Thérèse of Lisieux

Abstract Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), also known as St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, and popularly referred to as the Little Flower, is arguably one of the most beloved women in modern history. A Carmelite nun, doctor of the church, and patron of a score of causes, she was famously acclaimed by Pope Pius X as the greatest saint of modern times, and called a living icon of God by Pope John Paul II. Her autobiography, Story of a Soul, has been translated into more than sixty languages. Having long transcended national and linguistic boundaries, she has crossed even religious ones; as daughter of Allah, she is venerated widely in Islamic cultures. This book draws on previously untapped archival sources from the Carmel of Lisieux, numerous untranslated documents, formative texts of Carmelite spirituality, childhood readings, and unpublished photographs to provide a portrait of the saint's life and thoughts. It explores the dynamics of her family life and the early development of her spirituality, drawing on the correspondence of her mother and documenting her influence on Thérèse's autobiography and spirituality. It also charts the development of Thérèse 's career as a writer and gives close attention to her poetry and plays usually dismissed as undistinguished arguing that they have great value as texts by which she addressed and informed her Carmelite community.