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River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey
“ River of Fire is Sister Helen’s story leading up to her acclaimed book Dead Man Walking —it is thought-provoking, informative, and inspiring. Read it and it will set your heart ablaze!”—Mark Shriver, author of My Search for the Real Pope Francis
The nation’s foremost leader in efforts to abolish the death penalty shares the story of her growth as a spiritual leader, speaks out about the challenges of the Catholic Church, and shows that joy and religion are not mutually exclusive.
Sister Helen Prejean’s work as an activist nun, campaigning to educate Americans about the inhumanity of the death penalty, is known to millions worldwide. Less widely known is the evolution of her spiritual journey from praying for God to solve the world’s problems to engaging full-tilt in working to transform societal injustices. Sister Helen grew up in a well-off Baton Rouge family that still employed black servants. She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph at the age of eighteen and was in her forties when she had an awakening that her life’s work was to immerse herself in the struggle of poor people forced to live on the margins of society.
Sister Helen writes about the relationships with friends, fellow nuns, and mentors who have shaped her over the years. In this honest and fiercely open account, she writes about her close friendship with a priest, intent on marrying her, that challenged her vocation in the “new territory of the heart.” The final page of River of Fire ends with the opening page of Dead Man Walking , when she was first invited to correspond with a man on Louisiana’s death row.
River of Fire is a book for anyone interested in journeys of faith and spirituality, doubt and belief, and “catching on fire” to purpose and passion. It is a book, written in accessible, luminous prose, about how to live a spiritual life that is wide awake to the sufferings and creative opportunities of our world.
“Prejean chronicles the compelling, sometimes-difficult journey to the heart of her soul and faith with wit, honesty, and intelligence. A refreshingly intimate memoir of a life in faith.”— Kirkus Reviews
The nation’s foremost leader in efforts to abolish the death penalty shares the story of her growth as a spiritual leader, speaks out about the challenges of the Catholic Church, and shows that joy and religion are not mutually exclusive.
Sister Helen Prejean’s work as an activist nun, campaigning to educate Americans about the inhumanity of the death penalty, is known to millions worldwide. Less widely known is the evolution of her spiritual journey from praying for God to solve the world’s problems to engaging full-tilt in working to transform societal injustices. Sister Helen grew up in a well-off Baton Rouge family that still employed black servants. She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph at the age of eighteen and was in her forties when she had an awakening that her life’s work was to immerse herself in the struggle of poor people forced to live on the margins of society.
Sister Helen writes about the relationships with friends, fellow nuns, and mentors who have shaped her over the years. In this honest and fiercely open account, she writes about her close friendship with a priest, intent on marrying her, that challenged her vocation in the “new territory of the heart.” The final page of River of Fire ends with the opening page of Dead Man Walking , when she was first invited to correspond with a man on Louisiana’s death row.
River of Fire is a book for anyone interested in journeys of faith and spirituality, doubt and belief, and “catching on fire” to purpose and passion. It is a book, written in accessible, luminous prose, about how to live a spiritual life that is wide awake to the sufferings and creative opportunities of our world.
“Prejean chronicles the compelling, sometimes-difficult journey to the heart of her soul and faith with wit, honesty, and intelligence. A refreshingly intimate memoir of a life in faith.”— Kirkus Reviews
320 pages, Hardcover
Published August 13, 2019
233 people are currently reading
1872 people want to read
About the author
Helen Prejean
37 books138 followersSister Helen Prejean, CSJ (b. April 21, 1939, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a vowed Roman Catholic religious sister, one of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille, who has become a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty.
Her efforts began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1981, through a correspondence she maintained with a convicted murderer, Elmo Patrick Sonnier, who was sentenced to death by electrocution. She visited Sonnier in prison and agreed to be his spiritual adviser in the months leading up to his death. The experience gave Prejean greater insight into the process involved in executions and she began speaking out against capital punishment. At the same time, she also founded Survive, an organization devoted to providing counselling to the families of victims of violence.
Prejean has since ministered to many other inmates on death row and witnessed several more executions. She served as National Chairperson of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty from 1993 to 1995.
An autobiographical account of her relationship with Sonnier and other inmates on death row served as the basis for the feature film and opera Dead Man Walking. In the film, she was portrayed by Susan Sarandon, who won an Academy Award. (Although Prejean herself was uncredited, she made a minor cameo as a woman in a candlelit vigil scene outside Louisiana State Penitentiary[1])
In addition to Sonnier, the account is also based on the inmate Robert Lee Willie who, with his friend Joseph Jesse Vaccaro, raped and killed 18-year-old Faith Hathaway May 28, 1980, eight days later kidnapping a Madisonville couple from a wooded lovers' lane and driving them to Alabama. They raped the 16-year-old girl, Debbie Morris (née Cuevas), who would later become the author of her book Forgiving the Dead Man Walking [2] and then stabbed and shot her boyfriend, 20-year-old Mark Brewster, leaving him tied to a tree paralyzed from the waist down.[3]
In 1999 Prejean formed Moratorium 2000 - a petition drive that eventually grew into a National Education campaign entitled The Moratorium Campaign, initially staffed by Robert Jones, Theresa Meisz and Jené O'Keefe and launching Witness to Innocence.
Prejean's second book, The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions was published in December 2004. In it, she tells the story of two men, Dobie Gillis Williams and Joseph O'Dell, whom she accompanied to their executions. She believes that both of these men were innocent. The book also examines the recent history of death penalty decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States and looks at the track record of George W. Bush as Governor of Texas.
In 1998 Prejean was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award. It was named after a 1963 encyclical letter by Pope John XXIII that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris is Latin for "Peace on Earth."
Prejean now bases her work at the Death Penalty Discourse Network in New Orleans and spends her time giving talks across the United States and around the world. She is pro-life: "The pope says we should be unconditionally pro-life; against abortion, against euthanasia, against suicide and (that means also) against the death penalty." This view is commonly called the Consistent Life Ethic.
