A review by todd_luallen
The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi by Francis of Assisi

4.0

A wonderful look at the lives of many in the 13th Century monastic life. This was my first look into the monastic life, and it was very interesting. Especially because the book is an easy read due to the quick little stories in which it is told. Much of the book describes what would described as miraculous events that occurred in and around St. Francis and others in his Order. The last portion of the book (15%) has some practical teaching on holiness from Brother Giles which was a little less exciting to read than the rest of the book, but still a enjoyable none-the-less. If you've never been exposed to the monastic life and the holiness that those that enter pursue, this is probably an excellent book to take the plunge.

My personal opinion is that there is definitely some exaggerated story telling in this book, or perhaps some outright error. I doubt the author did so intentionally, but perhaps this stories became more and more fantastic with each telling. I also don't adhere to some of the doctrines presented in this book, but I did find the book enlightening.