The World Is Too Small: The Life and Times of Mother Cabrini

Lisa Henley Jones reviews Theodore Maynard's biography of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.

The World Is Too Small: The Life and Times of Mother Cabrini

by Theodore Maynard

Publisher: Sophia Institute Press

When you search for the 2024 movie Cabrini from Angel Studios, the top search result is the question, "Was the movie based on a true story?"  The answer is yes, but to provide a more detailed explanation, the Sophia Press Institute re-released a best-selling biography of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini as a special edition to accompany the movie.  The World is Too Small: The Life and Times of Mother Cabrini by Theodore Maynard, with a foreword by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, provides incredible details and first-person testimony about the life of Saint Frances Cabrini.   

In my family, I heard stories of my great-grandparents' devotion to Mother Cabrini as Italian American immigrants who arrived in the United States in the early 1900s. Reading this book provided me with an opportunity to go beyond the family stories and learn more about Mother Cabrini and why her life inspired so many. 

In the beginning 

The book begins with Mother Cabrini's arrival in New York, depicting how her arrival was unexpected and that she had no place to stay.  The author grabs your attention immediately by giving you a slice of how Mother Cabrini faced the many trials she endured in her lifetime.  And then, when you're invested in what happens next in New York, the story jumps to the beginning of her life with a memorable moment from her childhood in northern Italy.   

The chapters on Mother Cabrini's early years were enlightening because there was so much I didn't know about her early struggles before arriving in the United States.   

Writing style 

One thing that pleasantly surprised me about the book was the volume of first-person testimonies referenced by the author, as well as her diary entries and numerous letters. The author goes into detail about Mother Cabrini's life, and the manner in which he tells her story is enjoyable. He answers many of the fact-or-fiction questions movie watchers might have after watching the movie.  

Since the book was written almost eighty years ago, the writing style differs from what many people today read. I found the sentence structure and language usage slowed my reading, as sometimes I had to stop and ponder the meaning of a paragraph. It did not impede my reading of the book; in fact, I didn't notice it at first, but it is something to be aware of if you are not used to reading books written outside the last few decades.   

Overcoming struggle 

Reading through the chapters on Mother Cabrini's later years, as she faced and overcame struggle after struggle in her mission, I found myself inspired by Mother Cabrini's persistence and total reliance on God.  I was also in total awe of how God used this small, sickly woman to transform the lives of countless individuals, including my Italian-immigrant great-grandparents. 

If you love to read about the lives of saints or if you saw the movie Cabrini and want to learn more about Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, you should read The World Is Too Small by Theodore Maynard. Learning more about this determined Saint inspired me to change how I perceive struggles and obstacles in my life. 

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2024 Lisa Henley Jones
Images: copyright 2024 Lisa Henley Jones, all rights reserved.