The Song at the Scaffold: A Novel of Horror and Holiness in the Reign of Terror

Rating:
Summary: Romantic and spiritual review of the story of Compiègne nuns
Review: Probably the best book never created about the Compiègne nuns. Far above from the Bernanos interpretation.

Rating:
Summary: A good story with a dated translation
Review: The story of 16 Carmelite nuns guillotined during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. Olga Marx's 1933 translation does not hold up well to the passage of time making the book less accessible to the modern reader. A fine, but one-sided, portrayal of the nuns' story, their motivation, and faith. Interesting use of a fictional character, the nun Blanche, to contrast the fear an average person would feel in this situation with the conviction and courage of these historical martyrs.

Rating:
Summary: A book about the nature of courage and fear
Review: The true story of the Carmelite nuns beheaded during the last few days of the French Revolution. The heroine, Blanche, is the only fictional member of the history. The story questions the nature of extreme sensitivity and morbid fear in the face of the French Revolution and questions whether such fear is a matter of shame or a gift from God.