book.
THIS girl knows where she’s going - now that she’s seen her way through the storm - and is not afraid now to be sensibly old-fashioned in her OWN way:
“Memories took on a new poignancy as I watched Dad navigate life with Alzheimer’s and begin the same transformation in himself that St. Thérèse had seen in her father.
”The signs were subtle at first: keener sensitivity to the suffering of others, more comments about God’s love and less of others’ faults, a greater humility that allowed him to accept help with gratitude rather than pique.
“Alzheimer’s could not steal Dad’s joy.”
And you know what? The crisis of her Dad’s ordeal helped bring Ms Campbell back to her spiritual roots - and, thank Heaven, back to her senses.
Like me, she had gone away to an out-of-town university to prepare her for what would turn out for her - after these early detours, some distasteful, and others grievously anxious - to be a long, fulfilling career.
And, also like me, she had run right smack dab into the brick wall of the kind of live-for-the-day student self-abandonment that flourished on liberal arts campuses back then. Her fellow students wanted kicks; she wanted something enduring and substantial.
Her friends may have found new varieties of fun - but their attitude was becoming hard, thoughtless and uncaring. C.S. Lewis would say that like old fruit, they had ‘turned.’ And once you turn, it’s a long way back home.
And she was becoming obdurate.
Yet her dear Dad’s life had always flowed like a pristinely clear, running brook!
But Ms Campbell still had her doting parents - and her dear father, who, though failing, was now more full of love than ever.
Because his roots were in his Faith.
He had learned young, in his own way, that the etymological roots of the biblical word, HOLY, mean to be SET APART from the Crowd.
That’s no sin, you know. It’s not the living end to be rejected socially. But at first it’s no fun, either!
NO.
But it’s the beginning of something NEW.
For you’ll never RISE ABOVE (transcend) the Storm unless you’re SET APART! On your own... and FREE.
It’s the ONLY way you’ll find a Kindred Spirit in this life, too. For now it HURTS. But later, as for this author, it will bring fulfillment.
So in being set apart from the in-set, her Dad found a lifelong place of refuge from Life’s howling rages.
He found Peace.
And Ms Campbell? She now had the necessary COURAGE to face life’s hard knocks. As they must come to us all. But NOW her life had a FOUNDATION.
So Ms Campbell put her own roots down again - in the faith of her father.
She started to read the REAL Lives of the Saints - unedited stories of overcoming enormous hardships on the long road to ultimate Peace - with no sugar-coating.
And this is the story of how those stories got through her pain as life became tough for her (as it had for her Dad) - and on up the steep road to success!
***
My own dear Dad is now nearly 99.
He has lost most of his strength and agility - but he HASN’T lost his battle with Dementia.
He is stil fighting its onslaught.
What’s more, as time passes, he is more at peace, too. He has found a tranquility and gentleness of spirit that all his education and professional stature could not have given him.
They say youth is wasted on the young. When old age is not wasted on the old, it’s even rarer.
But for some elderly people, their Golden Years give them the inestimable gift of Grace.
And their final years are not wasted.
The author’s dad, though, is no longer with her.
But just like my own Dad is finding, he found at the end of his life there comes - for the few who have believed - the Crown of Life.
It’s called Faith.
TO GET BACK HOME...
ONCE THERE WAS A WAY
TO GET BACK HOME!
The Beatles, Abbey Road
There are times when we realize we’ve lost our way in the dense, confusing undergrowth of life. A time when more search would be just too excruciatingly painful.
A time when we realize the only thing to do is to retrace our steps... and go back to our ROOTS...
This is a wonderfully sensitive, intelligent book.
THIS girl knows where she’s going - now that she’s seen her way through the storm - and is not afraid now to be sensibly old-fashioned in her OWN way:
“Memories took on a new poignancy as I watched Dad navigate life with Alzheimer’s and begin the same transformation in himself that St. Thérèse had seen in her father.
”The signs were subtle at first: keener sensitivity to the suffering of others, more comments about God’s love and less of others’ faults, a greater humility that allowed him to accept help with gratitude rather than pique.
“Alzheimer’s could not steal Dad’s joy.”
And you know what? The crisis of her Dad’s ordeal helped bring Ms Campbell back to her spiritual roots - and, thank Heaven, back to her senses.
Like me, she had gone away to an out-of-town university to prepare her for what would turn out for her - after these early detours, some distasteful, and others grievously anxious - to be a long, fulfilling career.
