Trochu's biography is extensive, engaging, and honest. He lets the reader see Bernadette's genuine faith and devotion (and struggles, with community and hierarchy), without descending into hagiography. It is a fascinating, very "fleshed out" picture, dispelling myths (such as the "happy shepherdess"), and giving one a thorough picture of Bernadette's strong, simple personality, tenacity, and family and religious life.

As an admirer of St. Francis, I must comment that most media about the saint portrays him as quite sappy. While St. Francis' love of nature and mankind in general may easily lead to such treatment, De Wohl thankfully does not attend to that path. Furthermore, the detail we have on the historical Francis is such that De Wohl didn't really have to "add" a lot of detail to make this story compelling. Rather, the Saint speaks for himself.

If you have read other De Wohl novels, this effort is much the same. You can count on De Wohl to bring a consistent level of excellence and high quality historical fiction. This book is no disappointment.

If there is one criticism that I may levy against this particular book is that it was not enough of Francis. De Wohl expends at least 40% of the book on the intrigue involving the election of the Holy Roman Emperor and other such political intrigues. While certainly necessary to get an understanding for the times in which Francis lived, I would have liked Francis' struggles with his new found Order to be brought to life a bit more expansively.

Nonetheless, De Wohl hits the main points and expresses them quite well. I believe he has done justice to the story, to the man, and to Christianity as a whole by bringing this compelling story into print in a very accessible and readable way.

If you love St. Francis or have wondered what is all the fuss about this man in the first place, take this novel on as a first look.

In general, the author strays way too far from the Christian Gospel that Francis espoused and epitomized. What Francis was about was pointing to Christ, not just some new age rhetoric about how to live our lives, or some fuzzy feeling about the unknowable God. He pointed to Jesus who is the living hope, and the worship of whom is the chief end and aim of man. So if this is your first encounter with St. Francis, skip this book and read Englebert's or Green's biography instead.

Nerburn always emphasizes the practical. "I would rather try to manifest my belief in God than to profess it," he writes. In this way, Saint Francis and the self-admitted not-so-saintly Nerburn make a wonderful team. They teach us that we cannot successfully hide from the dark side of our world or of ourselves; that instead we must face even the "most frightening human emotion" --- hatred --- head on. The goal is not to become a saint, thank goodness, but to accept responsibility to do what we can to manifest, and not just profess, our own beliefs.

Congruent with its contents, the physical book itself makes an excellent gift. I keep several copies in my office to give away whenever I may be so moved --- by the spirit of Saint Francis perhaps. (Although I doubt that Francis is involved in book promotion)

As an artist and homeschooling-mom I constantly look for ways to share the love of Things-Artistic with my child [and the children of homeschooling friends]. This volume goes to the top of my growing list of shining show-and-tell examples of "why you might want to become an 'Artist' when you grow up."

I contend that this book will please many, many more than simply those with a "preschool eye" as another reviewer noted. And for the individual who rated Felstead's work as "...dull, static, cluttered..." I suggest they've been watching way too much television!

I for one feel the artwork alone makes this a Must Have volume, and further suggest and contend that a serious study of it would make for a challenging and rewarding semester [or more] in the Fine Arts.

Patrice Stanton, Extremist Art

This book isn't a mere biography of St. Francis. Instead, it is a guide to the ethos and pathos that made Francis a saint.

From a startlingly clear sighted examination of Francis's youth through to the unvarnished look at his death, this work rings true in the way the many "pious accounts" do not. And yet, despite staying true to the historical nature of Francis (who once said "Don't make a Saint of me too quickly, I am still perfectly capable of fathering a child"), the book resounds forcefully with the charism of this special folk hero.

St. Francis's simple and unyielding commitment to take the Gospel seriously is a challenge to every Christian. This book makes that challenge clear and unambigious.

I have read many biographies and collections of stories about St. Francis. This is one of the few, I think, that might not make the Seraphic Father wince.

I thought this was a well-written version of St. Francis' life. For more detail, read Celano, his biographer. I would suggest reading both.

I liked this version. It really spent a good deal of time exploring who St. Francis was both before and after his calling from God. It painted a fairly detailed look at what life was like back then. Good job looking at his family and other influences.

The book was well done. If you have a problem with St. Francis, then I don't know of any book on him you would like.

In their search for terrorists, the Federal Bureau of Investigation inadvertently taped the actual killing. Zein Isa and his wife were sentenced to death.

