He can't help mentioning that he has visited "several" French Carmels and talked to people about events that took place "a mere seventy years" before the book (nearly a century). The author is too present, breaking the fourth wall repeatedly to give his own opinions on the people and events. Perhaps if I had not spent the past 30 years or so repeatedly reading Therese's writings and correspondence myself in 3 languages I would have enjoyed this book more. Therese is the lesson to all men of spiritual greatness to be achieved by perfect love of God and total consecration of all our actions, even the smallest, to His greater honor and glory. The story of this life is a marvel-a miracle-of divine grace. As author of an earlier biography, The Storm of Glory, and as translator of her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, he brings to his task an authority on her life unsurpassed perhaps by any writer in English.
Therese of the Child Jesus? John Beevers addresses himself to this question in The Making of a Saint. Her appeal is universal-from peasants to Popes-and people of all stations know her and call upon her for help. Jude in her powerful intercession with God. Francis Xavier the honor of "Principal Patroness of all Missionaries." Her devotees acknowledge her as a second St. Joan of Arc, she shares the title "Patroness of France" and with St. Her statue soon appeared in most Catholic churches in the world.
Yet she is known the world over by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. She died in 1897 and was canonized in 1925. She lived 24 years and was an obscure nun for nine of those.
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