With our Voyage Classics line of books, we’ve been preserving classic works of literature that elevate our modern lives.
Our unique editions of these vintage books are newly typeset and feature original illustrations.
Such is the case with our latest book, Story of a Soul!
One of the most popular religious autobiographies of all time, this Voyage Classics edition of Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, highlights the Carmelite saint’s attraction to the sea and her love of the spiritual symbolism behind it.
As she wrote in her autobiography, “the symbol of a ship always delights me, and helps me to bear with my exile. Does not the Wise Man tell us: ‘Life is like a ship that passeth through the waves; when it is gone, the trace thereof cannot be found’?”
Furthermore, this edition features an original painting that was inspired by St. Thérèse’s own paintings of a ship sailing in the water towards the Sacred Heart.
While there exist many different editions of Story of a Soul, none pay tribute to her remarkable artistic ability. It is not something you will read about in her autobiography, but is on full display in the coffee table book, Thérèse and Lisieux, published by Novalis in 1996.
The book contains a wealth of information about St. Thérèse that is not included elsewhere, as well as a large selection of original drawings, sketches and holy cards that she created.
One set of paintings that struck me when I first read it were a series of pictures she painted that revolved around a ship sailing in the ocean. The caption to these paintings reads, “In each of these paintings, Thérèse illustrates one of her favourite themes: the heavenly body which allows the boat to sail in total security is the heart of Jesus.”
The book also mentions how, “Therese resolved to live always under the beaming gaze of Jesus. She understood that, to make a success of life, one had to remain in this ‘golden beam,’ to allow oneself to be illuminated by the face of Jesus.”
This new edition of Story of a Soul is currently available for pre-order and will be shipped approximately by October 22, 2024.
We are having a pre-order special that will expire on September 8.
We’ll show you more of the interior typesetting in the next few days.
For now, enjoy this original painting by artist, William Nathans!
