This is a different kind of saint's biography-one that reads almost like a novel. In these pages Bernadette lives again. We follow her from birth to death, hearing her speak, watching her interact, experiencing with her the life-changing impact of the eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes.

But this is not a novel. Everything recounted here has been strictly authenticated by the author, renowned Marian scholar Father René Laurentin. Father Laurentin has spent twenty years, in collaboration with several successive teams of experts, scientifically establishing the history of Lourdes and of Bernadette Soubirous. The fascinating result reveals the hidden face of Saint Bernadette.

The Holy Spirit led Bernadette down a path of Gospel holiness and simplicity-a path of abandonment to the merciful love of God. She remains for us a humble and radiant herald of our Lord and our Lady, echoing across the centuries a message of challenge and of hope: change your heart; begin to fully live the Gospel of Jesus.