3 out of 4 stars
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Germaine: Requiem of a Soul by Andrew St. James is considered the true story of Cinderella. It tells the story of Saint Germaine of Pibrac, France. The author used factual accounts for the basis of this story.
Germaine Cousin’s mother died when she was very young. Her father went on a business trip and came back with a new wife and three stepdaughters. Since Germaine was born with a limp arm and scrofula (“an infection of the lymph nodes of the neck that develops into bluish-purple abscesses that often leak”) her stepmother, Armande, was repulsed by her. Armande worried that she was contagious and that she would infect her daughters. Germaine was banished to the barn and was no longer allowed to eat or sleep with the family. This was just the start of the torture inflicted by her stepfamily. Germaine kept a God-loving spirit throughout her punishments. Her mother had instilled in her a true faith that few could understand. Germaine inspired others to repent their sins and find their own trust in God.
I was inspired by the story of Germaine. Her life was simple. Her troubles were many. Yet, she managed to believe in God’s love in an everlasting and inspiring way. My favorite part was how she gave her meager rations of bread to those that needed it more. She knew her family ate well. She knew that her stepsisters had a comfortable life. Still, she never envied them and always found a way to help others.
My least favorite part of the book was the editing. Unfortunately, the book is riddled with mistakes, and the mistakes get more frequent toward the end. There are missing words, missing punctuation, and a few problems with indentations. There are also a few instances where the time shifts. We might be following Germaine in the pasture with her sheep, then suddenly she’s lying in bed and it’s several weeks later. The author included some dates in these situations, but too often these jumps were jarring.
Despite the mistakes in editing, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of this little-known saint. Her life was so sad but she was always so loving and forgiving. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The loss of the final star was based solely on the editing. I’d recommend this book to those that believe in God and enjoy tales of his awesomeness. I plan on suggesting it to a few of my Catholic friends. If you’re not a believer, you may still enjoy this book for its storyline. It tells a good tale of a shepherdess growing up in a small town in France in the late 1500s.
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Germaine: Requiem of a Soul
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