Picture of a Nun holding a bouncing baby Photographs Copyright (c) by St. Bernadette Institute - All rights reserved

Review of Dan Paulos' Behold the Women

EXCERPTS FROM A LETTER FROM
DAME FELICITAS CORRIGAN, O.S.B.
(renowned Benedictine author)

Behold The Women is original and it is quite thrilling. I took it to recreation yesterday, and the photographs, some of them more like oil portraits, and oh so attractive, so spiritual yet so human, so wise with a glint of shrewd, mischief in the glance of the eye, simply enthralled a group of all ages sitting at the round table. Lady Abbess wonders whether we could read it aloud in the refectory. I think we could, so long as the readers announced the author of each entry before reading the narrative. D.P. would have to submit to his full-name authorship. Abraham Lincoln's tribute to the heroism of Catholic nuns during the Civil War makes one so proud: that is woman's work in God's plan --- not the priestly ministry. Man is the intellect, the brain, ikon of Divine Wisdom: Woman is the heart, equally indispensable, ikon of Divine Love, the Holy Spirit. Parts of your book reduced me to tears. I am merely a woman! Some of the text is most professionally written such as Fr. Daniel Berrigan. The figures spring to life: the simplicity, directness, actuality of each entry appeals to me very much. It is, I think, an American virtue and an admirable one. I saw of course your own dear Sister Mary Jean, with her clever and so witty verse and her deeply spiritual insights. The book will fascinate and illumine us for a long time to come. THANK YOU. It is quite the loveliest gift I received this Easter!

Stanbrook Abbey
Worcester, England


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Send email to Dan Paulos at
paulos@nmia.com