St. Teresa of Avila is one of the great mystics and Doctors of the Catholic Church. Megan Don has written meditations based on this Spanish Carmelite nun’s work, especially The Interior Castle. Don mixes Teresian works with psychology. This pretty much works and shows that St. Teresa had a good understanding of the human mind even in sixteenth-century Spain.

Don tries to help with twenty-first century problems using St. Teresa’s works as advice. Many of the problems she discusses are spiritual in nature, but spirituality is part of the whole person. They really cannot be separated.

Don has immersed herself in St. Teresa’s works and her religious community. She has spent years reading her works and living or visiting Carmelite monasteries in Australia and Spain; she gives lectures on St. Teresa and her works throughout the world.

The chapters in her book begin with a quote from St. Teresa’s works and then Don reflects on it and concludes with a meditation. The chapters are short and most of the time readable. There are passages that talk about “our inner God.” This seems very close to the Eastern Christian idea of divinization which for Western Christians may seem strange. Don’s reflections also come across as being very mystical. This is bound to happen when working with a great mystic like St. Teresa.

At first glance the reflections may seem to be New Age-like. Don has researched other Eastern religions which may show up in this book along with psychoanalysis. This book makes one ponder and is recommended for those wanting to read a deeper meditation or spiritual book.