And, also like me, she had run right smack dab into the brick wall of the kind of live-for-the-day student self-abandonment that flourished on liberal arts campuses back then. Her fellow students wanted kicks; she wanted something enduring and substantial.
Her friends may have found new varieties of fun - but their attitude was becoming hard, thoughtless and uncaring. C.S. Lewis would say that like old fruit, they had ‘turned.’ And once you turn, it’s a long way back home.
And she was becoming obdurate.
Yet her dear Dad’s life had always flowed like a pristinely clear, running brook!
But Ms Campbell still had her doting parents - and her dear father, who, though failing, was now more full of love than ever.
Because his roots were in his Faith.
He had learned young, in his own way, that the etymological roots of the biblical word, HOLY, mean to be SET APART from the Crowd.
That’s no sin, you know. It’s not the living end to be rejected socially. But at first it’s no fun, either!
NO.
But it’s the beginning of something NEW.
For you’ll never RISE ABOVE (transcend) the Storm unless you’re SET APART! On your own... and FREE.
It’s the ONLY way you’ll find a Kindred Spirit in this life, too. For now it HURTS. But later, as for this author, it will bring fulfillment.
So in being set apart from the in-set, her Dad found a lifelong place of refuge from Life’s howling rages.
He found Peace.
And Ms Campbell? She now had the necessary COURAGE to face life’s hard knocks. As they must come to us all. But NOW her life had a FOUNDATION.
So Ms Campbell put her own roots down again - in the faith of her father.
She started to read the REAL Lives of the Saints - unedited stories of overcoming enormous hardships on the long road to ultimate Peace - with no sugar-coating.
And this is the story of how those stories got through her pain as life became tough for her (as it had for her Dad) - and on up the steep road to success!
***
My own dear Dad is now nearly 99.
He has lost most of his strength and agility - but he HASN’T lost his battle with Dementia.
He is stil fighting its onslaught.
What’s more, as time passes, he is more at peace, too. He has found a tranquility and gentleness of spirit that all his education and professional stature could not have given him.
They say youth is wasted on the young. When old age is not wasted on the old, it’s even rarer.
But for some elderly people, their Golden Years give them the inestimable gift of Grace.
And their final years are not wasted.
The author’s dad, though, is no longer with her.
But just like my own Dad is finding, he found at the end of his life there comes - for the few who have believed - the Crown of Life.
It’s called Faith.
August 21, 2013
Bottom line: GREAT BOOK.
This was truly a look inside, and dare I say there was even a plot? I loved how there was a story woven throughout, and that the stitches of the story were some of my favorite saints.
In no way does Campbell give in to the temptation just to tell us about the saints in a long “we could find that on Google” lecture. She does not reduce the saints to her own take on them, either.
In fact, within this book is some of the best writing I’ve seen and a style that captivated even me, an admitted non-biography/memoir-reader.
This is a book that documents an ongoing conversion in a way that I found engaging and thought-provoking. I caught myself marking passages and shaking my head.
I also found myself with tears running down my face. Campbell’s struggles with her own conversion and understanding, with her father’s declining health, and with her infertility were shared intimately in this book. It took some kind of courage to write the way she did throughout this book, and it was a light to me. After I finished the book, I wanted to email her words of encouragement, and I couldn’t help praying for her.
And isn’t that the beauty of a good book like this? It not only makes a stranger into someone we feel like we might know, it also brings us closer to some truths about ourselves. And, in the case of this book, it draws closer the communion of saints and the beauty of our Christianity.
Highly, highly recommended.
This was truly a look inside, and dare I say there was even a plot? I loved how there was a story woven throughout, and that the stitches of the story were some of my favorite saints.
In no way does Campbell give in to the temptation just to tell us about the saints in a long “we could find that on Google” lecture. She does not reduce the saints to her own take on them, either.
In fact, within this book is some of the best writing I’ve seen and a style that captivated even me, an admitted non-biography/memoir-reader.
This is a book that documents an ongoing conversion in a way that I found engaging and thought-provoking. I caught myself marking passages and shaking my head.
I also found myself with tears running down my face. Campbell’s struggles with her own conversion and understanding, with her father’s declining health, and with her infertility were shared intimately in this book. It took some kind of courage to write the way she did throughout this book, and it was a light to me. After I finished the book, I wanted to email her words of encouragement, and I couldn’t help praying for her.
