An Unquenchable Thirst: Following Mother Teresa in search of an authentic life

A powerful autobiography about a search for meaning that begins when a young woman enters an austere order as a devoted follower of Mother Teresa, and ends when she returns to the secular world, disappointing Mother Teresa but remaining true to herself.

At seventeen, Mary Johnson saw a photo of Mother Teresa on the cover of TIME magazine, and experienced her calling. Eighteen months later she entered a convent in the South Bronx, to begin her religious training. Not without difficulty, this boisterous, independent-minded teenager eventually adapted to the sisters' austere life of poverty and devotion, but beneath the white-and-blue sari an ordinary woman faced the struggles we all share, with the desires for love and connection, meaning and identity.

During her years as a Missionary of Charity, Mary Johnson rose quickly through the ranks and came to work alongside Mother Teresa. Mary grappled with her faith, her desires for intimacy, the politics of the order and her complicated relationship with Mother Teresa. Finally, she made the hard, life-changing decision to leave the order to find her own path, and eventually to leave the Church altogether.

The story of this compellingly honest woman will speak to anyone who has ever grappled with the mysteries and wonders of life and faith.