Love Like a Saint - Elizabeth M. Kelly - A Short Summary and Review
Love Like a Saint: Cultivating Virtue With Holy Women - Elizabeth M. Kelly - A Short Summary and Review
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
A Short Summary:
In Love Like a Saint, Elizabeth M. Kelly reflects on the lives and virtues of holy women throughout Christian history, exploring what authentic love, perseverance, sacrifice, and faithfulness truly look like. Through stories of saints and spiritually courageous women, the book examines how ordinary acts of devotion and endurance can become extraordinary examples of holiness.
Rather than presenting sainthood as unreachable perfection, Kelly emphasizes the humanity of these women and the ways their struggles, griefs, and daily sacrifices shaped their spiritual lives. The result is both a devotional reflection and a practical meditation on virtue, encouraging readers to pursue deeper love, humility, and faith in their own lives.
My Favorite Quote from the Book:
Questions to ponder while reading:
My Review:
Love Like a Saint is a gentle and genuinely encouraging spiritual read. Elizabeth M. Kelly writes with warmth and reflection, focusing on the lives of holy women not as distant historical figures but as examples of what faithful love can actually look like in everyday life.
What I appreciated most about the book was its grounded understanding of holiness. Kelly does not present sainthood as flawless perfection or impossible spiritual achievement. Instead, she shows how perseverance, sacrifice, compassion, and devotion often grow quietly through ordinary struggles and acts of faithfulness. That makes the examples in the book feel approachable rather than intimidating.
The reflections on womanhood were especially strong. The women discussed throughout the book vary in personality, circumstances, and vocations, yet each demonstrates different aspects of virtue and love. Kelly highlights the emotional strength, endurance, and spiritual courage required to live faithfully in difficult circumstances, and she does so without turning the women into simplistic caricatures.
I also found this to be an excellent adoration or devotional companion read. The tone is thoughtful and meditative without becoming overly dense or academic. It is the kind of book that encourages slow reading and reflection rather than rushing through chapters.
Ultimately, Love Like a Saint is less about abstract theology and more about the lived reality of faithful love. It is a lovely, calming reminder that holiness is often built through patience, humility, and the quiet willingness to keep loving well.
If you liked Loved Like A Saint, you may also like:
Thoughts in Solitude - Thomas Merton
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