And isn’t that the beauty of a good book like this? It not only makes a stranger into someone we feel like we might know, it also brings us closer to some truths about ourselves. And, in the case of this book, it draws closer the communion of saints and the beauty of our Christianity.
Highly, highly recommended.
March 13, 2014
Colleen Carrol Campbell, speechwriter for President George W. Bush, author of the critically acclaimed, The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy, and host of her own international television and radio show, “Faith & Culture” which airs three times weekly on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)—among a host of other accomplishments—has now written what she calls ‘a spiritual memoir’. It is that and so much more.
As an aside, I thought I received My Sisters the Saints as a birthday gift from my sister. Actually it was supposed to be for my daughters; however it was together in the box from Amazon with my birthday book and a receipt wishing me Happy Birthday. Now what would you do? Not sure about you, but I had to read it. Colleen can tell an interesting tale. It's not at all hard to see why she has done what she's done in spite of watching her beloved father decline with Alzheimers and her personal struggles with infertility.
My Sisters the Saints is a fascinating story of a talented young writer and spokeswoman of her generation who discovers the importance of her senior ‘sisters-in-faith’ to particular problems. As Colleen would come to a crisis or turning point in her life, she would discover (or re-encounter) just the saint whose special forté she needed. As her readers we are then treated to a description of the saint, some background information along with the spiritual wisdom which Colleen found so helpful. For me, this information was mostly review, with the exception of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross or Edith Stein who I still want to read more of her writings. The holy women Colleen invites us to embrace are: Teresa of Ávila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Mary of Nazareth, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Now who wouldn't to have those ladies for sisters?!
And excellent story and introduction to—or revisit with—these wonderful icons of holiness, wisdom and grace. Highly recommended!
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Read from start to finish in one long, late night/early morning. Probably shouldn't have, but I couldn't put it down. Review to follow.
As an aside, I thought I received My Sisters the Saints as a birthday gift from my sister. Actually it was supposed to be for my daughters; however it was together in the box from Amazon with my birthday book and a receipt wishing me Happy Birthday. Now what would you do? Not sure about you, but I had to read it. Colleen can tell an interesting tale. It's not at all hard to see why she has done what she's done in spite of watching her beloved father decline with Alzheimers and her personal struggles with infertility.
My Sisters the Saints is a fascinating story of a talented young writer and spokeswoman of her generation who discovers the importance of her senior ‘sisters-in-faith’ to particular problems. As Colleen would come to a crisis or turning point in her life, she would discover (or re-encounter) just the saint whose special forté she needed. As her readers we are then treated to a description of the saint, some background information along with the spiritual wisdom which Colleen found so helpful. For me, this information was mostly review, with the exception of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross or Edith Stein who I still want to read more of her writings. The holy women Colleen invites us to embrace are: Teresa of Ávila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Mary of Nazareth, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Now who wouldn't to have those ladies for sisters?!
And excellent story and introduction to—or revisit with—these wonderful icons of holiness, wisdom and grace. Highly recommended!
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Read from start to finish in one long, late night/early morning. Probably shouldn't have, but I couldn't put it down. Review to follow.
February 13, 2017
I thought I was "led" to read this book because the description on the jacket sounded right up my alley: a woman trying to locate herself and her beliefs somewhere in contemporary feminism and in religious teaching, who looks at female Saints to gain insight into her own struggles. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I was halfway through the book before I even realized that our ideologies were strikingly different, so I don't believe my dislike of the book has much of anything to do with differing political leanings or differing religious commitments, but I"ll disclose that here just the same.
When I read a book wherein someone is searching or on a quest of this nature, I expect to find a narrator who is _questioning_, someone who is full of self-doubt, someone who isn't sure about anything but uncovers truths for herself as she goes. This author seems little changed throughout the book. In the beginning, though she's been partying, she seems to know that the answer for her is to return to a more devout involvement with Catholicism. While she gives lip service to wanting to be a career woman but also wants to be a wife and mother (a struggle many women can identify with), she is also critical, and frankly a little superior, in her judgment of the fast track women she is working with in the White House where she is a speechwriter for George W. Bush. It is, in fact, this judgment that I found most distasteful. Instead of looking inside herself--and perhaps she was, but I saw little evidence of it in this book--she seems to be always projecting outward at other people who aren't quite as devout as she is (e.g. the Asian woman with the blue-eyed baby at the fertility specialist's office, who Campbell clearly believes resorted to IVF treatment--a treatment forbidden her because of her Catholic faith--and it makes Campbell angry at the woman and the other women who are choosing IVF when they "shouldn't" be because it's against Catholic teaching and she believes some of them are raising these babies without fathers, etc.), and there is no attempt to see Christ in those people who are so different than she is. There is A LOT of judgement in this book, and I could never comfortably settle into it.
