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A Fire Was Lighted: The Life of Rose Hawthorne Lathrop
Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, the daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne, was the foundress of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne. Her religious name was Mother Mary Alphonsa.
“Rose Hawthorne (1851-1926) was born in Lenox, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of American author Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), who was known for the probing psychological aspects of his writing derived from his Puritan upbringing. In 1871, Rose married editor George Parsons Lathrop. Sadly, their only child died at the age of five in 1881. A writer in her own right, Rose published Along the Shore, a book of poems, in 1888. In 1891, Rose, along with her husband, converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1895, Rose formally separated from George, who died in 1897. Rose then embarked on a career nursing people afflicted with cancer. In 1899, she established St. Rose’s Free Home for Incurable Cancer, in New York City. Rose became a Catholic nun and founded the Dominican Congregation of St. Rose of Lima, later changed to the Servants of Relief for Incurable Cancer. Rose’s religious name was Alphonsa. In 1901, she opened Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, New York, a town named after her.”-Georgetown.
“Rose Hawthorne (1851-1926) was born in Lenox, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of American author Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), who was known for the probing psychological aspects of his writing derived from his Puritan upbringing. In 1871, Rose married editor George Parsons Lathrop. Sadly, their only child died at the age of five in 1881. A writer in her own right, Rose published Along the Shore, a book of poems, in 1888. In 1891, Rose, along with her husband, converted to Roman Catholicism.
In 1895, Rose formally separated from George, who died in 1897. Rose then embarked on a career nursing people afflicted with cancer. In 1899, she established St. Rose’s Free Home for Incurable Cancer, in New York City. Rose became a Catholic nun and founded the Dominican Congregation of St. Rose of Lima, later changed to the Servants of Relief for Incurable Cancer. Rose’s religious name was Alphonsa. In 1901, she opened Rosary Hill Home in Hawthorne, New York, a town named after her.”-Georgetown.
479 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 30, 2023
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October 26, 2025
I almost gave this 2 stars but upped it to 3 because I did learn more about Rose Hawthorne Lathrop (Mother Alphonsa) than I knew before. But ...
This was written in 1948 and reflects biases and writing styles of the time. In the first half of the book, the author spends more time of Rose's famous father (Nathaniel Hawthorne) and the overall family than on Rose. The middle part casts some shade on Rose's pre-religious writing endeavors and lifestyle. The last part delves into her incredible work serving the poor who had cancer, but it seems to me it was from a bird's-eye perspective.
One more thing: the book bounces between narrative to what I believe are imagined conversations, particularly from Rose's childhood. I'm guessing about that. The author made extensive use of Rose's memoirs and her writings, so some quoted conversations might be from those sources.
I realize the author was a famous poet and historian of Catholicism. But I'm left wishing to find another biography of this interesting woman.
This was written in 1948 and reflects biases and writing styles of the time. In the first half of the book, the author spends more time of Rose's famous father (Nathaniel Hawthorne) and the overall family than on Rose. The middle part casts some shade on Rose's pre-religious writing endeavors and lifestyle. The last part delves into her incredible work serving the poor who had cancer, but it seems to me it was from a bird's-eye perspective.
One more thing: the book bounces between narrative to what I believe are imagined conversations, particularly from Rose's childhood. I'm guessing about that. The author made extensive use of Rose's memoirs and her writings, so some quoted conversations might be from those sources.
I realize the author was a famous poet and historian of Catholicism. But I'm left wishing to find another biography of this interesting woman.
Displaying 1 of 1 review