In 2008, Sister Helen spoke at Jesuit High School, Sacramento, for a theme regarding social justice and the death penalty. Over 1000 students watched her speak on her opinions. Sr. Helen spoke at LaSalle University in Philadelphia on March 23, 2009 Prejean is currently scheduled to speak at the University of Puget Sound on March 30th. The event is open to the public
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page was last modified on 24 April 2009, at 17:45 (UTC).
Her efforts began in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1981, through a correspondence she maintained with a convicted murderer, Elmo Patrick Sonnier, who was sentenced to death by electrocution. She visited Sonnier in prison and agreed to be his spiritual adviser in the months leading up to his death. The experience gave Prejean greater insight into the process involved in executions and she began speaking out against capital punishment. At the same time, she also founded Survive, an organization devoted to providing counselling to the families of victims of violence.
Prejean has since ministered to many other inmates on death row and witnessed several more executions. She served as National Chairperson of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty from 1993 to 1995.
An autobiographical account of her relationship with Sonnier and other inmates on death row served as the basis for the feature film and opera Dead Man Walking. In the film, she was portrayed by Susan Sarandon, who won an Academy Award. (Although Prejean herself was uncredited, she made a minor cameo as a woman in a candlelit vigil scene outside Louisiana State Penitentiary[1])
In addition to Sonnier, the account is also based on the inmate Robert Lee Willie who, with his friend Joseph Jesse Vaccaro, raped and killed 18-year-old Faith Hathaway May 28, 1980, eight days later kidnapping a Madisonville couple from a wooded lovers' lane and driving them to Alabama. They raped the 16-year-old girl, Debbie Morris (née Cuevas), who would later become the author of her book Forgiving the Dead Man Walking [2] and then stabbed and shot her boyfriend, 20-year-old Mark Brewster, leaving him tied to a tree paralyzed from the waist down.[3]
In 1999 Prejean formed Moratorium 2000 - a petition drive that eventually grew into a National Education campaign entitled The Moratorium Campaign, initially staffed by Robert Jones, Theresa Meisz and Jené O'Keefe and launching Witness to Innocence.
Prejean's second book, The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions was published in December 2004. In it, she tells the story of two men, Dobie Gillis Williams and Joseph O'Dell, whom she accompanied to their executions. She believes that both of these men were innocent. The book also examines the recent history of death penalty decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States and looks at the track record of George W. Bush as Governor of Texas.
In 1998 Prejean was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award. It was named after a 1963 encyclical letter by Pope John XXIII that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris is Latin for "Peace on Earth."
Prejean now bases her work at the Death Penalty Discourse Network in New Orleans and spends her time giving talks across the United States and around the world. She is pro-life: "The pope says we should be unconditionally pro-life; against abortion, against euthanasia, against suicide and (that means also) against the death penalty." This view is commonly called the Consistent Life Ethic.
In 2008, Sister Helen spoke at Jesuit High School, Sacramento, for a theme regarding social justice and the death penalty. Over 1000 students watched her speak on her opinions. Sr. Helen spoke at LaSalle University in Philadelphia on March 23, 2009 Prejean is currently scheduled to speak at the University of Puget Sound on March 30th. The event is open to the public
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page was last modified on 24 April 2009, at 17:45 (UTC).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
September 13, 2019
Let me preface this by admitting that I am an atheist. That said, I admire so highly those who have a strong faith and especially those who feel so strongly that they take orders. I knew a fellow student in college who went into the Poor Clares after graduation, and she was so very sure that she was making the best choice for her. It was incredible to witness.
What I didn’t realize until reading this book was how much the Catholic Church has changed in since Vatican II. I’ve studied a great deal of Christianity during college, but my classes were more rooted in the history of the religion and not what has occurred in the modern day. Sister Helen Prejean enters the convent straight out of high school, and back then, the rules were extremely strict and harkened back to medieval times. But after Vatican II, the mass could be celebrated in the vernacular, laypeople were encouraged to study the Bible for themselves, and nuns could stop wearing voluminous habits. The differences Sister Helen witnessed throughout her life just floored me.
And it was inspiring to read about the work she was led to do in New Orleans, to realize how privileged she had been just for the color of her skin, and to do something about the injustice she had finally been able to see all around her. She is definitely the epitome of the type of person Christ was expecting to lead, and while I’m not a Christian, her fire makes me want to see out opportunities in my town to right injustices.
Highly recommended.
What I didn’t realize until reading this book was how much the Catholic Church has changed in since Vatican II. I’ve studied a great deal of Christianity during college, but my classes were more rooted in the history of the religion and not what has occurred in the modern day. Sister Helen Prejean enters the convent straight out of high school, and back then, the rules were extremely strict and harkened back to medieval times. But after Vatican II, the mass could be celebrated in the vernacular, laypeople were encouraged to study the Bible for themselves, and nuns could stop wearing voluminous habits. The differences Sister Helen witnessed throughout her life just floored me.
And it was inspiring to read about the work she was led to do in New Orleans, to realize how privileged she had been just for the color of her skin, and to do something about the injustice she had finally been able to see all around her. She is definitely the epitome of the type of person Christ was expecting to lead, and while I’m not a Christian, her fire makes me want to see out opportunities in my town to right injustices.
Highly recommended.
October 4, 2019
Nuns are total badasses.
August 22, 2019
What can I say? I devoured this book in three days, but I'm sure that I will reread it, perhaps more than once.
I was moved, appalled, and deeply troubled by "Dead Man Walking", perhaps Sister Helen's most famous book. This autobiography is very different. To me, the one downside is the present-tense narrative, which sometimes gets confusing as Sister Helen switches back and forth in time. But this is more than made up for by the book's great strengths: her simple, clear voice and her honesty. Insulated by her middle-class, warm, close family, and later by her community, it took Sister Helen many years to come to the understanding that her Catholic faith had to be lived out serving the poor. That insight--and what "service" actually meant--hit her like a bolt of lightning, and changed the course of her life.
