Alice von Hildebrand became an internationally beloved figure through her many books ( , ), numerous television appearances, and frequent public speaking invitations-but she was also a prolific essayist, as this volume, the first published selection of her essays, makes clear. Alice von Hildebrand's in-person brilliance lends itself most favorably to the essay, the written form that comes closest to the naturalness and immediacy of speech. Her essays spilled out of her much like the ideas would flow out of her when she was enlivened by a conversation. To read them is to be in the presence of the woman whom Pope Benedict XVI called "a noble lady." The essays in Part I of this volume, while in no way exhaustive, give a representative sample of the breadth of Alice von Hildebrand's output and highlight some of the topics most important to her: friendship, truth, faithfulness, and more. Readers familiar with Alice von Hildebrand will be glad to meet their old friend in this new publication; those new to Alice von Hildebrand will be dazzled by her sparkling wit, challenged by her poignant analysis, and enlivened by the rich world of ideas manifest in these pages. Part II collects remembrances and tributes by many of Alice von Hildebrand's friends, including: Rachel Bulman, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Rocco Buttiglione, John F. Crosby, Anthony Esolen, Dana Gioia, Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, Scott Hahn, Peter Kreeft, Rev. Paul Scalia, Josef Seifert, and many more.