Arthur Livingstone, author of this 1930's reproduction of Little Flowers, characterizes this text as a masterful work of folk literatures from the Middle Ages. The phrase "little flowers" refers to "notabilia," or a collection of noteworthy events in the lives of St. Francis and his followers. These stories were originally collected and compiled by Brother Ugolino during the early 1300's. Ugolino attempted to draw out similarities between Jesus and St. Francis, since both leaders taught their disciples to deny the things of this world and to instead seek humility and holiness. Ugolino's original Latin text was lost, but by consulting a variety of sources, scholars have worked to reconstruct Little Flowers into both Italian and English translations. Livingstone advises readers to enjoy Little Flowers with a sense of humor, as the contents of several stories contain much irony and amusement.

Emmalon Davis
CCEL Staff Writer