Mary Reichardt

Catherine of Siena

History & Biography

“Undset writes Catherine of Siena's biography as both an historian and a believer. Steeped in research on the Middle Ages through her writing of Kristin Lavransdatter, for which she was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, she views the fascinating Catherine in context of the many troubles in Italy and in the Church of the day. Like Joan of Arc a mysterious figure in many ways, Catherine was clearly raised up by God at a particular moment to mediate this strife and help direct the future of the Church. Truly a "mystic's mystic" as she has been called, Catherine can often seem too touched by the supernatural for us to relate to her. By placing her in her historic and cultural context, however, Undset's biography makes this otherworldly saint alive for us today.”