As I read this book, I felt that Sister Helen was talking directly to me, as a sister in Christ. You don't have to be a nun to understand the struggle to find a balance between deep friendship and physical attraction. You don't have to be a nun to empathize with the joys, as well as the labors, involved in deep friendships and family relationships. You don't, I think, have to be a nun, or even a Christian, to understand the desire for vocation and to do good in the world. And the final letter! Certainly, every Catholic should read that letter.
I was happy to have read this book. I mean that literally. Recommended, both for adults and for young adults, who may themselves be going through some of Sister Helen's youthful struggles.
I was moved, appalled, and deeply troubled by "Dead Man Walking", perhaps Sister Helen's most famous book. This autobiography is very different. To me, the one downside is the present-tense narrative, which sometimes gets confusing as Sister Helen switches back and forth in time. But this is more than made up for by the book's great strengths: her simple, clear voice and her honesty. Insulated by her middle-class, warm, close family, and later by her community, it took Sister Helen many years to come to the understanding that her Catholic faith had to be lived out serving the poor. That insight--and what "service" actually meant--hit her like a bolt of lightning, and changed the course of her life.
As I read this book, I felt that Sister Helen was talking directly to me, as a sister in Christ. You don't have to be a nun to understand the struggle to find a balance between deep friendship and physical attraction. You don't have to be a nun to empathize with the joys, as well as the labors, involved in deep friendships and family relationships. You don't, I think, have to be a nun, or even a Christian, to understand the desire for vocation and to do good in the world. And the final letter! Certainly, every Catholic should read that letter.
I was happy to have read this book. I mean that literally. Recommended, both for adults and for young adults, who may themselves be going through some of Sister Helen's youthful struggles.
April 13, 2019
I received a copy of River of Fire from Random House Publishing Group through Netgalley.
One of the most noticable things about this book is the compassion in which it is written.
This is all that happened before Dead Man Walking (one of my all-time favorite books.)
I am not at all religious but enjoyed it very much.
One of the most noticable things about this book is the compassion in which it is written.
This is all that happened before Dead Man Walking (one of my all-time favorite books.)
I am not at all religious but enjoyed it very much.
September 5, 2020
It is possible that I started out reading this book as penance for some religious failing of mine. I was brought up in the typical American suburban religious faith. We went to the church that was within walking distance of the house my parents purchased on the G.I. Bill. It happened to be a Missouri Synod Lutheran church and when my mother discovered that she was not allowed to vote because of her womanNess, she ceased attending and reverted to listening to the Episcopal cathedral of her roots on the radio. She had a chance to listen to sister Helen speak in Detroit shortly after Dead Man Walking was published.
After much search and some soul-searching I left the church and have become fairly hostile to religion. When I want to be in your face I will call myself an atheist and when I want to be a little evasive I will call myself an ethical humanist. Nobody really knows what that means including me. But I am incredibly impressed with what sister Helen has managed to do so I thought I should read this book to see her journey to her current elevated position in the world of social change.
I willingly give this book 5 stars. Maybe it only deserves 4 3/4 but I don’t really want to quibble. She says at the end of the book that it took her seven years to write it with a lot of help. She does guide you through her early years as a nun. She never really does explain how she changed from her nun name back to her born name. Or maybe I just missed that. Anyhow I think she did an amazing job telling her story. Of course that has a lot of religion in it and quotes a few verses. She is a nun after all. But how she makes this all go together in the pretty serious Catholic Church world made some sense to me. She explains her conversion from anti-social action to the highest level of social action in terms of a lightning strike. I didn’t quite find that very helpful but somehow she found a light shining on many things that she already had inside her that somehow looked different to her.
After I finish this review, I’m going to write her a letter. And having just listen to this very personal book and knowing a little bit about what she has been doing to bring change to the world for quite a few years, I somehow think that she might actually see my letter. You don’t often have that belief when you want to communicate with somebody Who has managed to become relatively famous. The proverbial big fish in a little pond.
After much search and some soul-searching I left the church and have become fairly hostile to religion. When I want to be in your face I will call myself an atheist and when I want to be a little evasive I will call myself an ethical humanist. Nobody really knows what that means including me. But I am incredibly impressed with what sister Helen has managed to do so I thought I should read this book to see her journey to her current elevated position in the world of social change.
I willingly give this book 5 stars. Maybe it only deserves 4 3/4 but I don’t really want to quibble. She says at the end of the book that it took her seven years to write it with a lot of help. She does guide you through her early years as a nun. She never really does explain how she changed from her nun name back to her born name. Or maybe I just missed that. Anyhow I think she did an amazing job telling her story. Of course that has a lot of religion in it and quotes a few verses. She is a nun after all. But how she makes this all go together in the pretty serious Catholic Church world made some sense to me. She explains her conversion from anti-social action to the highest level of social action in terms of a lightning strike. I didn’t quite find that very helpful but somehow she found a light shining on many things that she already had inside her that somehow looked different to her.
After I finish this review, I’m going to write her a letter. And having just listen to this very personal book and knowing a little bit about what she has been doing to bring change to the world for quite a few years, I somehow think that she might actually see my letter. You don’t often have that belief when you want to communicate with somebody Who has managed to become relatively famous. The proverbial big fish in a little pond.
September 20, 2019
First I heard Terry Gross interview Sr. Helen Prejean - so when I read the book, I could hear her lively voice through the pages...this memoir chronicles Prejean's adult life in the period before Dead Man Walking. She entered the religious life a few years before Vatican II, so she describes the "before and after". Life as a nun pre-Vatican II was strict and in many ways confining, especially for someone as spirited as Prejean. (It's priceless to hear her tell Terry Gross about the time she and another sister were in a fabric store. A customer grabbed the seemingly endless fabric which surrounded her friend, thinking she was grabbing a bolt of cloth!).
In the years during and after Vatican II, life changed rapidly and somewhat chaotically. She engaged in a platonic though intimate long-term relationship with a priest for many years. One summer they are both on the Notre Dame campus for graduate studies: "To put it mildly, William and I are not the only close priest-nun relationship on campus..."
