Of the dozens of books by and about Dorothy Day, this small selection is a good place to start. (For an overview of Day’s life, works and legacy, see “A Woman of Action." )
The Long Loneliness Day’s luminous autobiography, published in 1952 when she was 55, gives a lucid yet lyrical account of her struggles and joys. HarperCollins
The Duty of Delight These diary entries, edited by Robert Ellsberg, open a window into the Catholic activist’s day-to-day experience. Marquette University Press
Peter Maurin: Apostle to the World Day’s unfinished biography of the man who inspired the Catholic Worker movement, completed after her death by Francis Sicius. Orbis
Thérèse A biography of Thérèse of Lisieux, originally published in 1960. Of the saint, Day wrote: “In these days of fear and trembling ..., Thérèse is the saint we need.” Christian Classics
All Is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day
Jim Forest’s 2011 biography reflects exhaustive research as well as close-up knowledge of his subject. (The author worked with Day at the Catholic Worker for nearly 20 years.) Orbis
The World Will Be Saved by Beauty
This emotionally rich memoir by Day’s granddaughter Kate Hennessy gives a family perspective on a remarkable life. Scribner