A review by pr727
River of Fire by Helen Prejean

4.0

Reading this book took me back to the Catholic schools I attended in the 1950's and 60's. Back to stern nuns in medieval garb, desks and chairs bolted to boards so it was impossible to adjust the seat, inkwell holes in the desk tops, Campbell Soup kid posters above the blackboards. At the time, I noticed, with regret for the loss of the ritual and mystique, some of the changes that Vatican II brought - the Latin mass now in English, priest facing the congregation, nuns wearing slightly more modern costumes - but other changes, including the emphasis on social justice were not obvious, so it was interesting to learn the link to Vatican II. Those who did not experience 12 years of Catholic education back in those days will, I believe, find Helen PreJean's maturing within her order and the Church interesting and compelling.