Therese: Saint of the Little Way

by Frances Parkinson Keyes

Originally issued under the "Written in Heaven", this book has been read and approved at the Carmelite Convent of Lisieux. This beautiful book is the result of the author's personal visit to the convent/places that the Little Flower lived her life in. The nostalgic and haunting, beautiful, black and white photos from early photography years are priceless. God bless the author for her faithful response to inspiration in seeing this book through and revealing her personal encounter and facts about the Little Flower. St. Theresa, pray for us?

186 pages

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Frances Parkinson Keyes was an American author who wrote about her life as the wife of a U.S. Senator and novels set in New England, Louisiana, and Europe. A convert to Roman Catholicism, her later works frequently featured Catholic themes and beliefs. Her last name rhymes with "skies," not "keys."

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A VERY SYMPATHETIC PORTRAYAL OF THIS POPULAR SAINT

Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) was a French Carmelite nun who died of tuberculosis at the age of 24; popularly known as "The Little Flower of Jesus," in 1997 she was declared a Doctor of the Church---the youngest person to be so honored.

Author Keyes notes concerning Thérèse's sorrow at age 5 over her mother's death, "The carping of critics and the solemnity of scholars over this side of Thérèse Martin's character... are actually annoying to the average woman... She had lost her mother... under circumstances which were inexplicably dreadful to her... and it took her a long time to recover from them. But there is nothing extraordinary, nothing unnatural, about this." (Pg. 59) Keyes later observes that "The feminine contemporaries of Thérèse Martin and their daughters will never be guilty of underestimating what she endured from the migraine of which some of her male biographers have presented so distorted a picture." (Pg. 84)

Keyes notes, "Like her postulancy, her novitiate was prolonged. Again, this was through no fault of hers. The same exterior forces of pride and prejudice combined, which had delayed her investiture, delayed her profession. But... she put the blame for postponement on herself. She aspired to saintliness; yet it seemed to her that she did not possess even the power for average well-doing..." (Pg. 136) Thérèse, "though she was eager to suffer... knew that she must be able to support her sufferings... With all the will power of which she was capable, she longed to get well." (Pg. 153)

Keyes notes that "Her life up to this time had been curiously free from what, for lack of better words, we call 'supernatural experiences'." (Pg. 158) Keyes nevertheless recounted "a vivid vision which was unique in character, at least as far as we know. So it is doubtful... if there were others like it." (Pg. 161) In Keyes' summary, she concludes that Thérèse stands for purpose; purity; resourcefulness; loving-kindness; courage; and faith; "we who are average persons ... can pattern our lives after hers..." (Pg. 177-179)

This is a very helpful book about an extremely popular figure.

[Theoni Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a living book! Written by a mom and excellent writer, this book was different from any other book on St. Therese. The author strove to get as close to the saint as possible for her own love of Therese, but in doing so, provides many details about Therese’s life that are missing in other books. She also describes the convent and places that were part of Therese’s life like a travelogue. Images of the convent are still in my head. It’s lovely!

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

The reader learns as much about the biographer as her subject.