The fiction of Flannery O'Connor (1925-64), much beloved by readers, scholars, and teachers, received mixed reviews when it was first published. Her legacy continues to loom large in readers' imaginations as a writer who was misunderstood during her lifetime, and whose stories need to be reinterpreted by every generation of scholars and biographers. In this work, Moran (history, Monmouth Univ.) argues that O'Connor's recent biographers haven't delved into the ways in which her critics, publishers, and readers have contributed to her current literary status, and how her multidimensional roles-as a Southern Catholic woman writer interested in theology and human nature-have continued to matter to contemporary readers, writers, and scholars. Moran's research is solid and insightful; his style clear and concise. VERDICT This is an important addition to O'Connor scholarship.-Pam Kingsbury, Univ. of North Alabama, Florence © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.