Saint Bakhita: Forever Free

Encounter the Saints #21

by Susan Helen Wallace, Wayne Alfano (Illustrator)

Susan Helen Wallace, FSP Encounter the Saints Series Kidnapped into slavery at the age of seven and brought to Italy as a teenager, the indomitable Bakhita eventually became a Catholic nun and spent over fifty years joyously serving her Lord as a Canossian Sister. In 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized her. This African saint’s engrossing life story, heroic choices, and forgiving heart make her a wonderful role model! The Encounter the Saints Series offers intermediate readers down-to-earth portrayals of the saints. Each story vividly recreates for the reader the saint’s place of origin, family life, and corresponding historical events.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Biography, Religion

120 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

Sr. Susan Helen Wallace, FSP, holds a B.A. in Catechetics from Notre Dame College in Cleveland, Ohio, an M.A. in Catholic Doctrine from St. John’s University, Queens, N.Y., and an M.S. in journalism from Boston University. She has written several children’s biographies, which are part of the Encounter the Saints Series. She has also written a number of books for adults, including Basic Catechism, which she co-authored with Sr. Mary Lea Hill, FSP. Sr. Susan Helen is also part of the staff at the Pauline Books & Media Center in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a family we have read over 30 books in this series so far. I started reading this series myself, focusing on saints I knew and had devotion to. Then I started reading them with my three youngest children. My children and I love this series. We have read many of the books more than once.

This is an excellent series is! Between my three children and I we have now read nearly all of the books in this series. I read them either by myself, or with one or more child. My youngest 2 children ages 13, 10, still both love these books. And they have read or reread them to us. My son wants to have the complete set in his room, so he keeps asking to buy his own set, because he loves these books so much. We have picked up several volumes to donate to the school library. I would love to have the whole set in the school library as a resource when the students are picking confirmation saints. Each time we read a book in the series we appreciate this series more. We hope there will be more books released in the series in the future. I would love to see how this series handles Saint Josemaria Escriva, Blessed Carlo Actus, … and many more. We would also like to eventually see eBooks of all of the volumes in the series. With my dyslexia and my son’s eye tracking issues we both prefer eBooks where we can change page color, font size and font spacing. This book has an eBook listed but I cannot find it, as it is listed at currently unavailable.

Now back to this specific book on Saint Bakhita of Sudan.

The description of this volume is:

“The name “Bakhita,” which means “fortunate,” was sarcastically bestowed upon this young child when she was kidnapped into slavery. After being taken to Italy and put into service as a nanny, she was sent to live with the Canossian Sisters in Venice, eventually becoming part of their community. For twenty-five years, she joyously carried out humble services in the convent, including taking care of the wounded during World War I. This African saint's engrossing life story, heroic choices, and forgiving heart make her a wonderful role model!”

The chapters in this volume are:

1. Kidnapped
2. A Brief Escape
3. Bakhita’s Mistake
4. Bought and Sold Again
5. Be Peaceful and Happy!
6. The Long Journey
7. A New Home
8. Links in a Chain
9. The Great Day
10. A Special Attraction
11. The Lord’s Own
12. All for Jesus
13. Sowing Peace
14. A Wonderful Story
15. War...Again!
16. Shadows of Eternal Joy
Prayer
Glossary

The prayer in this volume is:

“Saint Bakhita, you’re so easy to love and so hard to forget. You have many lessons to teach each one of us. Suffering and sadness stalked your young life. You know what it’s like to thirst for goodness and truth, especially Eternal Truth. You teach us how to hope, how to trust, and how to keep on going without ever giving up.

It’s so easy to believe that others are better off than we are, have more than we have, and find life easier and more fun than we do. Few people have suffered more than you, Saint Bakhita. Few people have had a more difficult life than yours. But you found your freedom and peace in the crucified Jesus, and he taught you the value of all human pain. Jesus gave you gifts of wisdom, compassion, and a great heart capable of loving and forgiving everyone—even those who treated you cruelly and enslaved you.

You never gave in to hate or thoughts of revenge. No matter the weight of your troubles, you clung to Jesus and he took care of you. Teach me, teach us all how to be like you, Saint Bakhita.

Amen.”

The prayer in this volume is the very different to the one as in the companion volume, The Saints Pray for Us, which has prays for the first 30 saints and blessed covered in the series. This book is a wonderful read. Learning about Saint Bakhita of Sudan it is not an easy read. And this saint went through more in life than many of us will ever experience. It is great to read this with children and be able to explain some of the history and context.

This is one of eight volumes in the series written by Susan Helen Wallace FSP, and one of three illustrated by Wayne Alfano. Each volume in this series had 5 illustrations. The ones in this volume are pencil sketches. They have a lot of detail. My children love going over the pictures and picking out all the details. A few of the passages I highlight my first time reading this book were:

“The child’s new name, sarcastically assigned her by a slave trader, would become the name she would be known by for the rest of her life.”

