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Rating: 
Summary: Saint Bernadette Soubirous is a MUST read and MUST have
Review: Finally after many years I have had the wonderful fortune of spending time with the Blessed St. Bernadette. This 'ignorant' miller's daughter suffered so much in the flesh and was so persecuted at first for her strong faith by the older more educated people who just didn't understand that the reason the Blessed Mother would appear to her, a mere uneducated child, was because Mary herself was a pure simple girl also. To read about Bernadette is to live and walk in her path of holiness. This is by far the best account I have found of her life and the events that happened at Lourdes. This book is truly a blessing for those that believe in the communion of saints. May we all find inspiration in the life of Bernadette to lead a life of prayer and penance, penance, penance.
Rating:
Summary: Saint Bernadette Soubirous is a MUST read and MUST have
Review: Finally after many years I have had the wonderful fortune of spending time with the Blessed St. Bernadette. This 'ignorant' miller's daughter suffered so much in the flesh and was so persecuted at first for her strong faith by the older more educated people who just didn't understand that the reason the Blessed Mother would appear to her, a mere uneducated child, was because Mary herself was a pure simple girl also. To read about Bernadette is to live and walk in her path of holiness. This is by far the best account I have found of her life and the events that happened at Lourdes. This book is truly a blessing for those that believe in the communion of saints. May we all find inspiration in the life of Bernadette to lead a life of prayer and penance, penance, penance.
Rating:
Summary: Thorough and engaging
Review: The problem with being a noted visionary is that one may be so associated with the related devotion that little of one's own "true life" story is explored. Trochu's work is a treat for those who wish to know the true Bernadette - not merely the holy card image.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.
Rating:
Summary: Thorough and engaging
Review: The problem with being a noted visionary is that one may be so associated with the related devotion that little of one's own "true life" story is explored. Trochu's work is a treat for those who wish to know the true Bernadette - not merely the holy card image. 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Thorough but more sentimental than objective
Review: This was a fine work written by an obviously devoted priest about the life of the enigmatic Bernadette. He covers all of the bases, from birth to beatification, but tends to downplay the realism of her family's moral falures and flaws. The generally-held notion that Bernadette's parents were a bit on the drunken-but-lovable side does not detract from Bernadette's grace and bearing. In fact, for me, it makes Bernadette and her experience shine ever the more brightly. But, this book was written long ago, when unsavory realities were far more "brushed under the table" than they are in this day, even in biographies. What saves the book from being a devotional piece is the attention to detail and loads of great quotes and information. The book is almost worth it just for the photos of Bernadette alone. I don't believe you can judge a person by their appearance, for the good or for the bad, but if Bernadette Soubirous' face doesn't transmit an underlying, supernatural graciousness, then no face on this earth ever has done so. All in all, a fine "life's work" that this good priest should now be proud of...in heaven with his beloved Bernadette.
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