"The chronicle of an eighteen-year presidency that involved multiple visits to the White House, one-on-one conversations with the Holy Father, and visits with heads of state across the globe is inherently interesting, but Father Monk Malloy gives us much more. He casts light upon the complexity of operating a first-class modern university while remaining faithful to its mission as a Catholic university. He also helps us to remember that while all of this is happening, the inflection points that occur during everyone’s life continue: the loss attendant to his mother’s death, the emotional impact of the events of 9/11 and its aftermath, and the devastation felt at the revelations of the clergy abuse scandal." —Carol Ann Mooney, president, Saint Mary's College
“One of the most respected figures in Catholic higher education, the Reverend Edward A. Malloy has written the final installment of his three-volume memoir . . . In this lively and candid account, Malloy, or ‘Monk’ to all who know him, shares she reflections on his presidency in eighteen chapters, one for each year of his presidency. . .This is a must read for everyone interested in Notre Dame or the Congregation of Holy Cross.” —Holy Cross USA
"Monk's Tale is an account of deeply effective leadership, faith-filled commitment to service of the Church and the academy, and thoughtful reflections on Christian ministry and the human condition. Monk's straightforward and unassuming narrative style shows the personal qualities that students, colleagues, and members of the Congregation of Holy Cross have treasured for years—his wide-ranging intellect and interests, his humility, his wry sense of humor, and his amazing stamina for multiple activities and remarkable accomplishments. The book is a powerful testimony to God's grace in the life of a priest, professor, and president who has left an impressive mark on Catholic higher education." —Rev. Mark L. Poorman, C.S.C., president, University of Portland
"The final installment of Father Malloy’s three-volume memoir examines his leadership at Notre Dame following the long-term presidency of Father Theodore Hesburgh, CSC. 'I’ve tried to be truthful without being hurtful,' Monk says, as he details the rigors of overseeing a university, from meetings with various constituencies, journeys both domestic and international, fundraising, teaching and dealing with controversial issues." —Notre Dame Magazine
"They called him Monk, a terrific Notre Dame basketball player, who became a priest, a professor of theology, lived for years in Sorin Hall, and became one of the great presidents of our university. For eighteen years, Father Malloy did it all. He accomplished so much. He made me very proud, and yes, they still call him Monk." —Regis Philbin, television broadcaster (ND '53)
"Monk Malloy's third volume of his biography brings to life his leadership journey through a chronicle of the routine and the unexpected, the triumphs and the setbacks, the joys and the disappointments. Following Fr. Hesburgh must be daunting for any successor, but we see Monk coming into his own to forge significant advances for Notre Dame by trusting his own instincts honed by study, tested through experience, cultivated in prayer, and rooted in his abiding loyalty to the Congregation of Holy Cross. Monk's gift to us is the candor with which he describes his navigation: the rationale that governs his thinking, self-reflection that recognizes a better way, and deep gratitude that enables grace to lead the way." —Carolyn Woo, president and CEO, Catholic Relief Services
"Monk Malloy chronicles his eighteen-year presidency of the nation’s premier Catholic university much as a sea captain devotes himself to the ship’s log. These pages reveal not only the captain’s acute powers of observation but the inveterate explorer’s wonder and fascination with waters calm or turbulent. It is the latter characteristics—the wonder and fascination—that mark an extraordinary leader." —Reverend Dennis Dease, president emeritus, University of St. Thomas
“This is the third autobiographical volume of Father Edward “Monk” Malloy . . . [following] earlier volumes on Malloy’s family, vocation, and his work as a professor of theology. In this book, readers are supplied with eighteen chapters—one for each of the years he served as president. We are treated to Malloy’s plain, unvarnished, and often self-deprecating narrative . . . From the flight deck of Our Lady’s university, Monk’s Tale will interest Domer alumni/ae and historians of Catholic higher education.” —Catholic Library World
