Remnant of Paradise: Remembering Alice Von Hildebrand

Can one little book encapsulate decades upon decades of wisdom and witness to truth? Have you ever read a book that made you truly feel like you were friends with the one who wrote it?

The Hildebrand Project achieved both these objectives through Remnant of Paradise: Essays by Alice von Hildebrand with Remembrances by Her Friends.

I recently wrote an article in appreciation of the life of Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, and in review of this lovely little book. CAELI Catholic shared my piece on their blog in honor of the recent third anniversary of Dr. von Hildebrand’s entrance into eternity this past January 14th. Here’s an excerpt:

“I ‘met’ Alice von Hildebrand in 2022. On January 14 of that year, she passed into eternal life, and the news of this event struck me, although I was not sure why. Her name was vaguely familiar to me; the prior semester in my college studies I had already discovered the work of her husband, the great Catholic philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand. Of Alice, I had only received a glimpse, although I knew that she, too, was a philosopher and a renowned voice for femininity. 

That summer, I picked up The Privilege of Being a Woman for the first time. The pages of my copy soon bore ubiquitous underlines and little hearts penciled in the page margins, and I wanted to know more about the compelling persona behind the philosophy. Who really was Alice von Hildebrand? What formed her mind and soul? In particular, where could I discover more about the great love story between her and Dietrich von Hildebrand?

I found the answers to my burning questions when I read Remnant of Paradise, a collection of essays by Alice von Hildebrand with remembrances by her friends. Published by the Hildebrand Project soon after she entered eternity, this little book carries a quiet simplicity yet contains a symphony inside.”

Click here to read the rest of my article on Remnant of Paradise!

“Friendship is the remnant of paradise.” – Alice von Hildebrand