Following Mother Teresa in Search of Love, Service, and an Authentic Life
by Mary Johnson
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2011
544 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
At seventeen, Mary Johnson saw Mother Teresa's face on the cover of Time and experienced her calling. Eighteen months later, she entered a convent in the South Bronx to begin her religious training. Not without difficulty, this bright, independent-minded Texas teenager eventually adapted to the sisters' austere life of poverty and devotion, and in time became close to Mother Teresa herself. Still, beneath the white and blue sari beat the heart of an ordinary young woman facing the struggles we all share - the desire for love and connection, meaning and identity. During her twenty years with the Missionaries of Charity, Sister Donata, as she was known, grappled with her faith, her sexuality, the politics of the order, and her complicated relationship with Mother Teresa. Eventually, she left the church to find her own path - one that led to love and herself.
Provocative, profound, emotionally charged, and sure to be controversial, An Unquenchable Thirst presents a rare, privileged view of Mother Teresa. At the same time, it is a unique and magnificent memoir of self-discovery, destined to be a classic.
"Starred Review. [Readers] will find themselves transported into another world by this powerful, revealing memoir.... exceptional." - Kirkus Reviews
"Johnson presents a remarkable, elegant spiritual memoir showcasing her journey, a fascinating view inside the world of Mother Teresa's organization, and Johnson's own 'dark night of the soul.'" - Library Journal
"Johnson 'recreated' the first half of her story, going back to her adolescence and her initial decade as a nun, from her memories; it's tedious compared to the intense, believable second half that includes her last years of working with Mother Theresa." - Publishers Weekly
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Mary Johnson joined the Missionaries of Charity, the group commonly known as the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, at age 19. Mother Teresa sent Mary to study theology at Regina Mundi, a pontifical institute aggregated to the Gregorian University in Rome, where she received a diploma in religious studies, summa cum laude. After leaving the sisters in 1997, Johnson completed a BA in English and subsequently received an MFA in creative writing. She currently teaches creative writing and Italian to adults and is Creative Director of A Room of Her Own Foundation's retreats for women writers. Visit her online at www.maryjohnson.com.
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