Bernadette and Lourdes
Michel de Saint-Pierre
📚 Genre
Non-fiction: Biography / Religious History
🏢 Publisher
Farrar, Straus and Young
📅 Publication Year
1954
🔢 ISBN
B0007E0K8O
About This Book
A comprehensive biography of Saint Bernadette Soubirous and a historical account of the Marian apparitions at Lourdes in 1858. The book explores the life of the humble peasant girl, the skepticism of local authorities, and the eventual development of Lourdes into a major Catholic pilgrimage site. The cover features a two-tone blue and green design with stylized serif typography and cross motifs.
Book Details
Language
English (Translated from the original French by Edward Fitzgerald)
Pages
266 pages
Edition
First American Edition, Hardcover
Series
Stand-alone biography
Target Audience
Adult / General Audience / Religious Scholars
Collector Information
Condition
Fair to Good. There is visible shelf wear on the edges, significant bumping and fraying at the spine's top-left corner, and some scuffing on the cover surface. The dust jacket appears to be missing if this is the cloth cover, or it is a heavily worn dust jacket.
Estimated Value
$15.00 - $30.00
Rarity
Uncommon. While not a rare 'high spot' in book collecting, mid-century editions in decent condition are becoming harder to find, as many were held by church libraries and saw heavy use.
Historical Significance
Written by a prominent French Catholic novelist, this work served as a popular mid-century account of the Lourdes events, emphasizing historical accuracy while maintaining a devotional tone. It was lauded for its accessible prose and reliance on contemporary documents.
Collector Notes
Collectibility is primarily driven by religious interest rather than literary rarity. For this copy, the lack of a pristine dust jacket and the corner damage significantly limit its upper-end value. Collectors should check for foxing (brown spotting) on the interior pages, which is common for this era's paper stock. To preserve, store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to prevent further fading of the green and blue pigments.
Similar Books
The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel, Our Lady of Lourdes by Henri Lasserre, St. Bernadette Soubirous by Abbé François Trochu
Notable Features
Includes a foreword by the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes; includes an imprimatur and nihil obstat as an official Catholic-sanctioned text.