Though there is nothing _wrong_ with the writing--she is, after all, an accomplished journalist and speechwriter with more chops than most of us have--there is something somewhat bloodless to it. I kept waiting to find a description or sentence that I would have to re-read for its artistry or marvel at its intent, but there are none. It's kind of plodding, and perhaps would have made a good, long article instead of a memoir.
My favorite sections were those on the saints, but mostly just because I'd be reminded of the histories of the saints I'd read before elsewhere. At no point was I surprised by a new take on a story, by new insight.
Perhaps I wanted too much for this book to be something other than it was. I was hoping for the delightful searching and frustration of protestant writers Sue Monk Kidd or Anne Lamott, who so willingly show their anger, their mistakes, their biases, and the joy of their discoveries without ever sounding quite so judgmental and sure they are right. I'm glad that Campbell is so satisfied with her life and her faith, but I wish I'd been more satisfied with her book.
When I read a book wherein someone is searching or on a quest of this nature, I expect to find a narrator who is _questioning_, someone who is full of self-doubt, someone who isn't sure about anything but uncovers truths for herself as she goes. This author seems little changed throughout the book. In the beginning, though she's been partying, she seems to know that the answer for her is to return to a more devout involvement with Catholicism. While she gives lip service to wanting to be a career woman but also wants to be a wife and mother (a struggle many women can identify with), she is also critical, and frankly a little superior, in her judgment of the fast track women she is working with in the White House where she is a speechwriter for George W. Bush. It is, in fact, this judgment that I found most distasteful. Instead of looking inside herself--and perhaps she was, but I saw little evidence of it in this book--she seems to be always projecting outward at other people who aren't quite as devout as she is (e.g. the Asian woman with the blue-eyed baby at the fertility specialist's office, who Campbell clearly believes resorted to IVF treatment--a treatment forbidden her because of her Catholic faith--and it makes Campbell angry at the woman and the other women who are choosing IVF when they "shouldn't" be because it's against Catholic teaching and she believes some of them are raising these babies without fathers, etc.), and there is no attempt to see Christ in those people who are so different than she is. There is A LOT of judgement in this book, and I could never comfortably settle into it.
Though there is nothing _wrong_ with the writing--she is, after all, an accomplished journalist and speechwriter with more chops than most of us have--there is something somewhat bloodless to it. I kept waiting to find a description or sentence that I would have to re-read for its artistry or marvel at its intent, but there are none. It's kind of plodding, and perhaps would have made a good, long article instead of a memoir.
My favorite sections were those on the saints, but mostly just because I'd be reminded of the histories of the saints I'd read before elsewhere. At no point was I surprised by a new take on a story, by new insight.
Perhaps I wanted too much for this book to be something other than it was. I was hoping for the delightful searching and frustration of protestant writers Sue Monk Kidd or Anne Lamott, who so willingly show their anger, their mistakes, their biases, and the joy of their discoveries without ever sounding quite so judgmental and sure they are right. I'm glad that Campbell is so satisfied with her life and her faith, but I wish I'd been more satisfied with her book.
May 19, 2013
I really wanted to like this book much more than I did. The writing is excellent, both in style and tone, so that wasn't the problem. I think it was just that my life has been so different than hers, and I already have devotion to these saints, that I didn't really "learn" anything from this book. This had the effect of lowering my liking of it. I'm fairly sure this is just a me thing, and not a reflection of the worth of the book itself.
March 7, 2015
I was disappointed with this book. The best parts were the discussions of the saints. Though I have witnessed the effects of Alzheimer's and dementia in family members, I found Carroll Campbell's descriptions of her interaction with her father and this disease weak.
I also have to admit that I found her whiny in parts. Perhaps many of us would come off this way in a memoir. I almost put the book down while she was describing her dilemma while working as a speech writer. She wanted so badly to get married and have children but felt that it would fly in the face of her feminism and hinder her career. Even after she made the decision to leave her position to get married, she still wasn't ready for motherhood.