The book reveals much about the village life in the West Bank, where most families, according to Maria Zein, belong to radical military groups whose ultimate goal is to destroy Israel. Many West Bank residents are actually "refugees from other countries." According Maria Zein's account, her husband knew "men from Syria, Libya, Kuwait, Saudi." Maria Zein told the author that her husband had traveled from the West Bank village of Beitin, to Jordan, Syria, Libya and Bolivia. He lived undetected for years in the US, and also claimed to have lived in Europe.

The book reveals twisted morals, which condone murder for the sake of family honor. It unmasks intense hatred that evolved into conspiracies to slaughter Jews, blow up the Israeli embassy in Washington and to murder Tina because she posed a threat to these plans.

It also exposes the frighteningly broad inroads that the Abu Nidal terrorists have made into American cities and life. Alyssa A. Lappen

One of the main things I like about House's work here is that he provides the story of man who is truly human. I quickly tire of biographers who try to throw only good light on their subjects. This is a particular danger when writing of a person many consider to be a saint. Still, for saints to really inspire, to lead us towards the good, we must be able to see ourselves in them. Like many great saints (Paul, Augustine, etc.), Francis lived the rather loose life of a wealthy young man for many years before the revelation that turned him into the man he became and House is not afraid to show us this. Even better, House recounts instances of Francis losing his temper and making mistakes after his transformation but with the caveat that Francis, unlike most, always tried to make amends for his transgressions. This, in my mind, is what is best about Francis.

The weakness of this book is that is caters a little too much to a modern, ecumenical audience. Francis was a product of twelfth century Italy and we lose a sense of time with all the interspersed quotations from post-Middle Ages, multicultural sources which shed little light on the man Francis was. I love to read Shakespeare, Buddha and the like, but not here. This is somewhat a matter of taste, however. I am already well-versed in the Christian milieu and, therefore, don't need help to connect to Francis. Non-Christians may find this book more palatable because of House's style.

On the other hand, the only really modern writing I want to see is modern scholarship and, fortunately, there is that too. House handles Francis's mystical side very well and I liked the way he points out how the Orders Francis founds get hijacked and turned away from Francis's ideal. People like to criticize modern religions expression but we should take the time to look back at the original spirit of these groups and rituals before decide it has no value. House's book gives us this opportunity.

It is hard to know much about Francis, for so much of his story is hidden with post historical fantasy. Spoto does a good job of presenting these sources and letting the reader know what he considers reality and what he considers fiction. What we do know is that Francis was born in the town of Assisi, in present day Italy. The color and culture of the town in the area is described very well, as we can tell much from St. Francis? origins. Born to well to do parents, Francis quickly gained a reputation as a lazy playboy, living off his parent?s profits. He showed little interest in his fathers merchant business, his only real motivation was his own enjoyment. However, as he grew older, something really changed. Of course, as later observers, we can only guess at the spiritual catalyst for Francis? conversion, but the results are so very exciting. Spoto does a great job of describing this amazing change of heart, as Francis quickly leaves his comfortable lifestyle in the pursuit of ?true Christianity?. Although some of the mystical elements of Francis are stripped away, such as his alleged stigmata, Francis does emerge from this book as a very admirable person, selflessly dedicated to the health of others. His story should be inspirational to Christians and non-Christians alike.

Spoto also provides an intriguing look at the religious politics of the time. While conventional Catholicism was growing in power and political influence, it was losing its connection to the laity, quickly. Many clergy members were corrupt and amoral, with little actual understanding of the gospels themselves. Rome grew more powerful under the reign of various politically astute Popes, but many, including Francis, felt the Church was losing its spiritual mission. This became even more apparent as war after war was waged against the Muslims and various native heretics. The Church was becoming just another nation state, a fate people like Francis were determined to change. Through a mix of strategy and church reluctance to crack down on such an unimposing and pious figure, Francis managed to create an extremely prevalent order that survives and thrives to this day.

While it was a little too short, Spoto provides the reader with a readable and concise biography of a great man.

However many Francis biographies you may have read, this one will offer you insights and facts you haven't come across before...unless you're one of those Franciscan scholars listed in Spotto's excellent bibliography -- or have worked your way through all three of those fat volumes of the new "Omnibus." As a Secular Franciscan, I've read dozens of Francis books over the past thirty-plus years, but I couldn't put this one down.

If Franciscans had a required reading list (unthinkably un-Franciscan!), this book should be at the very top of it.