Susan M. Smith

In 1635, as directed by her confessor so that he might understand “the state of her soul,” Margaret Van Noort, a lay sister of the royal convent of Discalced Carmelite nuns in Brussels, composed her spiritual autobiography. This text was followed by two diaries in 1636 and 1637 recording the workings of her inner life and relation to God, and reflecting the cosmopolitan Catholic tradition of her homeland. Now gathered in this volume, these works illustrate Margaret’s development from a troubled young lay sister into a woman of spiritual experience and authority.

Ten-year-old Hayley launches a campaign to make grouchy Mr. Wood appreciate his dog, Booford, whom he never walks or plays with. She gets Booford what he needs; she also gets an unexpected friend -- Mr. Wood.