A Mended and Broken Heart: The Life and Love of Francis of Assisi

by Wendy Murray

Francis of Assisi is Catholicism’s most popular saint. Tens of millions of spiritual seekers summon his name and example. But the real Francis-both his complicated personality and his complex theology-have been misunderstood for centuries.

In 1228, Pope Gregory IX rushed to canonize St. Francis only two years after his death. Soon thereafter, the Church eliminated significant aspects of his biography from the public record. For Francis’s early life was defined by his profligacy; shortly before dying, Francis himself warned his brothers: “Don’t be too quick to canonize me. I am perfectly capable of fathering a child.”

In A Mended and Broken Heart , journalist Wendy Murray slices through the bowdlerized version of Francis’s life promoted within the Catholic tradition and reveals instead a saint who was in every way also a real man. Murray stresses in particular the crucial but completely neglected role that Clare of Assisi played in Francis’s life, both pre- and postconversion, and his theology.

A profoundly humane portrait of a misunderstood saint, A Mended and Broken Heart makes a powerful case that St. Francis’s life and thought make him a role model for religious seekers of every faith.

Genres: Biography, Religion, History, Nonfiction, Catholic

251 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Murray launched her career in the writing industry 25 years ago, starting as a freelance writer for a local paper. Her work immediately caught the eye of major media outlets resulting in her serving as a regional reporter for Time magazine in the early 1990s. Thereafter she worked for 10 years with a national magazine, first as an editor and staff writer, and later as Senior Writer. She has published 10 books through mainstream publishing houses.

Her eleventh book and debut novel, came out in Jan. 2011 and won favorable reviews.
She has taught journalism, feature writing, and screenplay writing at the college level for several years; has published memoirs, fiction and nonfiction books.

Ecco Qua Press crowns her life-long career as a writer and journalist.

Reviews

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some interesting work here, and some interesting speculation...but it only goes so far, and the end result is a book that feels too short and too unwilling to commit to its central idea. Either admit Francis and Clare had a relationship, or disprove it...but don't dance around it, trapping the reader in a loop of frustration.

[Julie Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never cared much about St. Francis or St. Clare ... and I'm not really a fan of biographies ... plus I'm not attracted to big books about one saint. Plus this one has a "determined to shock you" feel (which could be completely my own vibe, I must admit).

However, that is part of the point of book clubs, right? To force us past our comfortable envelopes. I am beginning to not be able to count the number of times that I've enjoyed a book I would never have picked up otherwise, all because I had to read it for a podcast or book club.

And, at least the print is large (nice attitude, right? :-D). Heeeere we gooooo....

UPDATE:
On about page 60 so perhaps this is premature, BUT I am not yet learning anything I don't know already. AND I think it is interesting that Murray is so insistent on using original sources for Francis' life story but then enjoys tossing out speculations about whether he and Clare knew each other at this point in their lives. Or at that point? Or did she watch him in the city square before he went off to war? Etc. These bits are her own insertions which she has decried in later, smoothed out bios of Francis ... and also, they are almost school-girl-ish in their insinuation of romance or interest ... hmmmm, me no like that.

Nothing much changed from my original assessment, except that the author completely failed in her original stated objective ... to show how Francis' and Clare's human, romantic love morphed into a religious love of God that was supported by their previous relationship. Perhaps because any support for a romantic relationship between Francis and Clare consisted mostly of the author wondering if perhaps Clare heard her parents talking about that rapscallion Francis' playboy habits of wandering late with his gang and singing ballads loudly throughout town.

Not a bad book, just that the author seemed to have forgotten what she started out to prove. It does a decent job of telling Francis' life though.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author's main point, that St. Francis of Assisi was in love with St. Clare of Assisi, is not well developed. The evidence presented, praying together at the start of their religious conversions and their later contact is interesting but not convincing.

The book covers other pieces of St. Francis's life. Of particular interest to me were his experiences on a Crusade and his illnesses and their treatments.

