The Long Loneliness

The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist

By: Dorothy Day

Narrated by: Nancy Linari

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The compelling autobiography of a remarkable Catholic woman, sainted by many, who championed the rights of the poor in America’s inner cities.

When Dorothy Day died in 1980, the New York Times eulogized her as “a nonviolent social radical of luminous personality...founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and leader for more than 50 years in numerous battles of social justice.” Here, in her own words, this remarkable woman tells of her early life as a young journalist in the crucible of Greenwich Village political and literary thought in the 1920s, and of her momentous conversion to Catholicism that meant the end of a Bohemian lifestyle and common-law marriage.

The Long Loneliness chronicles Dorothy Day’s lifelong association with Peter Maurin and the genesis of the Catholic Worker Movement. Unstinting in her commitment to peace, nonviolence, racial justice, and the cause of the poor and the outcast, she became an inspiration to such activists as Thomas Merton, Michael Harrington, Daniel Berrigan, Cesar Chavez, and countless others.

This edition of The Long Loneliness begins with an eloquent introduction by Robert Coles, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and longtime friend, admirer, and biographer of Dorothy Day.

©1952, 2017 Dorothy Day (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Dorothy Day -Autobiography

Powerful autobiography by Dorothy Day for those wanting to know how she expressed her personal experience from childhood, journalist, affiliation with anarchy and advocacy for workers leading to her Embracing Catholicism despite its flaws and her role in the formation of the Catholic Workers outreach expressive of Christ example of faith to those truly in need.

An important read!

Don't let the title intimidate you, as I did, originally. To me, the title made me fear a depressing book about hard times--but how wrong I was! I admit, I first read a biography of Dorothy Day, before getting the courage to read and listen to her own words. The narrator did a wonderful job of sharing Dorothy Day's words, thoughts, and feelings. In this book, Dorothy Day gives us both amazing glimpses and deep looks into spiritual and physical poverty and coming together as a community to survive and thrive in both. Her words are both galvanizing and breathtaking--and yes, sometimes painful. But she always has the solution, focusing on the love of God and always, always turning to God, our ultimate problem-solver. Thank you God, and thank you, Saint Dorothy Day!

Truly moving

Moving and humbly. A life of a modern saint, human but perfected by love. To see beauty in everything. To see God in the faces of all men.

the long loneliness

, but struggled to finish it it got boring about 2/3 thru once a bit.

Required reading for any who work in poverty

A journalist looks at her own life in the light of its most profound reason for being. If St. Therese had not already taken it, this could be called the Story of a Soul.

A worthy spiritual autobiography

probably the best way to get to know Dorothy Day, and understand how she thought, prayed, and what her spiritual journey was like.

Worth listening to

It was nicely narrated. I gave it 3 stars because some parts were slow and I had a hard time relating to some of what she was telling about. She is an inspiring woman though.