The Curé of Ars is a short, well-written biography of the patron saint of priests: Jean Baptiste Vianney. A humble parish priest in a remote corner of France, he had little education due to the disruption of the French Revolution but went on to become famous around the world for his wisdom and piety. How he did it is told in O'Brien's work. This is one of those stories that contains so much of interest that it would be easy to overdue it and over emphasize some of St. Jean's qualities (especially the tales of his holiness), but the author manages to both capture everything and keep it realistic. Highly recommended for those interested in saints' lives, interesting biographies, or St. Jean himself. ( )

ST. JOHN VIANNEY