Alice Curtayne (1898–1981)

Twenty Tales of Irish Saints is a collection of various legends of twenty different Irish saints, retold for young people. Curtayne has a very engaging writing style and knows how to tell a tale well (she is Irish after all). Most of the saints are from the early period, although there are a couple of medieval ones. Whether you want stories of monks, stories of animals, or stories of wily schoolboys, there's a little something for everyone here. All of the expected people (Patrick, Brigid, show more Columba, Columbanus, etc.) are here. The only surprise omission was St. Kevin, but maybe she felt she had enough stories of that type, and didn't need his. It also appears she wrote another volume, More Tales of Irish Saints, so maybe it's in there. Either way, if you enjoy the miraculous Irish stories of their saints, you'll want to pick this one up. show less

The inspiring story of St. Catherine of Siena. The text was originally written in 1929 and it shows. Catherine starts off front and center of this biography, but is increasingly moved to the background as the author explains complicated political events that her subject participated in. It is remarkable that such a young woman had such weighty influence during her life.

And old book but still entertaining and informative. The author is Irish and reports both facts and some legends.

St. Catherine of Siena ranks as one of the greatest, most interesting, most influential and most popular saints in all of Church history. She was a mystic, a stigmatic and a miracle-worker. For her writing of Dialogue and for her letters, Pope Paul VI declared har a Doctor of the Church.