A Radical Faith
A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura relies on archives, declassified government records and deep, skilled interviewing in four countries to piece together a Cold War story of love and commitment.
On a hot and dusty December day in 1980, the bodies of four American women—three of them Catholic nuns—were pulled from a hastily dug grave in a field outside San Salvador.
In A Radical Faith, journalist Eileen Markey breathes life back into one of these women, Maura Clarke. What led her to this vicious death so far from home?
purchase your copy:
Praise for A Radical Faith
The New York Times, Books We Recommend
“ A meticulous re-creation of the life of one of the American nuns murdered in El Salvador in 1980.”
Ariel Dorfman, New York Times Book Review
“ There is no better time to listen to this brave, compassionate woman, a committed role model for all those who, secular or religious, want to truly be free.”
Greg Grandin, author of Empire of Necessity
“ A beautifully rendered account of a true radical hero. Markey’s important book is a loving testament to their life and work ”
Cynthia Arnson, Director, Latin American Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
“In this rare and beautiful book, Eileen Markey brings Maura to life. A searing testament to the meaning of faith amidst the hard choices imposed by desperate circumstances.”
Kirkus Reviews
“ For anyone interested in learning more about the multiple civil wars in Central America and the roles the American government and these Catholic sisters have had in encouraging change, this book is a great choice. ”
Ilan Stavans, Lewis-Sebring Professor in Latin American and Latino Culture, Amherst College; author of Latino USA
“Who was this woman in the dirt? In life, she was selfless. In death, she is boundless. Eileen Markey’s patient, compassionate biography places Sister Maura Clarke in the firmament of Latin American icons.”
Martin Sheen
“Eileen Markey's beautifully told narrative reminds us of Maura's courage in the face of brutal dictators and shocking suffering. It's an important story that has been forgotten for too long, and Markey's book returns Maura to her deserved place in history.”
Charles P. Pierce, Esquire magazine
“A vivid (if maddening) reminder of how the United States sold its moral credibility for a bag of magic jelly beans and the smiles of a fading actor.”
Publishers Weekly
An “irresistible biography...A moving portrait of one woman’s determination to do what she could to heal a broken world.”
Christopher Dickey, The Daily Beast
“Excellent...exhaustively researched.”
June Carolyn Erlick, Editor-in-Chief of ReVista: The Harvard Review of Latin America
“The epic story of an ordinary woman swept into the maelstrom of Central American terror.”
Héctor Lindo-Fuentes, Professor of History, Fordham University; co-author of Remembering a Massacre in El Salvador
“A beautiful and moving biography…The story of her life, and of her murder sheds light on the true nature of the Central American conflicts of the 1970s and 80s.”
