"In this richly documented and lucidly written work, Popiel . . . shows how in the course of the nineteenth century, three strongly independent women changed the Catholic Church in France in ways that were important in their time and beyond."—S. Bailey, Choice

«“Jennifer Popiel’s book offers a fresh and illuminating perspective on the often maligned Catholic culture of the nineteenth century. Through a close analysis of devotional literature, fiction, images, and personal correspondence, Popiel moves beyond conventional assessments that emphasize patriarchal authority and female submission. Popiel shows us instead how Catholic women could find in intensely sentimental language and iconography centered on devotions such as the Sacred Heart models of heroic behavior and independence.”—Thomas Kselman, coeditor of Christian Democracy: Historical Legacies and Comparative Perspectives»

«“Jennifer Popiel has rehabilitated language and imagery that both contemporaries and historians have interpreted as demonstrating women’s inherent emotionality and passivity. Heroic Hearts breaks ground in its consideration of nineteenth-century women’s spirituality and its serious discussions of sentimental literature and imagery.”—Sarah Curtis, author of Civilizing Habits: Women Missionaries and the Revival of French Empire»