Dorothy Day (1897-1980), founder of the Catholic Worker movement, and one of the most prophetic voices in the American Catholic church, has recently been proposed as a candidate for canonization. In this lavishly illustrated biography, Jim Forest provides a compelling portrait of her heroic efforts to live out the radical message of the gospel for our time. A journalist and social reformer in her youth, Day surprised her friends with the decision in 1927 to enter the Catholic church. Her conversion, prompted by the birth out of wedlock of her daughter Tamar left her searching for some way to reconcile her faith with her commitment to the poor and social justice. The answer came with her decision to launch The Catholic Worker, both a newspaper and a movement. Enunciating a radical social vision rooted in the gospel, Day and those who joined her devoted themselves to the Works of Mercy while struggling to create a new society where it is easier to be good. An ardent pacifist, Day was frequently arrested for her protests in the cause of peace.

Drawing on her recently published diaries and letters, Forest chronicles her extraordinary journey, with special stress on the unique spiritual vision that underlay her dramatic witness.