Lourdes

Lourdes -Ruth Harris
This is a scholarly narrative that explores the culture that allowed Lourdes to develop and prosper as the world's largest pilgrimage site after the child shephardess, Bernadette Soubirous, had a vision of Mary in a grotto.The magic surrounding Marian apparitions has always intrigued me. Raised in the Roman Catholic culture, I was taught the stories of the child visionaries and still strive to understand the faith that drives believers. To be honest the book was a bit of a slog but worth the effort.