1. For this detailed and personal exploration of the famous opera Saint Francois d'Assise by Olivier Messiaen, the author spoke with Messiaen's widow and interviewed others who knew the composer personally, and conducted detailed archival research with Messiaen's numerous notebooks at the Bibliotheque nationale de France.

2. The book includes unique subtopics, including discussion of Catholic theology in the opera as well as the use of Christian color symbolism. Author's focus on the composer's color-based synesthesia is also a really interesting element of this work.

3. Author Vincent Perez Benitez is graduate of IU Jacobs School of Music.