Catholic Review of: The Song at the Scaffold

I had the privilege of reading Song at the Scaffold, by Gertrud von Le Fort, for a school assignment in my junior year of high school. At the time, I did not really want to read the book, as it was "assigned" to me, and I "had" to do it. However, after reading it, I was glad I did. This small book is a gem worthy of any library.

Set during the chaotic time of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, the story is told from the point of view of the observer Villeroy, and written in the style of a letter to another observer of the same time. The topic of the discussion is the courage of the female martyrs of the Reign of Terror, and the friend's theory: "In all these martyrs of the Kingdom, the Gironde, and the Persecuted Church, the natural dignity of man nobly triumphs over the waves of devastating chaos!" Villeroy goes on to explain that there is more involved than just human dignity, that "amazing resignation of those who die every day" is actually a "last heroic affirmation of a Christian culture, now disintegrating." Villeroy continues by backing up this assertation with fact, telling the story of the life of timid little Blanche de La Force. He tells of her fear of almost everything, of her liberal father, who despised religion, and of devoutly Catholic Madame de Chalais, her governess who taught her religion and a love of the Christ Child, and helped her block most of here fears. He told of her entrance into the Carmelite convent of Compiegne, her fears and weaknesses that cause the novice mistress, Sister Marie of the Incarnation, to doubt her ability to withstand the rigors and hardships of the Carmelite life. He went on to discuss the events of the Revolution as they related to the convent, how Blanche's fears returned stronger than ever, and how she eventually ran from the convent in fear.

At this point, Blanche returned to her home, with the Revolution in full swing around her. Her father, in the years that she was in the convent, had changed his opinion so much that he now advocated the need of religion, and even the Church. This opinion casued him to be arrested and put to death, all while Blanche was watching. After the death of her father, and experiencing the horrors of the brutal mob, Blanche was just about dead spiritually and emotionally. Villeroy continues with the rest of the story, telling how the nuns of Compiegne were arrested and sent to the guillotine to die, singing all the way. He concludes his story and his thesis with the surprising and miraculous ending of one more voice singing after the last nun died! He closes with the statement that "No, human nature of itself is not enough. It is not even enough to offer as a sacrifice."

All in all, the book is an amazing read, full of depth and meaning that cannot be covered in reading it once. It needs to be read multiple times to appreciate the fullness of what the author is conveying. In the edition I reviewed, there is an added bonus of an "Aids to Appreciation" section at the back of the book, offering discussion questions and ideas to think about, an historical context timeline, and other helpful tools to gain a better understanding.