All is Grace Book Review

All is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day

By Jim Forest

Published in 2011

Review

My husband gave me All is Grace, and it sat on the shelf for the longest time. When I finally picked it up, I got really into it really quickly, then let it sit on the coffee table for, well, a looooong time. That's how reading the whole biography went: read a bunch, let it sit, repeat. 

Dorothy Day is a fascinating woman, a living saint who didn't want to be called a saint, and a social justice activist. She joined the Catholic Church later in life, developed a deep devotion to the sacraments, lived her life for others, and challenged everyone to do the same. It was Dorothy Day who started the Catholic Worker movement, which publishes a regular paper and offers food, clothing, and shelter to those in need. 

You may recall that I mentioned this biography in conjunction with Once Upon an Eid as instrumental in helping me tackle my faith quandary. As I read Dorothy's concerns about the Church, I found myself nodding and thinking, "Yes, exactly." Despite her concerns, she was also devout and obedient, traits I do not pretend to share. However, her other guiding principles resonate with me, namely carrying out the corporal works of mercy.* Dorothy was a social justice activist who lived out all that she believed; she is an example of living out Christ's teachings within the context of an imperfect Church. Her life is a call to action, her biography a wake-up call. 

I highly recommend All is Grace for Catholics and to social activists.

*Corporal Works of Mercy

• feed the hungry

• give drink to the thirsty

• shelter the homeless

• visit the sick

• visit the prisoners

• bury the dead

• give alms to the poor