Review by Booklist Review
From Rapley's first line, it's clear her target audience is the reader largely unfamiliar with religious orders. Even the glossary at the back, with terms like purgatory, catechism, and papal bull, clearly indicates the book is for the uninitiated. Using a century-by-century approach, Rapley explores religious orders and the mark they have made on the world. Some of the familiar orders Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, and Trappists get plenty of attention, but many lesser-knowns are depicted as well. Embedded within the text is the occasional question to engage the reader. Fairly early on, after dealing with men and monasteries, Rapley asks. Where were the women. In fact, that question is answered quite regularly as the author devotes a fair bit of her attention to women's orders. And unlike many history books, this one routinely attempts to explain how women's actions shaped the world, especially in the fields of hospital care, education, and social services. For those wanting to dig deeper, there are plenty of further-reading suggestions.--Osburn, Wad. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