When she decided she was, it did not come easily to her. I am in NO way saying that she deserved to struggle. I guess I am just surprised that knowing all she did and professing that she accepted Catholic teaching, she thought that she could just decide that she wanted children and it would happen.
On the plus side, this book has encouraged me once again to read the writings of St. Edith Stein.
I also have to admit that I found her whiny in parts. Perhaps many of us would come off this way in a memoir. I almost put the book down while she was describing her dilemma while working as a speech writer. She wanted so badly to get married and have children but felt that it would fly in the face of her feminism and hinder her career. Even after she made the decision to leave her position to get married, she still wasn't ready for motherhood.
When she decided she was, it did not come easily to her. I am in NO way saying that she deserved to struggle. I guess I am just surprised that knowing all she did and professing that she accepted Catholic teaching, she thought that she could just decide that she wanted children and it would happen.
On the plus side, this book has encouraged me once again to read the writings of St. Edith Stein.
September 6, 2017
Read this for the first time one or two years ago. Read it again this weekend and liked it even more than I remembered. There was so much more that I picked up on faith, love, family, etc. this second time around. This is the book that introduced me to Edith Stein and St. Teresa of Avila, both of whom I am slowly working my way through their individual biographies. I will probably end up buying this book eventually to have for my own library. I highlighted a lot in the kindle, especially the part where she talks about suffering and what it means to love another. It really resonated with me.
August 30, 2013
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh...this one is a tough one to review. It is her journey so who am I to "review". This is a very Catholic book and is probably best read by very devout Catholics who grew up in Catholic homes.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I am happy for the author that she is blessed with her religion and her family and much success.
At the risk of criticizing this spiritual journey book, I am only giving it 2 stars.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I am happy for the author that she is blessed with her religion and her family and much success.
At the risk of criticizing this spiritual journey book, I am only giving it 2 stars.
September 21, 2018
Author Colleen Carroll Campbell had it all: a great job working in the White House, the perfect husband, and an extremely bright looking future. Why then, did it seem as if something was missing? This is an excellent memoir that faces the challenges of secular feminism versus the reality of being a woman in today's society. The author traces her own faith journey, giving credit to some very wise female saints along the way.
Although it was recommended to me years ago, I'm convinced God found it serendipitous for me to read it right now. My teenage son has recently been confronting me with concerns he had with the Church. "It's sexist," he claims. He doesn't understand the Catholic Church teaching that men and women each have unique gifts and a particular role to play in marriage and in society. He looks at me, a woman who had two college degrees and a great career, and thinks I was somehow forced to give it up for my religion. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Like the author, I also felt like something was missing. Campbell's story points out what so many people miss: that oftentimes secular views of womanhood dismiss our natural yearning to be mothers. Sure, there are many women who have careers and children, but some people, like myself and Colleen Carroll Campbell, wanted to give our whole selves to the raising of our children. And do you know what? The Church applauds us for dedicating our lives to raising good human beings. It's not sexist - it's sex affirming.
I loved the author's personal journey and hope my son will be willing to read this memoir. I highly recommend it.
Although it was recommended to me years ago, I'm convinced God found it serendipitous for me to read it right now. My teenage son has recently been confronting me with concerns he had with the Church. "It's sexist," he claims. He doesn't understand the Catholic Church teaching that men and women each have unique gifts and a particular role to play in marriage and in society. He looks at me, a woman who had two college degrees and a great career, and thinks I was somehow forced to give it up for my religion. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Like the author, I also felt like something was missing. Campbell's story points out what so many people miss: that oftentimes secular views of womanhood dismiss our natural yearning to be mothers. Sure, there are many women who have careers and children, but some people, like myself and Colleen Carroll Campbell, wanted to give our whole selves to the raising of our children. And do you know what? The Church applauds us for dedicating our lives to raising good human beings. It's not sexist - it's sex affirming.
I loved the author's personal journey and hope my son will be willing to read this memoir. I highly recommend it.
December 13, 2015
I bought this book at a friend's recommendation, and the first chapter turned me off immediately. The book sat on my bookshelf for another year before I decided to pick it up again. This time, I found it very compelling. Once I got past my initial skepticism -- the author's struggles are not my own -- I actually found many similarities as the book went on. More importantly than whether or not I related to her struggles, however, I found that the author has this wonderful ability to look back on her life and point out how God seemed to be working in her life, and how she is filled with gratitude at each turning point where God revealed himself, often through the lives of his saints. Her writing is honest and balanced. I have not read a book that more authentically deals with the specific experience of being a woman in the US Catholic Church today, though this is a by-product of the writer's reflection on her experiences -- I really would have no interest in a book that said, "this is about a woman's experience in the US Church."
