On the Road with Francis of Assisi

September 19, 2005
Francke (Ground Zero
; Growing Up Divorced
) invokes the legendary 13th-century saint as a spiritual tour guide of Italy, tracing Francis's footsteps to illuminate his spiritual and physical journey to sainthood. Submerged in the region's rich history, Francke traverses the country as Francis did for 20 years, lingering in Assisi (his birthplace), Venice and Rome, visiting chapels and devotional spaces bearing relics of his life or visual homage to the myths he inspired. Her vivid reimaginings create a window into Francis's life, which is blessed with an intriguing backstory that Francke skillfully revives in scenes of drama, despair and passion, as when Francis stridently severs ties with his father to a tittering crowd while "in the buff." She also lavishes attention on St. Clare, the feverishly devout nun who submits to the Franciscan order and falls desperately in love with its leader. Francke peppers her reverent yet witty account with local color and amusing anecdotes that usher history into the present, noting, for instance, that Peter Jennings kept on his desk a statue of St. Clare, as her miraculous witnessing of a Christmas church service marked history's "first live broadcast." Photos. Agent, Lynn Nesbit.

November 1, 2005
Francke provides a unique spin on Francis of Assisi by telling his story within the context of a contemporary travelogue. Using medieval texts as her travel guides, she wends her way through both the Italian hill towns Francis visited and the Egyptian countryside, where Francis became a minor player in the history of the Crusades. Interweaving the past and the present into a remarkable dual journey, she manages to craft a compelling biography while offering a host of serviceable travel tips. As Francis marches resolutely toward sainthood, Francke ambles in his footsteps, recording the physical and spiritual journey of a truly remarkable human being. Including a lot of information about soul mate Saint Clare for good measure, Francke manages to paint an inviting portrait of both the man and the journey.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)