This refreshing biography captures the compelling combination of down-to-earth humanity and profound, enriching spirituality that is Teresa of Avila's hallmark. This intelligent, balanced portrait of an irreverent, intense, and fiery Renaissance woman and her times includes moving excerpts from her letters and sublime spiritual writings. Her unconventional, progressive views on prayer and worship, her outstanding administrative and literary talents, her travels around Spain to found and supervise convents, and how she spent much of her life under the scrutiny of the Inquisition are all detailed. For readers of any faith or none, this book brings to life an extraordinarily ordinary, lovable, and inspiring individual.

Shirley du Boulay is the author of "Beyond Darkness" and "The Road to Canterbury." She worked as a radio and TV producer covering religious and spiritual topics for the BBC.