Madeleine Delbrel (1904-1964) studied philosophy and art at the Sorbonne in Paris. When her fiancé decided to join the Dominicans and her father went blind, Delbrel’s life fell apart. She converted to Christianity in 1924 and founded a small religious community in France dedicated to social work. During her life she circulated a collection of aphorisms called The Little Monkamong her friends. After she died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage, the book was published to great acclaim.