Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux
For a long time, the world believed that Therese's memoir was published on September 30, 1898, the first anniversary of her death. In fact, it did not appear till October 21, 1898.
See the story of the first publication of Story of a Soul in the article "Story of a Soul in the making: 1897-1898 - in the details" on the Web site of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux, which is the chief source of the brief historical details below. My thanks to the Archives.
Therese's uncle, Isidore Guerin, a chief benefactor of the Carmel, agreed to finance the printing of the first edition, 2,000 copies. The publication included not only a heavily edited version of Therese's memoir but also excerpts from her poems, prayers, what her sisters remembered, and a few other sources. The Carmel of Lisieux sent them to all the French Carmels and to a few foreign Carmels. They were also sold in bookstores.
The reaction to the book arrived within hours. The nuns received letters dated October 22, the very day after publication, speaking of the powerful spiritual influence of Therese's life. Read a selection of letters written by readers of Story of a Soul within the first six months after publication. I could not help noticing how many people were inspired by the family life of Louis and Zelie; understood that Therese's life was significant for lay persons, not only religious; and did not hesitate to call her a saint from the moment they first read her writings.
These manuscripts took the world by storm. Now that they have been available in various editions and in countless languages for more than 120 years, let's not take them for granted. I hope we will not hesitate to recommend them and to give them to everyone who can benefit from them.
cover of "Story of a Soul"
Please note that as of 10/22/2021, ICS Publications is offering the book at half price ($6.98). Click on the image above to visit their site for details.