For years, Voyage Comics has been producing art of the highest quality for graphic novels that illuminate the lives of saints like St. Kateri Tekakwitha and St. Joan of Arc. While they are highly researched for the sake of presenting the most accurate depictions of their lives, they are usually presented as third-person narratives.
Now, however, Voyage is publishing a classic piece of literature that brings readers the story of the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, as told by the saint herself in her autobiography, Story of a Soul.
Voyage’s release of Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux comes as a part of Voyage Classics, a series that publishes classic works of literature that elevate modern life. Rather than just reprinting, however, Voyage gives these classics a facelift with custom typeset and original works of art. In this way, Voyage preserves valuable and historic books to be enjoyed by generations to come.
Story of a Soul is the perfect addition to Voyage Classics, as the saint’s autobiography highlights her attraction to the sea – as well as the spiritual symbolism she found behind it – and this fits well with Voyage’s maritime motif. Voyage points to a particularly relevant quote from the writings of St. Thérèse of Lisieux to illustrate her views:
“The symbol of a ship always delights me, and helps me to bear with my exile. Does not the Wise Man tell us: ‘Life is like a ship that passeth through the waves; when it is gone, the trace thereof cannot be found’?”
Founder of Voyage Comics Philip Kosloski explained that Voyage’s Story of a Soul pays tribute to the remarkable artistic ability of the 19th-century saint from cover to cover. Indeed, the cover of the work was inspired by St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s own paintings, which focus on a ship sailing towards the Sacred Heart.
Kosloski explained that much of the inspiration for Voyage’s tribute to St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s artistic nature came from a 1996 coffee table book titled Thérèse and Lisieux. The book is said to contain a wealth of information on the saint not found elsewhere, like original drawings, sketches, and holy cards drawn in her own hand. Kosloski said of the book:
“One set of paintings that struck me when I first read it were a series of pictures she painted that revolved around a ship sailing in the ocean. The caption to these paintings reads, ‘In each of these paintings, Thérèse illustrates one of her favorite themes: the heavenly body which allows the boat to sail in total security is the heart of Jesus.’”
This new edition of Story of a Soul is currently available for pre-order on the Voyage Comics website, to be shipped approximately by October 22, 2024. Furthermore, Voyage is holding a sale for Story of a Soul that will last until September 8.
Learn more about Story of a Soul at Voyage Comics.