Sr. Helen was not a born activist. How she became awakened to this part of her vocation is a major thread in this book. She writes about her awareness of the division in her community, in the 70's, between the sisters who were passionate about social justice and sisters like her (she had a leadership role by this time) who were adamant that the role of the church was to focus on spirituality...a more mystical, other-worldly spirituality, not a spirituality grounded IN the world and its problems.
She changes, obviously, and describes her transformation as a conversion experience, one which transforms her life in dramatic ways. She does not apologize for her earlier perspective; she simply describes the mindset in which she was raised. She always remained open to the workings of the spirit, and she maintained (and still maintains) a healthy spiritual practice that allowed for her mind and heart to be changed. The rest is history...(or at least the rest is in her other book.)
What I appreciated most about this memoir (in addition to the fascinating description of the changes in the religious life of a nun at this period of time) is her honesty. She is neither boastful nor embarrassed. She writes with humor and humility. In the midst of the book, I read with curiosity. By the end, I felt inspired. I am left with this impression: when one is true to oneself, when one lives with a sense of obedience (not pious, boring obedience, but true, risk-taking faith), one can set the world on fire.
In the years during and after Vatican II, life changed rapidly and somewhat chaotically. She engaged in a platonic though intimate long-term relationship with a priest for many years. One summer they are both on the Notre Dame campus for graduate studies: "To put it mildly, William and I are not the only close priest-nun relationship on campus..."
Sr. Helen was not a born activist. How she became awakened to this part of her vocation is a major thread in this book. She writes about her awareness of the division in her community, in the 70's, between the sisters who were passionate about social justice and sisters like her (she had a leadership role by this time) who were adamant that the role of the church was to focus on spirituality...a more mystical, other-worldly spirituality, not a spirituality grounded IN the world and its problems.
She changes, obviously, and describes her transformation as a conversion experience, one which transforms her life in dramatic ways. She does not apologize for her earlier perspective; she simply describes the mindset in which she was raised. She always remained open to the workings of the spirit, and she maintained (and still maintains) a healthy spiritual practice that allowed for her mind and heart to be changed. The rest is history...(or at least the rest is in her other book.)
What I appreciated most about this memoir (in addition to the fascinating description of the changes in the religious life of a nun at this period of time) is her honesty. She is neither boastful nor embarrassed. She writes with humor and humility. In the midst of the book, I read with curiosity. By the end, I felt inspired. I am left with this impression: when one is true to oneself, when one lives with a sense of obedience (not pious, boring obedience, but true, risk-taking faith), one can set the world on fire.
October 5, 2019
What even possessed me to choose this book? Not my genre, but I picked it up on a whim. I could not put it down.
I went through 12 years of Catholic school, and along with my 5 brothers and sisters, am no longer a practicing Catholic. But my life has been so influenced (good and bad) by the experience of growing up Catholic: my parents’ strong faith, moral compass, and compassion for the oppressed; vs. the guilt, confusion, and neurosis from trying to obey the strict rules of the church, particularly pre Vatican II.
I’m a person that tends to see the glass half empty, so I have assumed that the religious life is misery. I think Father William's experience is more what I assumed it is like. But Sister Helen seems to have thrived in it, and her optimism, joy, and ability to adapt are inspirational. I so appreciated learning about her experiences as a novitiate, because I've always been curious.
I was born in 1954, so my early experiences were like Sister's: Latin mass, trying to be a “mini canon lawyer”, guilt and worry about mortal sins. Vatican II changed the mass for me, but I had no idea what an impact it had on Catholics. I now understand it was a big change, and why I knew nothing about the bible (even with 12 years of Catholic school), why nuns stopped wearing habits, why fewer people have chosen the religious life, and the relevance of my parents “interfaith meetings” at our home.
I live in a material world, and don't mingle enough with people like Sister Helen, who focus so much on the spiritual, social justice, and just being good. This book has been a reminder to me that I need to be the change I want to see in the world.
Thank you, Sister, for this beautiful book.
I went through 12 years of Catholic school, and along with my 5 brothers and sisters, am no longer a practicing Catholic. But my life has been so influenced (good and bad) by the experience of growing up Catholic: my parents’ strong faith, moral compass, and compassion for the oppressed; vs. the guilt, confusion, and neurosis from trying to obey the strict rules of the church, particularly pre Vatican II.
I’m a person that tends to see the glass half empty, so I have assumed that the religious life is misery. I think Father William's experience is more what I assumed it is like. But Sister Helen seems to have thrived in it, and her optimism, joy, and ability to adapt are inspirational. I so appreciated learning about her experiences as a novitiate, because I've always been curious.
I was born in 1954, so my early experiences were like Sister's: Latin mass, trying to be a “mini canon lawyer”, guilt and worry about mortal sins. Vatican II changed the mass for me, but I had no idea what an impact it had on Catholics. I now understand it was a big change, and why I knew nothing about the bible (even with 12 years of Catholic school), why nuns stopped wearing habits, why fewer people have chosen the religious life, and the relevance of my parents “interfaith meetings” at our home.
I live in a material world, and don't mingle enough with people like Sister Helen, who focus so much on the spiritual, social justice, and just being good. This book has been a reminder to me that I need to be the change I want to see in the world.
Thank you, Sister, for this beautiful book.
March 4, 2023
Lots of bad theology. Very disdainful of Catholics who aren't the sort that she is. Lots and lots of info about her early life and very little about her move into justice work. What a shame.
November 3, 2019
This is a remarkable memoir by Sr. Helen Prejean. She is probably best known for her book Dead Man Walking and her relentless work on behalf of prison reform, especially her work with prisoners on death row. But this book is not a retelling of Dead Man Walking. Not at all. It is an engaging account of Sr. Helen's early life journey and her gradual awakening and discovery of her life's real work.
