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The Song of Bernadette Audiobook
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(3.05) - 207 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Song of Bernadette is considered one of the twentieth century's greatest novels of triumphant religious faith. How the book came to be written is itself an inspirational and even miraculous story.
In 1940, famed Austrian author Franz Werfel and his wife were on a desperate flight from the Nazi invaders, whom Franz had publicly denounced. Repeatedly thwarted in their attempts to cross the French border, they found temporary refuge in Lourdes, home of the famous shrine where Bernadette received visions of the Virgin Mary and where millions come in faith to seek a miracle.
Werfel became fascinated with Bernadette's story and began to visit the sacred grotto every day, swearing that, should he and his wife be granted escape from the Nazis, he would write the story of Bernadette for all the world. Franz's prayers were answered, and in America he wrote his masterpiece, The Song of Bernadette, a beautiful fusion of faith and craft.
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"I really loved hearing about her life .... I also love the story about the author and why he wrote this book. Being Jewish, the only reference to Bernadette I've heard is Leonard Cohen's SONG OF BERNADETTE which is totally beautiful. "
— Lisa (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“What struck me most about Werfel’s craft was how deeply this Jewish writer, who had long been interested in Catholicism but never converted, had entered into Catholicism’s sacramental imagination about the world…[The Song of Bernadette] is shot through with a sense of the extraordinary that lies on the far side of the ordinary, revealing itself through the simplest things.”
— George Weigel, New York Times bestselling author -
“A sincere but worldly book that Johanna Ward reads with equal respect to subject and writer…Well worth the listen.”
— AudioFile
The Song of Bernadette Listener Reviews
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" I read this in High School after seeing the movie. See the movie instead of reading the book! "
— Nancy, 5/5/2013 -
" stunning. the story stays with you long afterwards. "
— David, 2/22/2013 -
" This book started off slow but then really picked up. Well worth reading! "
— Anne-marie, 9/22/2012 -
" I really loved hearing about her life .... I also love the story about the author and why he wrote this book. Being Jewish, the only reference to Bernadette I've heard is Leonard Cohen's SONG OF BERNADETTE which is totally beautiful. "
— Lisa, 5/26/2011 -
" Wow! I want to travel to Lourdes so badly now! "
— Elizabeth, 2/9/2010 -
" I first read this historical novel about St. Bernadette when I was 8 years old, and I was completely enthralled. "
— Kathryn, 12/30/2009 -
" Sometimes there is more to life than events that can be explained by science. Does a miracle occur to young somewhat dim witted farm girl? Where does greatness originate? "
— Jennifer, 3/18/2009 -
" Sometimes there is more to life than events that can be explained by science. Does a miracle occur to young somewhat dim witted farm girl? Where does greatness originate? "
— Jennifer, 12/19/2008 -
" I read this in High School after seeing the movie. See the movie instead of reading the book! "
— Nancy, 3/10/2008 -
" stunning. the story stays with you long afterwards. "
— David, 12/16/2007
About Franz Werfel
Franz Werfel (1890–1945) was a Czech-born poet, playwright, and novelist. His writing focused on religion, heroism, and human brotherhood, as seen in the popular novel, The Song of Bernadette.
About Johanna Ward
Johanna Ward (a.k.a. Kate Reading) is an Audie Award–winning narrator and has received numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine. She is also a theater actor in the Washington, DC, area and has been a member of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company since 1987. Her work onstage has been recognized by the Helen Hayes Awards Society, among others. She and her husband live in Hyattsville, Maryland, with their two children.