Brother Fire, Sister Earth: The Way of Francis of Assisi for a Socially Responsible World

David M. Kelly teaches religious studies at Brock University in St.
Catharines.

This brief summary of the life of Francis of Assisi is straightforward
and fairly well written, if somewhat on the preachy side. Unfortunately,
the book offers little new insight into the life and teaching of the
saint from Assisi. Aiming her message at today’s materialistic
Christians, Torchia emphasizes the virtues of poverty, asceticism, and
self-sacrifice, repeatedly expounding on Francis’s example. Her piety,
though nowhere near fanaticism, is overdone, but her book is too bland
to either offend or inspire.