Genesse Diary by Henri Nouwen

During his seven-month stay in a Trappist monastery, Henri Nouwen had a unique opportunity to explore crucial issues of the spiritual life and discover "a quiet stream underneath the fluctuating affirmations and rejections of my little world." Nouwen participated fully in the daily life of the Abbey of the Genesee in upstate New York- in work and in prayer.

From the early weeks in the abbey- dominated by conflicting desires and concerns- to the final days of Advent, when he finds a new sense of calm expectation, Nouwen never loses his critical honesty. Insightful, compassionate, often humorous, always realistic, The Genesee Diary is both an inspiration and a challenge to those who are in search of themselves.

"The Genesee Diary beautifully lifts the heart and mind to God."
-Christianity Today

"This is an extraordinary account of a man seeking inner peace and total commitment to God... a fine portrait of cloistered life, a beautifully written account of one man's soul-searching."
-Publishers Weekly

HENRI J. M. NOUWEN is a Catholic priest who has taught at several theological institutes and universities in his home country of the Netherlands and in the United States. He now shares his life with people with mental disabilities at the L'Arche-Daybreak Community in Toronto, Canada. He is the author of many books on the spiritual life, including Reaching Out, The Wounded Healer, and The Return of the Prodigal Son.