Bird of fire;: A tale of St. Francis of Assisi
by Helen Constance White
Category: Assisi (Italy)

This is more than a biographical account of St. Francis of Assisi; the author succeeds in laying open the heart of the saint, revealing the quiet but compelling magnetism which first drew followers to his side. She conveys the excitement of the young, growing Franciscan Order, bringing her historical canvas alive with a gallery of vivid characters. St. Francis himself springs into life as he is shown as a high-spirited Umbrian youth who became a humble man and a great saint. The author portrays his slow winning of the small world of Assisi, and the gradual spread of his Franciscan Order through a chaotic thirteenth century world. She sets the Francis Order against a richly detailed background of medieval Europe and at the same time traces the progress within the Order itself, showing St. Francis' struggle to preserve the simple and humble way of life which characterized the Order of Friars Minor.