The book has invited me to reflect on a few important questions: If I were to write a similar book where I thought about my life thus far and tried to point out how God has been at work, what would it look like? Who would the saints be whose examples have inspired me to make the right decision at critical turning points? Do I allow myself to have a relationship with Mary and the saints? Do I look to their examples regularly?
I think these are worthwhile questions, and for that reason, I highly recommend this book.
The book has invited me to reflect on a few important questions: If I were to write a similar book where I thought about my life thus far and tried to point out how God has been at work, what would it look like? Who would the saints be whose examples have inspired me to make the right decision at critical turning points? Do I allow myself to have a relationship with Mary and the saints? Do I look to their examples regularly?
I think these are worthwhile questions, and for that reason, I highly recommend this book.
January 14, 2019
Beautiful story and darn good writing.
April 26, 2021
I stumbled on this spiritual memoir while searching for a book to use for a summer women’s group at my parish. Campbell takes the reader through 15 years of her young adult life. For each key moment, she shares a saint whose writings or witness inspired her at that moment and the spiritual wisdom she strove to integrate for herself. Although Campbell’s and my lives are quite different, I found in this narrative, a story that was particular enough to be unique and universal enough that even I could relate.
January 13, 2020
2020 review: this may end up being an annual read. It's amazing how much more depth I found this time around... Having read this book for the first time almost exactly a year ago, I was also able to reflect more on my own life - what's changed, what hasn't. I relate to the author in so many ways and find this book restorative and hopeful. I was particularly moved by her father's stunning spiritual insights, even amidst so much suffering. Just beautiful.
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2019 review: What an incredibly moving, thought-provoking memoir. Beautifully written - Colleen's struggles to reconcile her Catholicism with her feminism - her life as a journalist, wife, writer, and (finally) mother - are fascinating... At the heart of the story is a struggle to understand faith, family, and suffering - and the saints we meet along the way are a testament to the power of shared humanity... Highly recommend.
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2019 review: What an incredibly moving, thought-provoking memoir. Beautifully written - Colleen's struggles to reconcile her Catholicism with her feminism - her life as a journalist, wife, writer, and (finally) mother - are fascinating... At the heart of the story is a struggle to understand faith, family, and suffering - and the saints we meet along the way are a testament to the power of shared humanity... Highly recommend.
January 22, 2015
Mostly enjoyed this, especially her explanations of Edith Stein's writings, who I am eager to read now!
July 2, 2023
beautiful story of a beautiful woman. she really nails what true femininity is and in light of some great female saints. makes me want to read more on the works of st. teresa of avila and st. edith stein
October 4, 2023
I cannot believe how good this was. Colleen’s story feels so familiar to me. I especially loved her chapters that featured Teresa of Avila!
October 3, 2024
Quite frankly, nothing super earth shattering or theological here, but it is a beautiful testimony of how God worked in this woman’s life. It felt like a friend telling their life story to me, and I it definitely prompted me to see the Lord’s work in my own life by listening.
August 25, 2022
I am simultaneously grateful and ashamed it took me so long to read this book. Grateful that I read it at the right time in my life; ashamed that I judged this book harshly because it was 'Catholic'.
The right book at the absolute right time, it's maybe time to include more spiritual reading into my book stack.
The writing, perfection. The content, inspiring. How great is our God to be so merciful, patient and kind with all of us? Colleen's testimony is one of patience and persistence, heartache and loss. I was moved throughout and motivated to hold more tightly to the saints as she did.
The right book at the absolute right time, it's maybe time to include more spiritual reading into my book stack.
The writing, perfection. The content, inspiring. How great is our God to be so merciful, patient and kind with all of us? Colleen's testimony is one of patience and persistence, heartache and loss. I was moved throughout and motivated to hold more tightly to the saints as she did.
May 4, 2019
Wow. This book was such an easy and smooth read, but so deep. I highlighted the parts that spoke to me the most, but there are so many good things to be gleaned from this story. I will probably come back to this again and again, it is going to be a new favorite of mine to recommend to everyone. Read it when you feel you need encouragement to trust and surrender and embrace God's will for your life. A truly special book.
