Certainly made me think..... ( )

An excellent introduction to Dorothy Day. Better than her autobiography for three reasons: 1) It covers her entire life, not just her early years. 2) It covers all aspects of her life, not just her religious conversion. 3) It draws on all her writings, public and private, including her recently-released diaries. It is detailed without being boring, personal without being biased.

For those already familiar with her, this is an excellent recap. It clarifies things and fills in the gaps nicely. Years of research went into this book; I don’t see any obvious factual errors. Having known Dorothy Day, I can attest to the accuracy of this book. Should she be canonized a saint? I don’t know why not. See the discussion in this book.

More than a biography, this is also a history of the Catholic Worker movement within the larger contexts of American and world histories. Well written, clear and easy to follow, though its page layout is not easy on the eyes. (The text is squeezed into narrow columns to accommodate oversized margins that are mostly wasted space. What were they thinking? But it is readable.)

Other than its page layout, this is a great book! An engrossing story of an eventful life. Recommended to anyone who would like to get to know Dorothy Day and walk a mile in her shoes. The illustrations, mostly photographs, are many and outstanding. ( )