Archbishop Oscar Romero

Who is Oscar Romero, assassinated in 1980 while saying mass, beatified by Pope Francis in 2015, a man Latin Americans already claim as Saint Romero of America? This biography, a Romero primer, sets out to answer this question for the general public ages fifteen up--readers who may know little about El Salvador, Romero's homeland, or the Roman Catholic Church. Based on interviews with some of Romero's seminary mates and siblings, this title reveals not-yet-published information to fill gaps in Romero's first twenty-five years of life. One chapter explores the archbishop's surprising relationship with ""misguided"" young adults. The author takes painstaking effort to convey the context in which this old-school cleric emerged as an audacious voice of the voiceless. That he did so is remarkable; Vatican officials named him archbishop confident he would remain silent, rein in activism, and ruffle no status-quo feathers. How and why Romero defied expectations ranks among the most compelling faith stories of the late twentieth century. Jose Inocencio Alas honors this work with a foreword. A former priest and colleague of Romero who narrowly survived abduction and torture by El Salvador's notorious National Guard, Alas has exclaimed, ""I hope just about everyone in the world reads this book."" ""Thoroughly researched and easy to read, Emily Wade Will's biography of El Salvador's beloved Oscar Romero tells the gripping story of an ordinary human being who mustered the clarity and courage required to be a faithful shepherd in a time of wolves.""  --Kathy Ogle, translator of Monsenor Romero, Memories in Mosaic by Maria Lopez Vigil (Orbis Books, 2010) ""A skillful weaving of Salvadoran history, Romero's writings, and personal interviews of acquaintances that interlace to tell Monsenor Romero's story in such a human way, where the reader visualizes the struggles, the fears, and the joys of this 'voice of those without a voice.' This book shows Romero's life, testimony, and death in a fresh way, through Emily Will's journalist eye, crafty hand, and compassionate heart.""    --Pauline Martin, Department of Education Sciences, Universidad Centroamericana Jose Simeon Canas, San Salvador ""I love how the book reads with lots of stories one can relate to: a farmer and the story of the cow Vallena, a religious leader dealing with bishops, an ordinary man becoming extraordinary by being honest and willing to face the power that killed him. Emily captures details of how Romero was simple and extraordinary, and how one can be like Romero.""  --Jose Artiga, President, Romero Foundation; Executive Director, SHARE Foundation ""I endorse the amazing work and accurate research of Emily Will on Archbishop Romero. I am sure this book will enlighten many lives inside and outside the Catholic Church, and will inspire young generations to be better."" --Carlos L. Villacorta, Priest, El Salvador Emily Wade Will holds a master's in agricultural journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has penned hundreds of articles over the years, with a special interest in Latin America and the Caribbean, and is the author of Haiti (2001). Her first novel, middle-grade historical fiction, When Parrots Blocked the Sun, is forthcoming in 2016.