A Saintly Two-for-One Read

Lindsay Schlegel reviews An American Little Flower, a new middle-grade book on a Blessed native to New Jersey, her home state.  

Bon Jovi. Bruce Springsteen. Whitney Houston. Air conditioning. Boardwalks. Bubble wrap. Taylor ham (or pork roll, if you’re south of here). New Jersey isn’t perfect, but we have a lot to be proud of.   

Okay, I’m kidding (a little), but in all seriousness, my home state really does have something significant to be proud of: the first blessed to be beatified in the United States hailed from this beautiful Garden State. Her name is Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, and she is the subject of a wonderful new middle-grade biography in the Vision Books series, An American Little Flower: Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich by GinaMarie Tennant, published by Ignatius Press.  

Blessed Miriam Teresa’s name has crossed my path a couple of times the last few years, mostly via prayer cards left on tables at church. From these, I knew she was young; I knew she was on the path to sainthood; and I knew I couldn’t pronounce her last name, but that’s about it. Having read her story now, I can tell you there’s a lot more to know and love about this incredible young woman, and she’s someone I want my kids—especially my daughter—to know about.   

Born at the turn of the century in Bayonne, New Jersey, Teresa Demjanovich lived a relatively quiet life, first helping her mother to care for their family and later attending the College of St. Elizabeth (my mother-in-law’s alma mater!). She loved the Lord deeply all through her life, and more than once needed to actively accept His will rather than pursue her own. Her humility, intelligence, humor, and kindness made an impact on those around her. For many people in her life, she was an image of Christ’s love and mercy.   

That would be enough for me to get excited about this book for young readers. But what I appreciated even more is how the author illustrated Blessed Miriam Teresa’s being inspired by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and in particular her autobiography, The Story of a Soul. In this way, Tennant’s book is a kind of two-for-one—in learning about Blessed Miriam Teresa, we also learn about the Little Flower!  

Readers will see that just as they are reading a book about a holy person, that holy person was inspired by the life and works of yet another holy person in reading about her. Thus the communion of saints is powerfully portrayed as living and true. My hope is that many young readers will put themselves in Blessed Miriam Teresa’s shoes and see that they, too, can grasp that inspiration and live their lives for Christ. They, too, can encourage others in the ordinary tasks of their daily lives: chores at home, work at school, building relationships with friends.   

I also appreciated the care with which Blessed Miriam Teresa’s journey to her vocation was depicted. As the reader who knows that she was a Sister of Charity, we can see where various conversations and experiences prepared her for that calling, even when she didn’t recognize them. And so this sister’s story is also an invitation for us to pay closer attention to where God is speaking and moving in our lives—especially when it’s in ways we wouldn’t expect.   

Blessed Miriam Teresa was born three and a half years after the death of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Our gentle protagonist died less than a hundred years ago. This is one of the most contemporary saint stories we have, and it’s a treasure. Blessed Miriam Teresa’s example of taking inspiration and leading a life of holiness is sure to inspire today’s youth—and honestly, the adults who might be reading along out loud or by a child’s side—to do the same.   

Copyright 2023 Lindsay Schlegel
Images: Canva
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