St Gemma Galgani (1878-1903) was a beautiful Italian laywoman who was born near Lucca, lived in obscurity, died at only 25, and yet has become known the world over and is fondly called "The Gem of Christ". Orphaned at seven, she had nonetheless been well schooled in spirituality by her holy mother, and from that early foundation in the faith, she quickly rose to the highest stages of sanctity and is considered by authorities on spirituality to have advanced though all nine of the classic stages of growth in holiness - which the auther briefly but beautifully describes.

  Written by her spiritual director shortly after her death, The Life of St Gemma Galgani is the primary source of information about this holy girl - of whom a great deal is known, because of her own writtings and because her director wrote the present biography from the first - hand knowledge about her. A mystic, stigmatist, visionary, ecstatic, victim soul, discerner of spirits, seer of the hidden things, prophetess, spouse of Christ, zealot for souls, devotee of the poor Souls in Purgatory, St Gemma Galgani seemed to possess every hallmark of sanctity - and that to a marked degree.