Having had the opportunity to hear Sister Helen Prejean speak at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum in 2014, I knew that I wanted to read this book. Her eloquence, unflinching honesty, and enduring faith are a beautiful symphony, and are endlessly inspiring. This book helps readers learn about and understand on a small scale what those qualities look like throughout a person's life, as they face hardship, challenge, test, and joy. I appreciate Sr. Helen Prejean far more than I did before after reading this lovely story of her life, and will recommend this book to others who have been impacted by her work.

Sister Helen Prejean is well known for her stance about the Death Penalty. This is her story, in her own words about her spiritual journey from praying to end the world's problem to actively working to end social injustices that she sees. This is her story of how her life changed and the things that she is and has been working on.

Sister Helen Prejean is perhaps best known as the "Death Penalty Abolitionist Nun," especially after her bestselling book Dead Man Walking. She fights for the dignity of those in prison, and works towards a day when the government will not execute any people, regardless of their crimes. But Sister Helen was not always on fire for justice. As a young woman, she was a nun at St. Joseph Parish, where she was surrounded by other white, middle-class people in the church and the school where she teaches. Her life is generally comfortable, until she has a moment of epiphany--what would it be like to so inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus that you were willing to be ridiculed, to go to prison, to lose everything?

Dead Man Walking is Prejean's story of protesting the death penalty, but River of Fire reveals how she got there. It gives a unique perspective on the changes within the Catholic Church during the second half of the 20th century, as well as Sister Helen's own journey from someone who focused on the spiritual to someone who focused on people who are suffering on earth. This book is easy to read because, as it turns out, nuns aren't that different from you and me. They have doubts, make mistakes, and struggle in their relationships with God and with other people.


River of Fire:
My Spiritual Journey
By Sister Helen Prejean
Random House August 2019
294 pages
Read via Netgalley

An honest, appealing, and well written memoir by the notable sister who is works with prisoners. Sister Helen Prejean's story starts with her Catholic childhood and traditional first years in the convent, followed by the radical changes Vatican II brought into her religious life and her calling to social-justice work.

Compelling and thoughtful read. I enjoyed this one in its simplicity and for its casual narrative voice.

Loved this so much! Sr. Helen Prejean is one of my favorites! She's inspirational and encouraging! Can't wait for her to write more books!

I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

I did not read Sister Helen Prejean’s first book, “Dead Man Walking,” so her writing is new to me. I found the writing somewhat off putting, but not enough to put down the book. Her story was more compelling than her literary prowess. Helen takes us into her novitiate as an 18-year-old girl willing to put herself into the hands of the nuns of St. Joseph Congregation where she is taught self-discipline almost to a fault. We see her struggle to obey and fit into her community as a good nun. She manages this awesome task and while struggling, she manages to hang onto her faith in God and her love of Him.

It is her strength that carries her through some difficult decisions and feelings of betrayal that are more self-suggestive than real. She has a strong sense of pride and it sometimes creates feelings she must overcome through her love of God and all He represents in her life. Sister Helen also struggles with the essence of what her vows really mean. Is it just prayers, or action? And if action, what kind of action? Where does it begin and where does it end?

Sister Helen lays out her questions in language that grabbed me and took me along with her. As a cohort of Helen’s, I appreciated how she described her struggle and presented her options as well as her moments of enlightenment that helped her make her decisions.

I loved reading this book and would recommend it to anyone, especially to Catholics who grew up in the faith. It is remarkably easy to relate to her experiences and the changes the Church has undergone over the years. However, it is her faith that makes this book reach out to people of all faiths. It’s a great read and inspiring.

Great book. I’m glad I read this before starting her other books Death of Innocents and Dead Man Walking.

Sister Helen Prejean writes a memoir about her personal spiritual journey and her desire, as a young child onward, to be a person of purpose, used by God for greatness. She also provides an insider's view on life as a Catholic novitiate and nun and gives readers a better understanding of the Catholic Church and how it has changed through history. She shares her personal growth, her growing awareness of the world around her insular life, and her questioning of social justice. The book ends just as her social activist for those on death row is beginning.

Prejean writes in a flowing, conversational manner that is easy to sink into and an interesting read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Special thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC of this memoir in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I am not quite sure how I ended up with a copy of this memoir, but I am oh so glad I did! River of Fire is an absolute delight. The writing style is so conversational, it feels as if you are becoming reacquainted with an old friend. Prejean not only shares her memories of her spiritual journey, she provides a layman's explain of the evolution of the Catholic faith. She guides the reader far beyond the veil, celebrating humanity, emphasizing the importance of our relationship with both God and our fellow man. As engaging as it is inspirational, I highly recommend River of Fire.

#NetGalley #River of Fire # Random House

In this Memoir Sister Helen Prejean tells us how she knew even at a young age she wanted to become a nun. She tells us about her journey to become a nun and also the events that led her to become a powerful voice for those in prison on death row. I would recommend this book to everyone, regardless of your beliefs or religion.

I really enjoyed this book. Those interested in biographies/Memoirs will be interested in reading this book. I rate this book 5 out of 5. Generously provided by NetGalley.

A memoir of a young woman dedicating her life to God by becoming a nun. Her desire to succeed is evident even as a young child. Her journey to become the voice for those on death row. is document. This is a great read.

The style and flippancy in the writing turned me off of this memoir fairly quickly. There is a recounting of attitudes and ideas that Sister Hellen held in her youth with promises that she learns better in the end, but I just didn’t stay interested for that long. I’m not particularly religious (although raised Methodist) and that may be why this just didn’t hit for me.

River of Fire provides a captivating and honest look into the life of Sister Helen Prejean. She writes with humility often poking fun at her younger self and her own sheltered upbringing. Entering the convent at a very young age at the advent of Vatican II, her life as a consecrated sister was ordinary and yet extraordinary at the same time. Her adventures made me laugh out loud at times. WIth a Cajun's knack for crafting a tale, Prejean will keep you reading from beginning to end as you wonder how a young woman raised in the segregated South becomes one of the most prominent outspoken prophets of our time, speaking out against the injustices of criminal sentencing in the U.S.
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys memoir, is curious about what life is like as a sister, wonders whether priests and nuns are friends.

A book of faith a memoir of Sister Helen Prejeans faith journey.She shares those she met those who inspired her ,her personal faith journey.A wonderful read that will give you much to think about in your own life’s journey.#netgalley#randomhouse

River of Fire is about uncertainty, conviction and a burning desire to succeed with purpose and zeal. It illustrates how to live a spiritual life with awareness of the sufferings in our world. It is stimulating, illuminating, uplifting and witty. I highly recommend it! Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I received a copy of River of Fire from Random House Publishing Group through Netgalley.

One of the most noticable things about this book is the compassion in which it is written.

This is all that happened before Dead Man Walking (one of my all-time favorite books.)

I am not at all religious but enjoyed it very much.

Great insights to what it was/is to be a woman religious in the United States, pre and post Vatican II from one of American's best know nuns.