Mother Teresa: A Life Inspired

by Wyatt North

Throughout her life, Mother Teresa worked to transform our ideas of home, love, and family.

Her life teaches us that it is never too late to make a difference in the world.

As a figure of the 20th century, she saw the rapid changes taking place in the world and among its people. She asked individuals to contemplate the meaning of ideas such as home, love, and family and to be open to new conceptions of these terms in the midst of our changing world.

In doing so, Mother Teresa introduced a new, modern way of doing missionary work, led an international religious organization, and was beloved by people the world over for the work she did out of love for her family, which would one day grow to include all of humanity.

Her life teaches us that it is never too late to make a difference in the world.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Christian, Religion, Catholic, Christianity, Spirituality

141 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 26, 2014

Reviews

[Deborah Sastroredjo · Rating 3 out of 5]

although the story of mother Teresa was sufficient I feel like it was not adequate enough to portray the person and the work she did. it seemed to be a more clinical recollection of her work and life events. she was a remarkable woman and needs good narration to introduce those who have never heard of her to her works of love.

[Faith Spinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother Teresa most certainly lived a life inspired. And what's more her life inspired me when I was a child. I looked to the way she served others and how she lived for God and wanted to be like that. When I sent her a letter and my pocket money and received in return a hand written signed letter and prayer card from her, well that was just the icing on the cake!

This book chronicles her life from her childhood in Skopje through to her life's work in India. It shows not only the amazing life she lived, the deeds she did, and the many people she touched, and situations she helped bring peace to but it also shows her to be totally human even as she gave up all to serve God. She was a woman like any other and had her own doubts and struggles and yet through it all she kept going. Her life teaches us that it is never too late to make a difference in the world, and also that any difference made is significant.

[Rudolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring motivational read to understand life of Mother Theresa

The book is well written depicting the details of hardships of Mother Theresa. Her love towards God and neighbor is infectious. It narrates the various situations she had to go through and how both her father's and mother's qualities uniquely played a role in her achievements.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very short and very surface introduction into theife of Mother Teresa. This is good to give a basic overview of her life to someone who knows little about her (like me). If you're seeking more in-depth detail, there are certainly better options.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, brief biography of an amazing woman.

I learned a few things about Mother Teresa that I did not know and was pleased with the easy flow of the book.

Definitely not an in-depth or detailed biography, but the book did inspire me to look up some You Tube videos of her interviews in the 1970s.

An amazing woman with a perceptive mind.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have often wondered about Mother Teresa and how she got where she was. She has led a very interesting life. This book is a nice introduction to her.

[Jack Maggiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother Teresa’s life is an inspiration. Premise is to love your neighbor as you would yourself

[Lecy Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love these "A Life Inspired" books that focus on a notable person. I didn't know a whole lot about Mother Teresa other than the occasional news article about something that she'd done, but was really encouraged by her story.

[V Maan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knew almost nothing about Mother Teresa until the other day ( I thought she was a fictional character lol). Reading up on internet and then read this, very brief, has helped fill in about her life and gives a recount of important times of her life. But quite surfacey and would like to go more in depth.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this for free and it was a very informative read although I think there was a lot that could have been expanded on if this was a longer book. It is not quite as detailed as I would have liked as I found myself thinking 'I must look that part up on the internet' to learn more. However, if you know very little of Mother Teresa then this is a good place to start to learn how she got her calling, served God and listened to his message that she then give up her teaching and help those less fortunate in the slums of Calcutta. What Mother Theresa achieved in such a short space of time was very impressive.

The fact that Mother Teresa was such a presence even though she was so small in stature and involved herself in political situations was fascinating to read but again I felt more detail was needed. It's interesting that we learn in this book about the Nun who took over from Mother Teresa in the 90's yet her name was not familiar to me which just shows that Mother Teresa is irreplaceable. Interesting also to read of how quickly the process to Sainthood has been approved which is unheard of so soon after death.

A recommended read.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to read more biographies. It's only natural to assume what I know of people from news stories is the important key points of their lives. Of course that's a horrible assumption. And this short book proves this point.

Mother Teresa was perhaps one of the most beloved people in recent history. She ran the mission in India which most know about. Not as well known are the missions in other parts of the world, her role in caring for people after man made disasters, or her theology which drove her life.

As a Protestant, I had my assumptions and biases about what Catholics believed. This book blew all of that out if the water. Her beliefs, as presented in this book, are not extensively expounded but are concisely and repeatedly presented. Which is not a bad thing, because despite their simplicity, they are difficult to live by, as evidenced by how the world views the belief of many Christians. The message of her life is convicting and I wish I had the opportunity to have met her, to learn from and be inspired by her.

Easy 5 stars. Highly recommended.

[Shirley Henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring.

it was wonderful and interesting to learn so much of the background of Mother Teresa and how much her mother influenced her. I believe God raises up certain people for certain reasons and at certain times but, everyone does not respond to God's call. God prepared her for His calling and she responded and look how many people were blessed------also a good lesson for all of us.

[drina goo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and easy read about an amazing woman. This is a high level book that while going through the facts of her life, it does not do an in depth analysis that can be found in other biographies. If you're looking for a starting point, a place to dip your toe into the life of Mother Teresa, this is a good place to start. It will certainly pique your interest to understand her life, work and faith more.

[Liesbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty basic book describing the life of Mother Theresa.
The writing style is a bit dull and repetitive.
However, I didn't know much about Mother Theresa, apart from her reputation as a little nun doing amazing work in the slums of Calcutta, and after finishing the book I am much better informed of the amazing work she's done globally.

[Wiktoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Mother Teresa is fascinating. The book presents the most important facts about the humble nun, who has just been announced Saint. However, the writing itself is rather sloppy, and the text is peppered with spelling and grammatical errors. It also contains quite a lot of repetitions. Mother Teresa definitely deserves a better book.

[Margot M. Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

Though not a Catholic mother Theresa has been an inspiration to me thorough my life. She is a great example of what God can accomplish through a life yielded to Him.
This book tells her story in simple words without embellishments.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Very interesting. What an amazing mother she had as an example!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched and friendly. But rather soul-less.

[Una Tiers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating analysis of Mother Teresa's life and the seeds of her savvy.

[Beth Peninger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a perfect look into the life of Mother Teresa. North gives the reader a summarized version of this powerhouse of a human but the summary is in-depth. I learned some things about this amazing woman that I had not realized before. Such as, her Father was very politically involved in her homeland of North Macedonia and she took that example and carried it forward into her own life. She was very savvy politically. Also, I did not realize she spent her life increasing her activity on behalf of people, not slowing down. She was a powerful force until her last breath. I honestly don't know where she got all of her energy.

This is a very incomplete and lackluster review for a book I enjoyed very much but sometimes not much can be said about a book (or movie or show) except that it should be read (or watched or listened to) in order to understand why it is so good. In North's conclusion of his look at the life of Mother Teresa he makes a statement that sums her and her presence and work in this world rather perfectly. "In short, she showed the world that, by re-imagining the meaning of family, people, and love, an individual could bring about peace."

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[Ann Baxter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course Mother Teresa herself deserves 5 stars, but this review of her life and philosophy was marred either by poor editing or poor translation. I’m not sure if it was originally written in English. If it was, the editing, or lack there of was distracting.

The philosophy she lived by was flawless. Love your neighbor as yourself, and she had a clear understanding of who here neighbors were. When you look at all she accomplished, you realize what a bright and formidable woman she must have been. She might have appeared to be quite and unassuming, but she managed hundreds of schools, orphanages, hospitals and hospices throughout the world.

Guileless, she sets an example for all of us on how to treat one another.

[Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book hoping to get a snapshot of Mother Teresa's life. I gave it 5 stars because it was exactly that. I have always admired Mother Teresa, but really couldn't have told you more than 3 things about her. Now I can:
1. She formed the Sister's of Charity.
2. She was born in Albania.
3. Love your neighbor, the world is your neighbor, love the poor.
4. She started with Sister's of Loreto.
5. She served in India, New York, and the Middle East among other areas.
This book was an easy read, that hit on the highlights, but did not go into great depth. Great for a plane ride, train ride or long road trip.

[Andrea Frohman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do realize that I downloaded this as a free e-book, but I just could not get through this at all. It was too clinical, as though the writer were only doing this as an assignment, and they did not care at all about who she was or what Mother Teresa did. I wonder if they just streamlined and combined many articles and stories about her. I am sure some enjoy the dry writing, but I would rather feel as if I am sitting next to the person telling me the story in a friendly manner, and not a cold way.

[Desarae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I really enjoyed this quick walk through the life of Mother Teresa, from early girlhood family-life to her death, and all the amazing accomplishments in between. What an astounding woman! She truly grasped such a powerful truth of Jesus and the heart of Father, and I say that as a Protestant. This makes me want to read more about her as well as her own writings. I gave this a 4 star only because there were spelling and grammatical errors throughout that I found annoying and stopped the flow of reading.

[Carol Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring history of Mother Teresa

Well written story of how Mother Teresa came to be an outstanding example of Christ's message to love one another. I grew up hearing about her ministry to the poor & forgotten in India but had no idea of how far & successfully she had expanded those ministries to so many others in the world. How the world was blessed by her most humble yet most effective presence! So glad I read this.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been curious about Mother Teresa

First of all this was very easy to read. It was not a dry, boring history lesson. I am not Catholic although I am Christian. I have always wondered about Mother Teresa. She is definitely someone I would like to emulate. This book did an excellent job of giving the reason and motivation behind her good works namely her love of Christ and love for the poor.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative but lacking in depth.

Good overview of the life and works of Mother Theresa. Ultimately it is an overview and nothing else. If you're already familiar with the life of Mother Theresa then you won't find anything you didnt already know in this book. Very systematic writing style. It reads more like a college term paper than a biography. The writer is very matter of fact and fails to highlight the beauty and passion of the life of Mother Theresa.

[Tyler Ebert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book because it has the highest rating of any Mother Teresa book on Goodreads. Unfortunately, it appears the target audience is 5th grade children. The book is short (121 pages double-spaced), and not detailed at all. The author is actually a publishing company and the whole thing reads like an essay written by a student. If you want a longer and more comprehensive work on Mother Teresa, try Wikipedia.

[FR ADRIAN G HEAD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful

It seems that the Mayor of New York, initially uncooperative, had to recognise that Saint Frances Cabrini was extremely successful and had achieved the impossible, and he stated that she should have been a man. To which she replied that women can achieve things that men cannot. How very true this was of Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta. Both had to go through hard times and situations, but they were strong and determined.