Pearl of Great Price: The Life of Mother Maria Skobtsova, 1891-1945

by Sergei Hackel

Pearl of Great Price is the moving story of Mother Maria Skobtsova, a nun of the Orthodox Church, who was born into a Russian aristocratic home but who died a martyr's death in one of Hitler's concentration camps. In the intervening years, the vicissitudes of life led her through two marriages, childbirth and childrearing, and exile from her homeland-until she became an unconventional nun, devoted to the service of the destitute and the despairing in Nazi-occupied France during WWII.

Mother Maria was eventually consigned to Ravensbruck concentration camp because of her support of the Jews in Paris. There she continued to help those around her up until-and even by means of-her own death. Now canonized by the Orthodox Church as St Maria, she demonstrates how to love the image of God in each person, even when surrounded by hatred, undiluted evil, and brutality.

Sergei Hackel (+ 2005), priest of the Moscow Patriarchate in the UK, was for many years the editor of the ecumenical journal Sobornost and the "voice" of the BBC Russian religious broadcasts during the Soviet era.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christianity, Biography, History, Spirituality, Religion, Russia

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

Reviews

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less a structured biography than an outline of St. Maria's life with her poetry interwoven.
She is a fascinating person - turns on its head monasticism but ultimately a martyr.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous story of Saint Maria's life. Four stars simply because it was, at times, in need of an editor. Nevertheless, I'm grateful to the author for having written it.

[Kristie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story. Mother Maria is such an inspiring person. Writing was sometimes confusing and the book wasn’t that easy to follow, so 4 instead of 5 stars.

[Joan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's left to be seen if this will be the life changing book I felt it to be while I read it. What a complicated and faithful follower of Christ Mother Maria is! Sometime I found myself being critical of her because she seemed to reject traditional monasticism. But by the time I was reading of the end of her life in Ravensbruck concentration camp, those doubts.had fallen away. She was utterly dedicated to her fellow human beings because she was utterly dedicated to Christ. I highly recommend this book.

[Kristofer Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother Maria is a controversial figure within and without Orthodoxy. She was an entirely unconventional Orthodox nun who received an ecclesiastical divorce so as to pursue her calling, then ministered to the poor and downtrodden Russian emigre population in Paris. She ended her life in a German concentration camp for helping Jews escape the Nazi purges. But this book is not really about that; it makes no claim to be a biography, and the details of her life are simply the scaffolding upon which the author expounds upon Mother Maria as a spiritual person who had no patience with church tradition if it kept the church from ministering within the world. For this reason Mother Maria never joined a convent, but instead rented a house in Paris which provided food, shelter, work, and spiritual succor to those in need. She views selfless love like the parable of the unchangeable ruble which always returns a ruble in change, no matter what you buy; likewise love spends itself without being spent. Her life is a challenge and an inspiration to us all.

[Judy Takla · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No amount of thought will ever amount to these three words: 'Love one another'" Maria Skobtsova

[Dragos Dumitrescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most thorough biography of St Maria Skobtsova available in English. The author takes us on a journey from the revolutionary youth of the saint to her eventual martyrdom in the german concentration camp. Born in an aristocratic family, mother Maria would grow up receiving a good education, being active in intellectual circles, discussing literature with poets and getting well versed in the writings of Dostoevski. She would be the first woman to be admitted to the theological seminary after a special approval received from the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. Her impulsive personality and zeal for action would often get her in trouble but her fervor would also move the hearts of those who would eventually side with her. A powerful example of Christian resistance against fascism, her life is more relevant today than it's ever been. Likewise, her life is a testimony of someone who would lose her faith and regain it, showing that despite the turmoils of life, Christianity still has something to offer to those who have a thirst for justice and love. Her relentless commitment to loving others would eventually get her killed, but her story is not one of tragedy, rather, it is a testimony that sacrificial love not only is capable of transforming the lives of many, but is also powerful enough to break the bonds of death itself, granting us a place into eternity.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.49 stars. A biography of perhaps the most rebellious nun in history. She broke all rules of convention and lived a life of action and unstoppable courage amongst the horrors of WWII. another unique and valuable perspective of the atrocities experienced. Content is worthy of 5 stars but writing felt clunky and failed to engage reader as well as it could have.

[Jacob Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“At night a starless sky.
A distant dog, a bark.
Now the watchman sounds his warning.
Time for thieves to be about.

‘Watchman, is it long till dawn?’
His voice comes from the dark:
‘It’s still night, but nearly morning.
Morning’s coming, never doubt.”

[Paige Isom · Rating 3 out of 5]

There isn't much yet written about St. Maria Skobtsova, so I was happy to find this book. However, the narrative meanders, flashes back and digresses. Her art work and poetry are featured which is interesting. A good editor could have made this more valuable to read.

[Michael Adam Reale · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story of a woman, a Russian Orthodox nun, who protected Jews during the Holocaust. She wound up in a concentration camp herself. An inspiring story of heroism in one of the world's most darkest of times.

[Corinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had trouble in the presentation of the material, not the life of St Maria.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago. Had a similar reaction this time around - I don't think it is particularly well written, but her story is compelling to me.

[Nicholas]

I have so very much wanted to read this book for a lifetime. Her story fascinates me. A Bolshevik revolutionary who was forced to flee Russia, twice married, losing a young daughter to tuberculosis, becoming a nun in 1930s Paris, dealing with Nazis in German-occupied France, and finally death in concentration camp. I know her story will be humbling.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

very thankful for this account of her life, though the essentials can be found in the long article from "in communion" on the same subject. the narration is a bit dry at times but helpfully incorporates and gives context to many of her poems and writings.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've previously geeked out over at: http://rebuildourcities.tumblr.com/po...

But I mean Mother Maria is my hero so obviously I love this.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reads a bit like a history textbook at times, but it ends perfectly, driving home Hackel's viewpoint that Mother Maria's death at Jugendlager was most certainly martyrdom.

[Annie]

Chongy bought this for me for Christmas, attn Mitch

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had the talent to rewrite this amazing woman's story in more of a narrative form. She was married to a Bolshevik and mayor of a town in Russia. Eventually forced to leave, she relocates to France and becomes a nun. She then spends the rest of her life selflessly serving others. After smuggling several Jewish children safely out of Nazi territory, she is eventually caught and sent to a concentration camp where she is sent to the gas chamber along with her son.

This edition was rough reading since it is a basically a collection of letters and articles compiled and then translated into English from French and Russian.