{"product_id":"the-monastic-cloister-of-my-heart-poetic-reflections-and-prayers-from-the-edge-of-life-paperback","title":"The Monastic Cloister of My Heart: Poetic Reflections and Prayers from the Edge of Life - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eGerard Straub\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter spending fifteen years making documentary films on global poverty in eleven of the poorest nations, Gerry Straub chose to live with the poor in Haiti, founding the Santa Chiara Children's Center in 2015. He lives in a slum in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which became increasingly dangerous due to gang violence, resulting in 15,000 deaths in 2023-2024. Despite his harsh living conditions, between 2022 and 2024, Straub managed to write three books, including \u003cem\u003eReading Thomas Merton and Longing for God in Haiti.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn October 2024, Gerry was forced into exile. Unexpectedly, he had time to write more deeply from his heart. In the early months of his exile, Gerry finished and published an epic spiritual memoir, \u003cem\u003eThe Cross of Love, The Pain of Poverty, \u003c\/em\u003ewhich chronicled his combined quarter-century of documenting global poverty and living with the poor in Port-au-Prince.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the months of solitude rolled by, Straub began writing short poetic, spiritual reflections he shared in his \u003cem\u003eHaiti Journal\u003c\/em\u003e sent to donors. In the prelude, he writes: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI was surprised how well they were received. They were simple, clear, and sparse. They invited the reader to read more slowly. As the collection of reflections grew, I began seeing a book of them emerge. I liked seeing all the white space on each page, which was more conducive to prompting meditative space for the reader.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd so, \u003cem\u003eThe Monastic Cloister of My Heart \u003c\/em\u003eslowly emerged. Straub hopes the book fosters stillness and silence and awakens the reader's contemplative heart, leading to more peace within our fast-paced, fragmented, and often divisive modern culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 268\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.56 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 04, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42757959581792,"sku":"9798986088853","price":39.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0598\/1922\/9280\/files\/YUHyd2mide9798986088853.webp?v=1779349875","url":"https:\/\/bijoucc.myshopify.com\/products\/the-monastic-cloister-of-my-heart-poetic-reflections-and-prayers-from-the-edge-of-life-paperback","provider":"CARIBBEAN CONNECT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}