What a delight to discuss Bernadette Chovelon’s Salt and Light: The Spiritual Journey of Élisabeth and Félix Leseur with the translator of the book Mary Dudro. This beautiful love story is filled with fascinating characters, panoramic landscapes, and a sweeping view of a time gone by that is nevertheless very much like our own. The tender relationship between an unbelieving husband and a faithful wife who trusts God completely is a compelling witness to the transformative power of love.

 

You can find the book here

From the book description:

Élisabeth and Félix Leseur began their life together in France as a carefree young couple with a bright future ahead of them. They were beautifully and compatibly matched, except for one major difference—Élisabeth was a devout Catholic, and Félix was a firmly decided atheist. As they faced the seasons of life together, their relationship was tested, and both were called to deep spiritual transformation.

Out of love for her husband, Élisabeth spent her life offering her many sufferings for the sake of his conversion. After her death, and in response to the profound love he encountered in her writings, Félix converted and offered the rest of his life to God as a Dominican priest.

This biography is a lovely narrative of their marriage and the transformative power of God’s love and grace in their lives. It also presents a charming picture of upper-middle-class French society at the turn of the last century. The cause for the canonization of Élisabeth Leseur has been opened by the Catholic Church.