Clarke, John: Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux Vol I

Translated from the critical edition by John Clarke, OCD. Includes 4 pages of facsimiles of Therese's letters.
Letter writing at the end of the nineteenth century was an important activity for the people of France. Those who received letters from family and friends alike usually kept the hand-written texts sent to them as precious gifts. That is why this collection of letters by and to one of the greatest saints of modern times is so interesting to us today. No mere notes slapped together in distracted haste, the missives found in this volume reveal communications of warm personal sentiment along with expressions of lively spiritual development.
Therese's efforts as a fifteen-year-old to enter Carmel before reaching the required age appear in revealing detail. This tortuous course of a very subtle diplomacy is set out not only by the letters of Therese herself, but also by those of so many others who shared her hopes and eventual victory.