Audrey: The True Story of One Child's Heroic Journey of Faith

This is it. This is THE book that will linger with you LONG after you've read it. On the back of the book, it says, "She ran to Jesus." When you get to the part in the book where she runs to Jesus, you will see that the phrase is meant literally. So when you see the back of the book again, you have to read it as, "She RAN to Jesus." Audrey Stevenson taught me about suffering. No suffering is wasted if it is united with Jesus' suffering, if it is offered up for something. Audrey Stevenson taught me about faith. God can do whatever God wants to do - and He poured His grace into a little girl. I have learned to respect the faith of children - they can teach us so much. Audrey Stevenson taught me about so many other things. This book is hard to put down. It is very powerful. You will get chills when you read about some of her experiences. You will cry when you read about her and her family's suffering. But you will know that she is in heaven, ready to intercede for us, if we but ask. Like Jesus and like the saints, Audrey Stevenson is alive. By all means, dear reader, get this book. Consider it a gift for your faith. You won't be the same after. My only criticism, I remember reading about the last week of her life, the way it was written, it was out of chronological order. For example, the author might go from Monday to Wednesday to Tuesday. You can figure it out. A very, very minor criticism for a very, very amazing book. One final point - if you want to see her sister, Aline Stevenson, you can find her through Google. I think more information about her uncle can be found on the Internet as well.

This wonderful book is a collection of stories about this child born in Paris in 1983, the second of five children. From the start she just knew Jesus somehow. Her parents were Catholic Christians who went to Mass on Sundays, but not much more. She didn't get her knowledge from them, but was taught by Heaven. She was bright and lively, loved loud colors and flamboyant clothes and hairstyles, and once said, "My sister Aline is a bit serious. I am more cha-cha-cha." She was a girl everyone would love. Her mother told friends, "Audrey seems to konw her catechism without anyone having taught it to her. She understands the mysteries of the faith. It is as if they aren't mysteries for her." Once the parents asked their priest, "What should we do with Audrey? How should we teach her?" The priest said, "Don't do anything. Follow her." They did. While a beautiful story of Audrey, it is also a story of beautiful parents. Towards the end of her journey with lukemia and on a return flight from Rome after attending the private Mass of Pope John Paul II and speaking with him, her mother said, "It's amazing, Audrey! Mother Theresa has held you in her arms. Father Maciel, LC, too, and now the Pope! What more could you want?" Audrey's reply: "For Jesus to hold me in his arms." Themes hardly spoken of any more, like self-denial and sacrifice, are demonstrated in this very simple and outwardly ordinary life. Glimmers are seen of an amazing interior life of constant friendship and converse with Heaven. If you know the lives of the saints you can see so many themes of the supernatural in this book, although it is a thoroughly 1980's story. Christians of all flavors (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, Pentecostal) will find wonder, inspiration, and grace in this story.

I just finished reading this wonderful story about the life of Audrey who died at the age of 8 of leukemia. It is an uplifting story, though, because she has so much to teach us. She teaches us to live life fully in her short years. She teaches us how to take the very human, very difficult moments in sickness and offer them as a gift to others. She had a very special relationship with Christ from very early on, and it showed me that so much is possible with very young children as they learn to love. I thought it was well written and interesting, as I had trouble putting it down once I got started. From the more unusual moments in her life such as greeting the Pope to the very normal childhood games and fun "mischief", Audrey will capture your heart and stay with you.