I grew up immersed in Catholicism, with all of the kid curiosity about nuns and that whole way of life. I was a small child in the 1950's and so have memories of the pre-Vatican2 Catholic Church. I was a high school student in a rigorous Catholic high school post- Vatican2 and so was witness to the obvious changes in the nuns who taught at the school. For me, part of the delight in this book was Sr. Helen's fresh and real presentation of her life as a nun. Her captivating words brought back a lot of memories for me of all the things I had heard about convent life. I had an aunt who was a Holy Names nun and I watched over the years as her vocation changed from teaching sister to more of an administrator, serving those people who were often on the fringes of society. Sr Helen writes authentically about life in the restrictive pre-Vatican2 years and about how Vatican2 opened opportunities for women in the Church. She writes, often with a chuckle, about life in community and the twists and turns of her own unfolding. Perhaps most vulnerably, Sr. Helen writes touchingly and honestly about her close friendships, especially with one particular man and one particular woman.
Here's the thing. Yes, I grew up in the Catholic Church but I have come to view it with a great deal of cynicism and anger. So many parts of my life were dictated by that script and I have a tough time seeing the Church in a positive light. However, I was moved and impressed with this memoir. Sr, Helen Prejean's authentic account of her unfolding captured me. I appreciated how she gradually, through a variety of experiences, connections, and some serendipitous occasions, came to her clear understanding that she is woman of privilege. A constant in her life is her open mind and along the way she writes, "I'm taking a fresh look at the American Dream and who gets to live it and who doesn't."
If you're in the market for a thoughtful and accessible read about a journey of faith, try this one. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
powerful and authentic story of Sr Helen and
I grew up immersed in Catholicism, with all of the kid curiosity about nuns and that whole way of life. I was a small child in the 1950's and so have memories of the pre-Vatican2 Catholic Church. I was a high school student in a rigorous Catholic high school post- Vatican2 and so was witness to the obvious changes in the nuns who taught at the school. For me, part of the delight in this book was Sr. Helen's fresh and real presentation of her life as a nun. Her captivating words brought back a lot of memories for me of all the things I had heard about convent life. I had an aunt who was a Holy Names nun and I watched over the years as her vocation changed from teaching sister to more of an administrator, serving those people who were often on the fringes of society. Sr Helen writes authentically about life in the restrictive pre-Vatican2 years and about how Vatican2 opened opportunities for women in the Church. She writes, often with a chuckle, about life in community and the twists and turns of her own unfolding. Perhaps most vulnerably, Sr. Helen writes touchingly and honestly about her close friendships, especially with one particular man and one particular woman.
Here's the thing. Yes, I grew up in the Catholic Church but I have come to view it with a great deal of cynicism and anger. So many parts of my life were dictated by that script and I have a tough time seeing the Church in a positive light. However, I was moved and impressed with this memoir. Sr, Helen Prejean's authentic account of her unfolding captured me. I appreciated how she gradually, through a variety of experiences, connections, and some serendipitous occasions, came to her clear understanding that she is woman of privilege. A constant in her life is her open mind and along the way she writes, "I'm taking a fresh look at the American Dream and who gets to live it and who doesn't."
If you're in the market for a thoughtful and accessible read about a journey of faith, try this one. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
powerful and authentic story of Sr Helen and
August 28, 2019
Don’t get me wrong. I have the utmost admiration and respect for Sister Helen Prejean. Her life has been dedicated to enlightenment, to alieving human suffering, to understanding all among us who are downtrodden, and to love for her God. Her memoir River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey tells of all of this, as we join her from age 18 to age 79. She is a remarkable soul in a world where we need more remarkable souls. I have no doubt that I would revel in getting to sit with her and discuss her life. But I found her book just a bit tedious. Perhaps it is the gentleness of her soul that made the book seem to plod along. And yet, we read that she is a rabble-rouser, a rule-bender, a firebrand. But that only comes across in her words, not her tone. I wanted so much to get so involved in her narrative that I would burst with excitement, yearn to share her passions, dedicate myself to a life of prayer and meditation. But alas, I did not. Maybe her words did move me because her message, I believe, is that we should always continue our search and that life “ain’t over till it’s over.” That is what I took away from the Sister’s book. I only wish I had experienced more enthusiasm in the taking.
September 2, 2019
I attended Catholic school from kindergarten through 12th grade, and was taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph (the same order Sr. Helen Prejean belongs to) throughout high school in the aftermath of Vatican II and all the radical changes going on in the Church.
So you will understand if I say that I found Sr. Helen's story absolutely riveting. Her feisty take on the tenets of submissiveness and total unquestioning obedience to authority were a revelation. I am amazed that she lasted throughout her novice years in the convent, considering what an independent thinker with a healthy ego she appears to have been as a young woman entering the order right out of high school.
She is an excellent writer with a fine sense of humor, and an honesty that is unselfconscious as she discusses how issues of social justice--namely, race--snapped very slowly into focus for her.
This is an excellent book that will restore your faith in humanity, and even the most cynical person who has no use for organized religion will, I think, be touched by her enduring spirituality in the face of changing rules, and church that is much slower to see and act upon justice issues than the author has been.
I am very glad I read this book and will most likely read her other work as well.
So you will understand if I say that I found Sr. Helen's story absolutely riveting. Her feisty take on the tenets of submissiveness and total unquestioning obedience to authority were a revelation. I am amazed that she lasted throughout her novice years in the convent, considering what an independent thinker with a healthy ego she appears to have been as a young woman entering the order right out of high school.
She is an excellent writer with a fine sense of humor, and an honesty that is unselfconscious as she discusses how issues of social justice--namely, race--snapped very slowly into focus for her.
This is an excellent book that will restore your faith in humanity, and even the most cynical person who has no use for organized religion will, I think, be touched by her enduring spirituality in the face of changing rules, and church that is much slower to see and act upon justice issues than the author has been.
I am very glad I read this book and will most likely read her other work as well.
September 21, 2019
This book wasn't entirely what I was expecting. I have the greatest admiration and respect for Sister Helen Prejean and am glad that she has been so vocal about her opposition to the death penalty. She has also been a fierce advocate for the inclusion of women and LGBTQ people in the Catholic Church. She is someone that I truly admire.
