The Ultimate
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face
(aka Thérèse of Lisieux aka the “Little Flower”)
Book List
Essential must read books to really know who Saint Thérèse was and is:
-Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
-The Story of a Life, by Guy Gaucher – Auxiliary Bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux (Official Biography of Saint Thérèse)
-The Passion of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, by Guy Gaucher (somewhat of a sequel to: Story of a Life)
-Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: By Those Who Knew Her (testimonies from the process of Beatification), Ed. & Trans. by Christopher O’Mahony
-Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations
-My Sister Saint Thérèse, by Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face (her sister Celine Martin)
Additional Writings of Saint Thérèse:
-The Letters of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, 2 Volumes
-Thoughts of Saint Thérèse
-The Poetry of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
-The Plays of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Further reading for the very devoted:
-The Father of the Little Flower, by Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face (Celine Martin)
– The Mother of the Little Flower, by Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face (Celine Martin)
-John and Thérèse: Flames of Love – The Influence of Saint John of the Cross in the Life and writings of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, by Guy Gaucher
– St. Thérèse: A Treasured Love Story, taken from talks given by Archbishop Fulton Sheen
-The Story of a Family: The Home of St. Therse of Lisieux, Fr. Stephane-Joseph Piat, O.F.M.
-The Intimate Life of Saint Thérèse: Portrayed by Those Who Knew Her, Fr. Albert Dolan, O. Carm.
Related Saints Lives:
-A Modern Martyr: Theophane Vénard, by the Very Rev. James A. Walsh (Thérèse’s favorite Saint)
-Saint Joan of Arc, by John Beevers (Thérèse’s other favorite Saint)
-Saint Bernadette Soubirous, by Abbé François Trochu (Official Biography)
Though they were from opposite ends of France these two holy women had a great deal in common and really are in a way spiritual sisters though they never knew each other (Bernadette died when Thérèse was 6 years old), in fact Bernadette would have liked to become a Carmelite, but she wanted to enter an Order whose Rule she knew she could keep, but both died young (24 and 35), both died of tuberculosis in addition to a number of other complications, and the comparisons can go on.
-Treasures in Clay: the Autobiography of Archbishop Fulton Sheen (Sheen was extremely devoted to Saint Therese and his long work as head of the Propagation of the Faith, of which Therese was patron, proved to deepen and solidified this devotion)
Finally, this book list would simply not be complete without including that glorious and awesome work: The Liturgical Year of the incorrupt Benedictine Abbot Dom Prosper Gueranger, which Saint Therese was read to from each night by her father or one of her sisters growing up.
I wish to note that the above list of “Essential” books to read on Thérèse is not of my own creation, but was given to me personally from two highly trustworthy and authoritative sources. These being: the founding members of the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who are the only Carmelite Rite Monks using the Carmelite Rite in the world; and the Priest who is the spiritual director to the largest Carmelite Convent of Nuns in the world who live the life in Carmel essentially identical to that of Saint Thérèse even using the Traditional Liturgy that was used in Saint Thérèse’s day (as well as that of Saint Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, and even going as far back as Saint Simon Stock and earlier!).
I would add that anything else you might find by Bishop Guy Gaucher I’m sure will be good as he is THE expert on Thérèse. In fact if you find something else in English please pass it on to me. Also beware of any books written by either Hans Urs von Balthazar or Conrad de Meester. Gaucher refers to Meester, and possibly Balthazar too but I don’t recall, but both are not trustworthy authors for anything because of the modernism rife in their writings.
You can find of a lot Thérèse’s writings online, but for the rest the vast majority of the books can be bought through either: TAN Books, ICS Publications, or Loreto Publications. The process of beatification may no longer be in print. I found a used copy of a 1995 reprint of an edition originally put out by Veritas Publications in 1975. Also there are Audio Book versions of several of Thérèse’s writings available from TAN and from Catholic Audio Publishing.
Also you should be aware, though you would become so if you read all these books, that the recent film: “Thérèse”, is really not very accurate or good. A much better option is a much older film, which was made actually in the Lisieux Carmel: “The Miracle of Saint Thérèse” (best to watch in the original French, the English dubbing is terrible).
