Mother Teresa: Saint Of The Slums

Description

In the 1940's, Calcutta had become decimated by famine, poverty, war and unemployment. Slums began to surface throughout the city and thousands were homeless, dying of disease or starvation. Alone and forgotten, these poorest of the poor were desperate for someone, anyone, to recognize their plight and help them. That help arrived in the form of Mother Teresa. Albanian-born, Mother Teresa knew from a young age that she wanted to become a nun and devote her life to God. What she could not envision, however, was exactly where that service to God would take her. Sent to Calcutta to teach history and geography from within the safe confines of a convent, Mother Teresa could not ignore the plight of the homeless and the dying. So she chose to give up everything in her life to serve those most in need. With nothing but her faith to guide her, she took to the slums with the hope that she could make a difference in the lives of at least a few lost souls. And with her pure heart and beautiful spirit, she wound up touching millions.

Lewis Helfand was born on April 27, 1978 in Philadelphia. With a political science degree and a passion for comic books, Lewis's first comic book was Wasted Minute, the story of a world without crime where superheroes are forced to work regular jobs. With the first issue well received, he was soon collaborating with other artists and released four more issues over the next few years. Lewis continues to work as a freelance writer and reporter for a number of national print and online publications.

"Mother Teresa shines brightly both figuratively and literally in this graphic portrait of her life and mission. Mother Teresa glows in a spotless white sari against jumbles of dim, run-down streets and impressionistically rendered inhabitants. Her slight, erect image anchors both the stately art and Helfand's solemn account of her devotion to helping others, from childhood on. Mixing commentary with (invented but characteristic) dialogue, the author chronicles her compassionate works and, occasionally, captures just a hint of her strong personality too: "How much medicine do you need to purchase today, Mother Teresa?" a pharmacist asks. "Purchase? I thought you might want to do something beautiful for God." Closing with her continuing progress toward formal sainthood and a spread of additional anecdotes, this account will leave readers deeply affected and perhaps even inspired by her profound devotion to the poor, ill and needy in India and the world. "Why did she want to help? Why could she not turn a blind eye to those in need?" A searching and reverent treatment." -- Kirkus Reviews "The life story of the famed charity worker is summarized in this lavishly illustrated biography. . . . Nagar's art is striking, painting scenes in watercolors that evoke the powerful emotions of Mother Teresa's story." -- Publishers Weekly