So, I came into this book with some great expectations about it. I had not read any of her previous books. And I knew only the bare minimum about her. So, for me, this book was a true revelation as it gave me a very intimate look into her innermost life. She was very candid about her life and I appreciated that candor. I also appreciated the deep dive she did into Catholic theology and the ways in which it changed after Vatican II happened. There were parts in the middle where it started to get bogged down in lofty terminology and aesthetics. But it was also great to spend a few hours in her presence. I feel like I know her better now and she seems like the kind of person that I would have great fun with if we were ever to hang out. I'm not Catholic or have any desire to be but I'm glad to know that there are people in the Catholic Church like Sister Helen Prejean. She is truly a saint.
So, I came into this book with some great expectations about it. I had not read any of her previous books. And I knew only the bare minimum about her. So, for me, this book was a true revelation as it gave me a very intimate look into her innermost life. She was very candid about her life and I appreciated that candor. I also appreciated the deep dive she did into Catholic theology and the ways in which it changed after Vatican II happened. There were parts in the middle where it started to get bogged down in lofty terminology and aesthetics. But it was also great to spend a few hours in her presence. I feel like I know her better now and she seems like the kind of person that I would have great fun with if we were ever to hang out. I'm not Catholic or have any desire to be but I'm glad to know that there are people in the Catholic Church like Sister Helen Prejean. She is truly a saint.
January 20, 2020
It took me longer to read this than I had intended to- but with good reason. I loved this book; I was savoring each and every page. So many large, theoretical questions, religious questions, self questions were asked; surely Sister Prejean succeeded to writing a book of "show, not tell".
If it feels like something is missing in your life, read this book.
If it feels like your prayers are going unanswered, read this book.
If it feels like justice is denied, read this book.
Personally, I feel like I am searching for meaning. Searching for a purpose in my life. I am searching for ways to help others that are meaningful. I am searching for myself, for my community, for my way in a life that forever seems... fraught with unforeseen complications. For me, this book was a reminder to keep moving forward, keep seeking out truth. And, blessedly, if that truth leads to activism... I know I am heading in the right direction.
If it feels like something is missing in your life, read this book.
If it feels like your prayers are going unanswered, read this book.
If it feels like justice is denied, read this book.
Personally, I feel like I am searching for meaning. Searching for a purpose in my life. I am searching for ways to help others that are meaningful. I am searching for myself, for my community, for my way in a life that forever seems... fraught with unforeseen complications. For me, this book was a reminder to keep moving forward, keep seeking out truth. And, blessedly, if that truth leads to activism... I know I am heading in the right direction.
September 16, 2019
This book makes me really uncomfortable. A girl goes to the convent at 18. She lives through Vatican II. She loves it as it opens up so much to her. She grows through her life and becomes what I must call a social justice warrior.
She is not a fan of rules and talk of sin, self denial, and the cross.
I can’t help but think she is missing a big part of the gospel. Yes we are to care for the least among us. But first comes love of God and giving Him thanks and praise. I think of Teresa of Calcutta who required her nuns to get to mass and spend time in adoration and with the rosary. All stuff that would seem to hurt the poor.
Regardless, she is a great person who lives her faith to the fullest.
She is not a fan of rules and talk of sin, self denial, and the cross.
I can’t help but think she is missing a big part of the gospel. Yes we are to care for the least among us. But first comes love of God and giving Him thanks and praise. I think of Teresa of Calcutta who required her nuns to get to mass and spend time in adoration and with the rosary. All stuff that would seem to hurt the poor.
Regardless, she is a great person who lives her faith to the fullest.
March 8, 2020
I had the opportunity to hear Sr. Helen Prejean speak and reading this is very similar to hearing her talk. She is wonderful and energized and her call to action (her journey towards that call) fills me with hope.
August 27, 2021
A good friend gave me this book and it’s inscribed to her by the author. I most enjoy reading books that i have a connection to. The author is the nun that wrote “Dead Man Walking”. It is the story of her spiritual journey up to the point DMW begins. I really enjoyed learning more about Vatican II and how it so changed the lives of the nuns. Sister Helen is a firecracker for sure! Can’t wait to read “Dead Man Walking” now.
August 15, 2025
I listened to the audiobook read by the author. Sister Helen Prejean is an inspiration. She tells of her journey as a spiritual nun, unaware of social injustices at the age of 18, to the firebrand nun she became advocating for those marginalized and on death row. Truly an amazing woman and one to emulate during our present times.
September 20, 2019
I had a hard time relating to her voice, she seemed to be a bit all over the place with her feelings and thoughts. That said, the overall message of "it's not enough to say things when we should be doing things" was good though and it was neat to read post Vatican II through the eyes of someone who was there for all the upheaval, drama and changes that ensued. I probably wouldn't read it again though, like I said I had a hard time connecting to her.
July 26, 2020
One of the best things about this book for me was the fact that Sister Helen has doubts. If a nun can doubt, so can I. And she's very upfront about her life--its plusses and minuses and everything in between. If you're a seeker, this one's for you.
September 12, 2019
Sr. Helen, the "Dead Man Walking" nun, gives us an honest and frank autobiography here. You may think that as a nun and a national figure, she is literally holier than thou, but she spells out her path from a naive pre-Vatican II high school girl entering the novitiate, through her years as a professed sister and how she found her eventual calling.
It's refreshing and a bit of a shock to read how natural she is and she lays out all the facets of white privilege and bias she grew up with as a daughter of the South. Born and raised in New Orleans, the only black people she knew were those who did domestic work for her family. She was all for integration as a young teacher, but still approaches race issues as Lady Bountiful coming to graciously bestow her blessings on others.
She does eventually get her consciousness raised, but boy, does she fight it. I totally understand the divide between your calling as a nun to be all spiritual, praying for the welfare of souls, and the push and push back of being an activist. I can't say more without giving too many spoilers, but I really enjoyed this and was surprised as how everyday a person she was.
