The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus is the title customarily given to the autobiography of Teresa of Ávila. Begun around 1562 and revised a few years later at the urging of her confessors, both as a way to examine her spiritual development and to spread the story of God's work in her life, the book traces her religious experience from early childhood to the time of writing. As such it was both a defense of her orthodoxy and a testimony to the larger Catholic world. The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus deals with some of the writer's favorite themes, including the importance of strict observance in convents and monasteries and the value and satisfaction of mental prayer. She also records her own mystical experiences as well as the beginning of her reforming career. The book provides an excellent introduction to a study of this remarkable woman.