One Holy Marriage: The Story of Louis and Zélie Martin

St Zelie is my confirmation saint, and I ordered this a pre-order. The first few times through my husband and I couldn't make it through without weeping. I have read it many times, and I still tear up. I read it at our OCIA class to introduce these saints, and it has enough depth to spark interest for adults, but my 2 and 3 year old daughters also love it. It doesn't shy away from the sad, but it's approached very thoughtfully, even for young readers. It's a beautiful book and one of my favorites.

One Holy Marriage tells the story of Sts. Louis and Zelie from discerning their vocation, through the trials of marriage and to their death. It is a sweet example of a true love story and how doing “ordinary” things extraordinarily well leads to heaven. I love that the story of these two saints shows a love story that goes beyond wedding and shows some of the trials they faced. It was a great conversation starter for my older kids who have questions about the babies our family lost and how to love each other in sickness. My kids love getting glimpses of St. Therese as a little girl and picturing her at their age. Over all, it’s a lovely book depicting an even lovelier story. It would be a great addition to any library.

This book is absolutely beautiful. The story by Katie Warner and the illustrations by Leah Pumfrey are so very well done. Many of us know the story of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, at least as far as their daughter St. Therese of Lisieux is concerned. To have a book devoted to them and how they met and married is such a treat. The fact that it is a children’s book is even better! This book not only tells a beautiful story of the marriage of these saints, but it is a fantastic look at the sacrament of marriage. Marriage is so often lived out in the small, everyday details of life. This book show that in a truly beautiful way and also shows how the vows we take on our wedding day are beautiful, holy, and encompass so many of life’s ups and downs. I highly recommend this book for all readers, but especially for children as they learn about the sacraments. Thank you to TAN Books for this copy. All views are my honest opinion.

My husband loved this book, my daughter did as well. From my 10 year old daughter: "This is a beautifully written and illustrated account of a gloriously true story - the story of Louise & Zelie Martin. Together they lived through sorrow and joy. Together they watched their children born and sadly, watched many of them die. Together they became what God wanted them to be, and now, together, they are in Heaven." I thought this book would make an excellent tool to help families who are facing child loss or sibling loss in their family. The story centered around this theme that while there is sorrow in the world, Heaven is the ultimate goal and reward. I loved the colorful pictures! I did find the theme a bit focused on child loss (this is what these saints went through in real life- true story here!) - again, making this a great resource for families.

A wonderful focus on keeping close to the sacraments and trusting God. The author and illustrator did a beautiful job.