It's refreshing and a bit of a shock to read how natural she is and she lays out all the facets of white privilege and bias she grew up with as a daughter of the South. Born and raised in New Orleans, the only black people she knew were those who did domestic work for her family. She was all for integration as a young teacher, but still approaches race issues as Lady Bountiful coming to graciously bestow her blessings on others.
She does eventually get her consciousness raised, but boy, does she fight it. I totally understand the divide between your calling as a nun to be all spiritual, praying for the welfare of souls, and the push and push back of being an activist. I can't say more without giving too many spoilers, but I really enjoyed this and was surprised as how everyday a person she was.
July 31, 2019
Special thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC of this memoir in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I am not quite sure how I ended up with a copy of this memoir, but I am oh so glad I did! River of Fire is an absolute delight. The writing style is so conversational, it feels as if you are becoming reacquainted with an old friend. Prejean not only shares her memories of her spiritual journey, she provides a layman's explain of the evolution of the Catholic faith. She guides the reader far beyond the veil, celebrating humanity, emphasizing the importance of our relationship with both God and our fellow man. As engaging as it is inspirational, I highly recommend River of Fire.
Honestly, I am not quite sure how I ended up with a copy of this memoir, but I am oh so glad I did! River of Fire is an absolute delight. The writing style is so conversational, it feels as if you are becoming reacquainted with an old friend. Prejean not only shares her memories of her spiritual journey, she provides a layman's explain of the evolution of the Catholic faith. She guides the reader far beyond the veil, celebrating humanity, emphasizing the importance of our relationship with both God and our fellow man. As engaging as it is inspirational, I highly recommend River of Fire.
January 14, 2020
What a great way to start 2020. My wonderful friend Cynthia gave me this book for Christmas. My struggling soul was in need of these words. Sometimes is the work for justice and equality we lose sight of the internal transformation and spiritual awakening that is essential for any of it to have meaning. Sister Prejean describes her journey from novitiate to social engagement in clear, vivid prose that invites all of us to help bend the arc towards justice.
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September 25, 2019Absolutely loved this book! A must read for everyone. It reads like your chatting with your best friend through all the trials and tribulations of life.
Sister Helen Prejean is a hoot, among other things. Her journey before DEAD MAN WALKING. Don't deny yourself this read.
Sister Helen Prejean is a hoot, among other things. Her journey before DEAD MAN WALKING. Don't deny yourself this read.
December 20, 2019
Several years ago while serving on the board of Habitat for Humanity I became friends with several Nuns in our community from the Sisters of St. Joseph. One of these wonderful devoted women Sister Beth LeValley shared with me Sister Helen Prejean's book Dead Man Walking. It was so powerful.
Born to an upper-middle-class Baton Rouge family, Prejean joined the Sisters of of St. Joseph shortly after high school in the late 1950s. Just 18 years old, she knew that her mission was to be an “obedient [daughter] of Mother Church” and find union with God. What she did not know was that her “Mother Church” would soon change forever. The liberalization policies developed by the Vatican II Council in the early 1960s not only affected how Prejean saw herself, but also how she understood her place, both in the church and in the world. She was inspired by the writings of Thomas Merton (as am I). The seed of Mertonian wisdom were planted and began to sprout.
Yet it would not be until the 1970s that Prejean awakened to her true calling to help the poor and socially disenfranchised. In 1981, she began working as a volunteer educator in the all-black St. Thomas housing project, where she began the prison pen-pal relationship that would define the next chapter of her life as an anti–death penalty advocate. Prejean chronicles the compelling, sometimes-difficult journey to the heart of her soul and faith with wit, honesty, and intelligence.
The book is Sister Helen's recollections of a life led by the Spirit to places she never dreamed of going. It challenges all of us to be better at loving God and neighbor and be more open to the journey of faith that puts faith into action, and prayer into practice.
She did not set out to “change the world” but to enter the ascetic life of a nun which proved to be the spiritual foundation that undergirds the difficult ministry she has performed for the last 40 years. She has testified in court and before legislators, speaking in public venues, been portrayed in an Oscar-winning role, all of which bring her great praise and attention. However, the years of religious devotion, meditation, reflection and study of theology are largely unacknowledged.
Like the best spiritual memoirs, the book challenges each of us to examine how we do or do not put our faith into action and pursue a life of discipleship. Discipleship demands ongoing conversion. Sister Helen was not immediately convinced of the validity of nuns getting involved in "social justice" efforts after Vatican II. In fact, she describes how she was resistant to it. It seemed as though religious sisters were neglecting what she viewed as their primary vocation. She had been a Sister of St. Joseph for decades before she became involved in social justice.
Sister Helen's journey, is a journey of gradual changes, unexpected encounters, and uncomfortable beginnings. Sister Helen quotes Irenaeus of Lyons stating that: "the glory of God is the human person fully alive." God does not desire restricted, isolated, self-protected individuals but women and men alive in all their messiness.
Favorite Quotes:
“I guess when you're not awake, you're not awake. Waking up to the suffering of people who are different from us is a long process, and has a whole lot to do with what community we belong to and whose consciousness and life experiences impact our own on a daily basis. I have a hunch I'm going to be waking up until the moment I die.”
“I'm taking a fresh look at the American Dream and who gets to live it and who doesn't.”
Born to an upper-middle-class Baton Rouge family, Prejean joined the Sisters of of St. Joseph shortly after high school in the late 1950s. Just 18 years old, she knew that her mission was to be an “obedient [daughter] of Mother Church” and find union with God. What she did not know was that her “Mother Church” would soon change forever. The liberalization policies developed by the Vatican II Council in the early 1960s not only affected how Prejean saw herself, but also how she understood her place, both in the church and in the world. She was inspired by the writings of Thomas Merton (as am I). The seed of Mertonian wisdom were planted and began to sprout.
Yet it would not be until the 1970s that Prejean awakened to her true calling to help the poor and socially disenfranchised. In 1981, she began working as a volunteer educator in the all-black St. Thomas housing project, where she began the prison pen-pal relationship that would define the next chapter of her life as an anti–death penalty advocate. Prejean chronicles the compelling, sometimes-difficult journey to the heart of her soul and faith with wit, honesty, and intelligence.
