THE LARKS OF UMBRIA

St. Francis of Assisi began life as a 13th century playboy, but he gave up his fine clothes, feasts and dandified friends to become a beggar in the service of God. He and his followers did not retire to a monastery to lead the good life, but walked the highways and byways to help all their brothers who were in need of what the spirit could offer. The story of these first Franciscan friars is a familiar one, but always one of inspiration to Catholics as well as others. While this is an interesting re-telling of a familiar story, the book lacks the moving quality of those two recent saint biographies -- The Rose Unpetaled and The Lad of Lima.