While there is some interesting material here, it needs more content. This is more like an essay than a book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful - a bit romantic and poetic in places but generally a book that puts St Francis (and to a lesser extent St Clare) into a time and place and does a good job of making them seem human. The author seems to have researched her subject from 'love' rather than purely academic interest and not got bogged down in either a history lesson nor an overly spiritual approach.

[Jennifer Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautifully written book. Wendy Murray brings St. Francis front and center. He's sitting with you, and you want to turn to him and ask him questions and talk to him. He's palatable, so close, and sensible.... you want to reach out and touch him. The only romance here is the one he shares with poverty and Christ.

[Jean Marie Angelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography that is readable and relatable. Thank you for showing the human side of this saint.

[Rae Corrigan Grove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to learn more about the lives of St Francis and St Clare!

[Shippseattle]

A humane and uncensored portrait of St. Francis of Assisi, Catholicism's most popular--and least understood--saint.
Francis of Assisi is Catholici...more

[close] A humane and uncensored portrait of St. Francis of Assisi, Catholicism's most popular--and least understood--saint.
Francis of Assisi is Catholicism's most popular saint. Tens of millions of spiritual seekers summon his name and example. But the real Francis--both his complicated personality and his complex theology--have been misunderstood for centuries.

In 1228, Pope Gregory IX rushed to canonize St. Francis only two years after his death. Soon thereafter, the Church eliminated significant aspects of his biography from the public record. For Francis's early life was defined by his profligacy; shortly before dying, Francis himself warned his brothers: "Don't be too quick to canonize me. I am perfectly capable of fathering a child."

In A Mended and a Broken Heart, religion scholar Wendy Murray slices through the bowdlerized version of Francis's life promoted within the Catholic tradition and reveals instead a saint who was in every way also a real man. Murray stresses in particular the crucial but completely neglected role that Clare of Assisi played in Francis's life, both pre- and postconversion, and his theology.

A profoundly humane portrait of a misunderstood saint, A Mended and a Broken Heart makes a powerful case that St. Francis's life and thought make him a role model for religious seekers of every faith. [close]

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book on Saint Francis, it's trying to get attention by suggesting that Saint Francis and Saint Clare were attracted to each other before deciding to pursue celibate religious lives. An interesting conjecture and the brief discussion of source documents support the claim, which I personally find humanizes Francis a bit more. But the book also tries to serve as a general biography of Saint Francis, too. The author should have focused on making the book one or the other because it just seems a bit shallow. Although I did appreciate her bibliography because it introduced me to some interesting works I hadn't heard of before, like the biography written by a former mayor of Assisi, Italy using city documents not available to other researchers. For Franciscan-o-philes only.

[Fklicata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very impressed with the quality of the research and the academic integrity that went into telling such a thoroughly personal story of the man who lived so many hundreds of years ago. His story is very compelling, beginning with his life as a spoiled playboy whose one ambition was to follow in the tradition of King Arthur's fabled Knights of the Roundtable, and ending with the founding of the Franciscan Order and his eventual sainthood. You don't have to be even remotely religious to appreciate his story.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy-to-read introduction to the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. I appreciated her work with primary historical sources and the historical context. I was less taken by the way she speculatively filled in missing pieces, particularly around Francis' relationship with Clare. The work was also missing substantive engagement with Francis' own writings and his theology and mysticism and thus is far from a complete biography.

[Diane C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a nice introductory book about the life of St. Francis, and also Umbrian history. Yet something was missing...........close but no cigar.

Also, it's difficult to relate to his and Clare's religious devotion in a modern context.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was well written. The suggestion of a celibate attaction between Francis and Clare was an interesting premise which even the author admits does not hold water. I think she was trying to humanize the Saint.
I would read it again.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the life of St Francis of Assisi but there is rather a lot of speculation and while it reads well it just skims the surface of the issues she raises. This book is pleasant to read but you are unlikely to learn much new about St Francis from this work.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy, interesting read. A little vague in spots.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sparse and satisfying.