The book is Sister Helen's recollections of a life led by the Spirit to places she never dreamed of going. It challenges all of us to be better at loving God and neighbor and be more open to the journey of faith that puts faith into action, and prayer into practice.
She did not set out to “change the world” but to enter the ascetic life of a nun which proved to be the spiritual foundation that undergirds the difficult ministry she has performed for the last 40 years. She has testified in court and before legislators, speaking in public venues, been portrayed in an Oscar-winning role, all of which bring her great praise and attention. However, the years of religious devotion, meditation, reflection and study of theology are largely unacknowledged.
Like the best spiritual memoirs, the book challenges each of us to examine how we do or do not put our faith into action and pursue a life of discipleship. Discipleship demands ongoing conversion. Sister Helen was not immediately convinced of the validity of nuns getting involved in "social justice" efforts after Vatican II. In fact, she describes how she was resistant to it. It seemed as though religious sisters were neglecting what she viewed as their primary vocation. She had been a Sister of St. Joseph for decades before she became involved in social justice.
Sister Helen's journey, is a journey of gradual changes, unexpected encounters, and uncomfortable beginnings. Sister Helen quotes Irenaeus of Lyons stating that: "the glory of God is the human person fully alive." God does not desire restricted, isolated, self-protected individuals but women and men alive in all their messiness.
Favorite Quotes:
“I guess when you're not awake, you're not awake. Waking up to the suffering of people who are different from us is a long process, and has a whole lot to do with what community we belong to and whose consciousness and life experiences impact our own on a daily basis. I have a hunch I'm going to be waking up until the moment I die.”
“I'm taking a fresh look at the American Dream and who gets to live it and who doesn't.”
September 3, 2019
This isn't a spoiler, but just an FYI in case you haven't read any reviews. This book covers Prejean's life up to the point when she begins her work with death-row prisoners. It ends where Dead Man Walking starts, so if that is the aspect of Prejean's life that interests you most, her other two books might be better choices.
Here, Prejean describes her life from childhood (though mostly from when she first enters a convent) up until the change in the focus of her calling, from one that is centered on purely spiritual matters to one that also includes being a witness to poverty and an advocate for the poor. I picked up the book mostly after learning of its release on Terry Gross and as someone who admires Prejean's efforts to shine light on the death penalty in the US. I can't say I came to it with a deep interest in Vatican II's impact on American Catholics or the future of monastic orders in the Church. I'm not even Catholic. Perhaps if those were issues of special interest to me, I would have been more engaged by this book.
I did find her descriptions of her relationships with a priest and a fellow nun fascinating, if only because in some ways the vow of celibacy strikes me, as an outsider, as an odd throwback. There is something intriguing about reading how someone committed to it views the principle and how it shapes their relationships. I suppose that is one of the delights of memoirs. For some 300 pages, you can see how someone else with a very different perspective has made sense of their life and the world and by that measure River of Fire succeeds.
Here, Prejean describes her life from childhood (though mostly from when she first enters a convent) up until the change in the focus of her calling, from one that is centered on purely spiritual matters to one that also includes being a witness to poverty and an advocate for the poor. I picked up the book mostly after learning of its release on Terry Gross and as someone who admires Prejean's efforts to shine light on the death penalty in the US. I can't say I came to it with a deep interest in Vatican II's impact on American Catholics or the future of monastic orders in the Church. I'm not even Catholic. Perhaps if those were issues of special interest to me, I would have been more engaged by this book.
I did find her descriptions of her relationships with a priest and a fellow nun fascinating, if only because in some ways the vow of celibacy strikes me, as an outsider, as an odd throwback. There is something intriguing about reading how someone committed to it views the principle and how it shapes their relationships. I suppose that is one of the delights of memoirs. For some 300 pages, you can see how someone else with a very different perspective has made sense of their life and the world and by that measure River of Fire succeeds.
December 30, 2021
This is an amazing story of the transformation of Sister Prejean from a noviate in pre Vatican 2 catholism when nuns were not allowed to study theology, but basically do what they are told to become a crusading nun in the 70's and beyond.
Vatican 2 came into effect around the time I was in 3rd grade, yes I remember the Baltimore catichism where you were given questions and answers to memorize. "Why did God make me? God made me to love him and serve him". This all changed pretty dramatically in the mid 60's. When Catholics were encouraged to study the Bible (rather than have a priest tell you what it means).
Sister Prejean changed dramatically with the Church. Again, changes do not happen overnight.
This is an amazing book and I would encourage all to read it.
Vatican 2 came into effect around the time I was in 3rd grade, yes I remember the Baltimore catichism where you were given questions and answers to memorize. "Why did God make me? God made me to love him and serve him". This all changed pretty dramatically in the mid 60's. When Catholics were encouraged to study the Bible (rather than have a priest tell you what it means).
Sister Prejean changed dramatically with the Church. Again, changes do not happen overnight.
This is an amazing book and I would encourage all to read it.
January 10, 2020
This book started of great and I was really interested in Sister Helen's story having grown up Catholic myself. By the end though I was a little bored as it seemed to ramble on. Not bad overall, I would say 2.5 stars.
January 20, 2021
I struggled between 3 & 4 stars. After seeing Prejean speak several years ago, I’ve been interested in her and her work. There were parts of this book I truly enjoyed and other parts I skimmed (mostly relating to the Catholic Church).
September 12, 2019
It’s important to know that this memoir focuses on the author’s life up to the beginning of her work with death row prisoners, which she discusses in her other books. I admire her life of service and advocacy, but it was hard to read her condescending tone towards her younger Catholic self, Catholics of that time, and Christian and Catholic foundational beliefs. She even comments that she had planned on being more charitable in how she wrote about her young, well-intentioned self, but oh well. There were some inspiring and thought provoking sections, especially towards the end, but it was tedious to get to them.
April 4, 2020
Interesting read about Sister Helen Prejean's journey from spiritual to social justice nun.
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