“As far back as 1462, Pope Pius II had condemned slavery as a terrible crime, and many popes and missionaries after him had worked to end the practice.”

“At moments like this, Bakhita would wonder about the existence of a Supreme Being. Who holds this world together? the young woman asked herself. Who directs our lives? Who allows events to happen? Who helps us to make good choices and avoid bad ones? So many questions. Who had the answers? Someone does, Mimmina, Bakhita whispered to the sleeping child. I’ll find answers to all my questions someday.”

This was the second book about this saint that I have read. The other was Saint Josephine Bakhita: A Survivor of Human Trafficking by Jean Olwen Maynard part of the CTS Biographies Series. Both volumes are well worth the time and effort to read. We have now read over 30 of the books in the Encounter the Saints Series from Pauline Books and Media. And everyone has been worth the read. Though this one is not at times an easy read it is an excellent read in a wonderful series!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Michelle Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short chapter book on the life of St. Bakhita! She was such an inspirational woman who was enslaved at a young age and eventually became a religious who helped others grow in faith through her example of love and faith. St. Bakhita, pray for us!

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful and simple biography of St.Josephine Bakhita that children and families can appreciate. Bakhita was kidnapped as a small child from her African village and sold into slavery. As a slave she was mercilessly tortured. Years later a kind man saved her and brought her to Italy where she became a servant to an Italian Catholic family. Several years later, Bakhita was officially granted her freedom and joined religious life. She became a Canossian Sister and lived a simple but devoted life to the end of her days. Her life shows us that there is redemption in suffering and forgiveness is for all.

[Benedict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bakhita endured kidnapping, forced marches of 600 miles barefoot, ritual scarification with 114 wounds rubbed with salt, and sales to four owners before reaching Italy in 1883 via an Italian vice-consul. In Venice with the Canossians, she discovered Christ's suffering, received baptism in 1890 as Josephine Margaret Fortunata Bakhita, professed vows in 1896, and served humbly, including aiding World War I wounded. Canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 as Sudan's first saint and patron against human trafficking, her story highlights papal condemnations of slavery since 1462.
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Divided into 16 short chapters like "Kidnapped," "A Brief Escape," "The Great Day," and "War...Again!," the slim volume builds chronologically from trauma to joy, ending with "Shadows of Eternal Joy." It includes a closing prayer invoking Bakhita's lessons on hope, forgiveness, and clinging to the Crucified Jesus, plus a glossary for terms like her Arabic name meaning "fortunate." Five detailed pencil sketches enhance engagement for young readers.
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Forgiveness permeates: Bakhita pondered a Supreme Being during trials and later vowed to kiss her captors' hands, crediting enslavement for leading her to Christ. Themes of true freedom in God, redemption through suffering, and joyful service counter slavery's dehumanization, modeling compassion without revenge. Wallace portrays her as "forever free" inwardly, teaching children that pain yields wisdom when united to Jesus.
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Wallace balances harrowing events with down-to-earth prose, avoiding graphic excess for young audiences while vividly recreating Sudan, slave routes, and convent life. Reviews praise its inspirational tone, family reread value, and role-model impact, though one notes minor inaccuracies like "wool factories." Unlike Zanini's adult scholarly work, this prioritizes catechesis and accessibility, making Bakhita's saga a gateway to saintly virtues.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of St Bakhita is well told for younger readers, and includes a glossary of certain terms. I had known nothing of her until I saw repeated references online while searching for something else. We are given enough information, but not excessive amounts. I was startled to read that Sr Wallace believes that wool is manufactured, though. She speaks repeatedly of a "wool factory" and "wool making". Apparently she doesn't know that wool grows naturally on sheep whether it is used or not. Woolen mills spin the wool into thread which is used to make woolen cloth, but wool itself is not manufactured. Surely an adult would know that? Certainly a proofreader/editor should have caught this repeated and mind-blowing mistake.

One fact that is not included is that St Bakhita is classed as "incorrupt". A passing mention is made of adults placing the "still flexible hands" of the dead woman on their children's heads during the paying of funeral respects, but I suppose the authoress didn't want to upset sensitive readers, be they children or their parents.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this before giving it as a gift for my dear neighbor who turned 13 yesterday. It was absolutely wonderful. Sister Josephine Bakhita is an example of what it truly means to live a life of faith, love and forgiveness. What an inspiration! “Bakhita” means “the lucky one” — a name given to her by the slave traffickers who kidnapped her. She decided to keep the name because of what eventually happened to her after horrific experiences. I highly recommend this book for upper elementary school aged kids and above. Her story will undoubtedly touch your heart.