Francoise Blin De Bourdon, Woman of Influence: The Story of the Cofoundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame

In this new biography, Jo Ann Recker reveals the story of Françoise Blin de Bourdon (1756-1838) who, along with her close friend and spiritual advisor St. Julie Billiart, was cofoundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Up until now, Françoise has remained relatively unknown, even to those within her congregation. Françoise was the daughter of aristocratic parents and grew up in a world of privilege and wealth on a country estate in Picardy, France. She was educated in the best schools for girls and was introduced to the court at Versailles, where she entertained promising offers of marriage. What made her leave this all behind? In an engaging, extensively documented work, Jo Ann Recker tells Françoise's story, detailing how she accomplished her work within the turmoil of the French Revolution and it aftermath, and describing her friendship with Julie Billiart. This companion volume to Julie Billiart: Woman of Courage, by Rosanne Murphy, brings to life the story of a woman's possibilities for influencing the course of history. Francoise's inspirational life will be of profound interest to Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and their associates, and their present and former students. Anyone with an interest in women's studies and the history of religious congregations will find this to be fascinating reading as well.