This is the first volume in a new English edition of letters written by Catherine of Siena (b.1347). It is the fruit of a project begun in 1979 (publication of the original first volume was in 1988); but the project evolved substantially to involve full reworking of the draft translations and a detailed computer-assisted analysis of language patterns to ascertain the probable chronological order of their origins. Noffke thoroughly annotates and introduces each letter. About half the book is devoted to the charts and language pattern analyses employed in the creation of this edition. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)