The Real St. Francis: 14 Surprising Facts

St. Francis of Assisi, a Biography

By Wendy Murray

Francis of Assisi was, in his early life, a ladies' man, a carouser, a fierce warrior, and a P.O.W. Yes, that Francis of Assisi, who is also one of Catholicism's most beloved saints, known for his vow of poverty and prayer for peace.

Wendy Murray, a religion journalist, investigated the complex life of this very human man who became a saint, and tells his story in her new book, A Mended and Broken Heart: The Life and Love of Francis of Assisi (Basic Books). "Francis's life is a story of a complicated man, a true Italian among Italians, a poet, a warrior, a knight, a lover, a madman, and a saint," says the author. "It is a story about human love by lovers of God."

Discover the surprising story of Saint Francis.