Tumbleweed: A Biography

Eddie Doherty's love letter to his wife does what good bios do--make you want to know more about their subject, in this case Catherine de hueck Doherty, author of Poustina, The Gospel Without Compromise, and many other books. If the last will be first, Catherine will be leading the way into heaven. If the greatest are those who make themselves the least, then Catherine is truly great indeed. If angels can fly, as Chesterton quipped, because they take themselves lightly, she must have skipped along two feet off the ground. That's the impression I gained from Eddie Doherty about the Russian countess who turned her back on fortune and fame and embarked instead on a remarkable life of service, sacrifice and incredible adventure.The second thing this bio did was made me want to know more about Eddie, who left behind a career as a hard-boiled newspaper reporter to follow Catherine as a partner in marriage and life, and who later became a priest. He did the screen-writing for a seldom-seen film called The Fighting Sullivans (originally The Sullivans), based on a true story about five brothers who served together and were all killed in war. A note explains that the work of Madonna House, which Catherine and Eddie helped found, goes on today in Canada. A grassroots movement is underway calling for her to be canonized as a saint. Madonna House is also soliciting support to make a movie of Catherine's life, and working to bring her books back into print. Whether or not Catherine is canonized as a saint, she will be nonetheless be recognized as one by readers who encounter her remarkable story, lovingly told by Eddie in Tumbleweed.