Bartoli offers an insightful, critical study of the woman who was called the strongest stone of the whole foundation. Those familiar with Clarian studies will find this work a welcome contribution to the ongoing reconstruction of the woman of Assisi. For the unfamiliar reader, Bartoli provides a fascinating and lucid account of one of the most remarkable women of the Middle Ages. -- Ilia Delio, O.S.F., author, Franciscan Prayer and Clare of Assisi: A Heart Full of Love.

Clare was not Francis silent shadow nor was she a nun buried in the enclosure of a monastery. Bartoli restores the true relationship of Clare and Francis, the poor sister and the lesser brother, so close to one another in their evangelical life, and yet so different in their personalities. With Bartoli's book, the true Clare emerges. -- Jean François Godet-Calogeras, The Franciscan Institute, St. Bonaventure