"The waiting *is* the cross."
"I wanted to analyze and dissect my cross... Jesus, I realized, wanted none of this. He did not need my supervision, and he was not asking me to understand my cross. He was asking me to carry it... He wanted me to joyfully EMBRACE my daily duties and leave the big picture to him."
"I grew in my conviction that such simple perseverance might just be the essence of authentic faith..."
"One phrase kept coming back to me as that fall faded into winter: God is God, and I am not... I cannot control God. I cannot predict God. I cannot force God to do what I want or explain why he has not done what I want. I cannot manipulate him with my prayers or deeds or feigned resignation to his will."
"No one knows the ways of God, not fully. He is a merciful and loving father who works all things to the good for those who love him, yes. But he does not answer to me, or to any of us, for the mysterious ways he does his redeeming work... In the face of such mystery, the only appropriate response is humble gratitude. It is the gratitude of a child who recognizes her utter dependence on God for every blessing and trusts he will turn even her sorrows to joys-- in a way and time of his choosing, not hers."
"Mary may not have understood what was happening to her son; Jesus's death probably felt to her like a world-ending blow. Yet she stayed and prayed anyway, trusting that God would bring good out of this apparent disaster. Her willingness to set aside her own dreams for her child and *embrace* God's mysterious will instead made Mary a cooperator in, rather than an obstacle to, Christ's saving mission."
"The waiting *is* the cross."
"I wanted to analyze and dissect my cross... Jesus, I realized, wanted none of this. He did not need my supervision, and he was not asking me to understand my cross. He was asking me to carry it... He wanted me to joyfully EMBRACE my daily duties and leave the big picture to him."
"I grew in my conviction that such simple perseverance might just be the essence of authentic faith..."
"One phrase kept coming back to me as that fall faded into winter: God is God, and I am not... I cannot control God. I cannot predict God. I cannot force God to do what I want or explain why he has not done what I want. I cannot manipulate him with my prayers or deeds or feigned resignation to his will."
"No one knows the ways of God, not fully. He is a merciful and loving father who works all things to the good for those who love him, yes. But he does not answer to me, or to any of us, for the mysterious ways he does his redeeming work... In the face of such mystery, the only appropriate response is humble gratitude. It is the gratitude of a child who recognizes her utter dependence on God for every blessing and trusts he will turn even her sorrows to joys-- in a way and time of his choosing, not hers."
"Mary may not have understood what was happening to her son; Jesus's death probably felt to her like a world-ending blow. Yet she stayed and prayed anyway, trusting that God would bring good out of this apparent disaster. Her willingness to set aside her own dreams for her child and *embrace* God's mysterious will instead made Mary a cooperator in, rather than an obstacle to, Christ's saving mission."
December 27, 2012
Upon picking up this book, you might recognize the author's name as she is the host of EWTN's show Faith and Culture. She also writes for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and blogs for the New York Times and Washington Post. In a nutshell, this is Mrs. Campbell's autobiography of her spiritual journey so far.
In addition to being an autobiography, we also get a glimpse at key female saints in the Catholic Church. Drawing on these saints, such as Mary, Teresa of Avila, and Dorothy Day, Mrs. Campbell tells how each one's life helped shape various points in her life. This was not only informative about the author, but also about the saints as I had never known much about the lives of some of these saints.
Although this is a book whose target audience is women, I felt that I could relate to some of Mrs. Campbell's life. Perhaps the stage in her life I relate to most is her college years. This is where the book starts off, in fact. Mrs. Campbell described her days in college as a party girl who put religion on the back burner. While I was never a party guy myself, I can relate to losing my religion to some degree in college. I think more people than not can relate to this as that seems to be a time we "adults" go through where we think we know more than we really do.
This was a very well written book, and I would expect nothing less from a journalist and presidential speechwriter. However, my biggest gripe with the book is chapter length. The chapters do have subheadings thankfully. However, with only six chapters in a 200+ page book, it made them a bit hard to get through each chapter in one sitting, so I always had a hard time finding a good stopping point. Overall, I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
In addition to being an autobiography, we also get a glimpse at key female saints in the Catholic Church. Drawing on these saints, such as Mary, Teresa of Avila, and Dorothy Day, Mrs. Campbell tells how each one's life helped shape various points in her life. This was not only informative about the author, but also about the saints as I had never known much about the lives of some of these saints.
