July 17, 1794: French Revolutionaries are out to crush the Catholic Church in their nation, and the latest targets of their brutality are the Carmelites of the convent of Compiègne. Sentenced to death for their faith, they kneel at the foot of the guillotine, renew their vows, and begin chanting the Veni, Creator Spiritus, while each one mounts the scaffold to be beheaded.

The Song at the Scaffold is an historical novella based on the gripping story of these brave heroines who offered their lives as a witness to Christ. Written for adults, this 1931 classic has been supplemented with extensive study aids that make it suitable as well for high school students, including footnotes, questions for literary analysis, a glossary, an historical timeline, and an author biography.