Teresa of Avila is a lucid introduction to the life and writings of St. Teresa of Avila, with special emphasis on what makes Teresa a model for contemporary men and women. Teresa was a highly erotic woman, a brilliant administrator, consummate diplomat, faithful lover, and hilarious observer of the human condition: a conquistador of the Spirit. By combining an account of her life, excerpts from her books and letters, questions addressed to the reader, and the author's empathetic insights as a modern-day contemplative hermit and spiritual mother in the Carmelite tradition, Teresa comes to life. Teresa's sense of adventure and exile set her out on a quest that included intimate friendships with both men and women and the pursuit of the impossible dream: the renewal of the Carmelite Order-both nuns and friars.