A free 80-day journey through the spiritual autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. One curated passage per day, drawn from all three manuscripts, with editorial context and thematic tagging.
Story of a Soul is the spiritual autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux — the Carmelite nun who entered religious life at fifteen, died of tuberculosis at twenty-four, and became one of the most influential Catholic writers of the modern era. Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1997. Her book has been translated into more than sixty languages and has shaped the spiritual lives of millions.
Reading Story of a Soul in one sitting can be overwhelming. The book is part memoir, part spiritual treatise, and the most important passages — the ones that contain her doctrine of the Little Way — are scattered across three separate manuscripts written at different times. This reading plan walks you through the entire book in eighty curated passages, one per day, in an order that follows the chronology of Thérèse’s life.
Each day presents a single passage from the public-domain Taylor 1912 translation, accompanied by a brief editorial annotation explaining the historical and spiritual context. Each passage is also tagged with one of twelve themes that recur throughout her writing: Childhood & Family, Vocation & Conversion, the Little Way, Love, Trust & Surrender, Suffering & the Cross, Darkness & Faith, Charity & Community, Prayer, Mercy, Death & Heaven, and Littleness & Humility.
The plan is free. There is no signup required to read it on the web. You can move at any pace. Many readers do one passage per day for eighty days; others take six months. The passages will be here whenever you come back.
One passage per day in your inbox for 80 days. Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Click any day to read the passage. Come back to this page anytime to navigate.
The same 80 passages are in the Little Way app, with audio, daily reminders, and progress tracking. Free on iPhone and Android.
Download the AppIt is a free 80-day structured reading plan for Story of a Soul, the spiritual autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. One curated passage from the book is presented each day, in an order that walks chronologically through her life and the development of her spirituality.
Yes. The 80 passages are drawn from all three manuscripts — Manuscript A (her childhood memoirs), Manuscript B (her account of her vocation and the Little Way), and Manuscript C (her final months). Together they form a chronological journey through her entire spiritual life. The plan does not include every paragraph of the book, but it includes every major spiritual moment.
Most passages take 5–10 minutes to read carefully, with another 5 minutes of quiet reflection. The full plan takes about 80 days at one passage per day. There is no requirement to read every day — you can move at whatever pace fits your prayer life.
The Taylor 1912 translation, which is in the public domain and may be freely shared and reproduced. Modern translations exist (Clarke, Edmonson, ICS Publications) and are excellent if you would like to read alongside in a different rendering.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897) was a French Carmelite nun, known as the Little Flower, who entered religious life at fifteen and died at twenty-four. Her autobiography articulated a path to holiness she called the Little Way. Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1997. Read more about her life and teachings.
Yes. The same 80-passage reading plan is in the Little Way app for iPhone and Android, with daily reminders, audio narration, and progress tracking. The web version is free and complete — the app just makes the daily rhythm easier.