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St Thérèse of Lisieux

Biographies include Monica Furlong, Thérèse of Lisieux, London: Virago, 1987, is a stimulating biography informed by feminist concerns; Guy Gaucher, The Story of a Life: St. Thérèse of Lisieux, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987, is an excellent brief introduction; Ida Görres, The Hidden Face: A Study of St Thérèse of Lisieux, London: Burns and Oates, 1959, is still one of the most profound studies; Patricia O’Connor, Thérèse of Lisieux: A Biography, Huntingdon, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 1983.

There are many studies, often rather derivative. Among the best are: Conrad De Meester, With Empty Hands: The Message of Thérèse of Lisieux, Homebush, NSW: St. Paul Publications, 1982; and his larger The Power of Confidence: Genesis and Structure of the “Way of Spiritual Childhood” of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, New York: Alba House, 1998, considered by the many the best available study of Thérèse’s doctrine. Guy Gaucher, The Passion of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, New York: Crossroad, 1990; and his The Spiritual Journey of Thérèse of Lisieux, London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1987, are both fine studies, as is Christopher O’Donnell, Love in the Heart of the Church Dublin: Veritas, 1997.