Although this is a book whose target audience is women, I felt that I could relate to some of Mrs. Campbell's life. Perhaps the stage in her life I relate to most is her college years. This is where the book starts off, in fact. Mrs. Campbell described her days in college as a party girl who put religion on the back burner. While I was never a party guy myself, I can relate to losing my religion to some degree in college. I think more people than not can relate to this as that seems to be a time we "adults" go through where we think we know more than we really do.
This was a very well written book, and I would expect nothing less from a journalist and presidential speechwriter. However, my biggest gripe with the book is chapter length. The chapters do have subheadings thankfully. However, with only six chapters in a 200+ page book, it made them a bit hard to get through each chapter in one sitting, so I always had a hard time finding a good stopping point. Overall, I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
March 26, 2017
I generally do not enjoy memoirs, and especially not spiritual/religious ones, but I actually liked this one. Campbell did a marvelous job knitting together certain saints with crucial moments of her life, relaying how their influence inspired and effected her character and guided her spiritual development at different hardships throughout life. The memoir reads like a story, starting when Campbell is 20, in college, and feeling an acute emptiness... and ends when she was 36, after having endured times of success and benefit, and times of tragedy and adversity. Through it all, she discovers and taps into the wise genius of saintly women (Teresa of Avila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Faustina, Edith Stein, Mother Teresa) whose insights awaken a deeper understanding of faith for Campbell and give her the strength to go on as she grappled with pain & suffering. My favorite part of the book is her explanations and accounts of the saints' lives, and then what she subsequently gleaned from them and how it changed her perspective of life. Overall, I enjoyed reading about her spiritual journey. I'm glad she shared it.
June 19, 2018
Loved this story! I related to so much of Colleen’s life, crazy college days, infertility, parents’ dementia and passing. She beautifully and honestly wove her story with the stories of the saints who carried her through these times. Just when I thought her words might become ‘too’ holy, she would admit to difficulties with her own ability to believe and understand. I definitely related to that! But we press on and remain open to grace so that we grow in love and understanding. That is the walk of a Christian. The saints are not out of reach. Heaven is all around us and this book will help me remember that daily, and perhaps even more often.
June 13, 2019
This book resonated with my friends more than me, but it was still a good read.
Above is my previous review when I gave the book 4 stars. Now I’m upgrading this book to 5 stars after my second reading completed June 10, 2019. I have a new perspective and new experiences that have increased my appreciation and the story now resonates incredibly well!!
Above is my previous review when I gave the book 4 stars. Now I’m upgrading this book to 5 stars after my second reading completed June 10, 2019. I have a new perspective and new experiences that have increased my appreciation and the story now resonates incredibly well!!
June 6, 2014
Not at all what I judged the cover to be, but exactly what I needed... good mixture of saintly stories and personal witness with words of wisdom from each that I have already found helpful. An easy and insightful read.
March 26, 2020
Sweet memoir with great hagiographies of modern saints (with the exception of the Theotokos, who is clearly not modern.) Also, though not the focus of the book, a scathing indictment of memory care in our society.
January 8, 2021
Colleen Carroll Campbell does an absolutely fantastic job of presenting the spiritual memoir of a modern women searching for fulfillment while also providing one of the most accessible introductions to the saints I've found. The insights in this book have been life changing for the group I read it with. I have and will recommend this book to every woman I meet, and it's a solid read for men too in being introduced to some of the female saints and to understand the journey of women in our lives.
September 10, 2022
Very engaging memoir about the author’s spiritual journey as she navigates the ups and downs of life - career, love, her father’s failing health due to Alzheimer’s, and her battle with infertility. Along the way, she relies on - but also questions and explores - her faith as she discovers 6 saints who give her strength to persevere.
October 15, 2024
Actually so good, written very well and easy to follow, feel like you’re living her life with her.
December 2, 2024
A good read for what I needed at this season of my life.
July 21, 2021
Incredible book. It has such a beautiful balance of personal narrative and Saints’ lives and writings. Campbell transitions so well between the two, both aspects of the story complementing the other. She also goes deeper into Catholic apologetics than I was expecting, lovingly drawing hard lines where lay people are often irresolute and wavering, or judgmental and cruel. These apologetics are just a natural part of the story that she addresses as she encounters them throughout the narrative of her life.
Highly recommend, will definitely reread.
Highly recommend, will definitely reread.
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