By any measure, Jean Vanier has led an astonishing life. He is the founder of the international movement of L ’Arche communities, and of Faith and Light, two organizations that bring together people with developmental disabilities and the friends who share their lives. He espouses a philosophy that the marginalized, weak and lonely can teach us great things and that true spirituality can only come from our relationships with the less fortunate. In his work, Vanier has travelled the world, meeting with international dignitaries and faith leaders, and with people who have nothing—as well as everything—to give. Written in his spare, meditative style, Our Life Together contains over four decades of Vanier’s correspondence, from 1964 to the present, as he reflects on his travels through Canada and around the globe; on world events such as 9/11 and the quest for peace; and on his own faith journey and current drive for interfaith dialogue. With an insightful introduction by the author, Our Life Together reads much like a memoir: inspirational, infused with a sense of community, and revealing in its candid portrait of a man who fully understands what it is to be a whole, compassionate human being.

Jean Vanier, the son of former governor general Georges Vanier, served in the Royal and the Canadian Navy and taught at St. Michael?s College (University of Toronto). He has many bestselling books and humanitarian awards to his name, including the Pope Paul VI International Prize, the International Peace Award and the Companion of the Order of Canada. Vanier lives in Trosly, France, in the original L?Arche community he founded in 1964.