The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
by Muriel Spark
J.P. Lippincott, 1962
A visitor to Sister Helena of the Transfiguration, formerly Sandy Stranger and now a cloistered nun renowned for the publication of her work in psychology “The Transfiguration of the Commonplace,” asks her “What were the main influences of your school days, Sister Helena? Were they literary [...]
Archive for the ‘Convents’ Category
In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
Posted in Convents on October 4, 2007 | 2 Comments »
In This House of Brede
by Rumer Godden
The Viking Press, 1969
In This House of Brede was published in 1969, and the story begins about fifteen years before that in 1954. As the outside world (including the Church) becomes more volatile, even the enclosed world of the Benedictine nuns in Brede Abbey feels these fluctuations. The sisters [...]
The Song at the Scaffold by Gertrud von le Fort
Posted in Convents on September 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
The Song at the Scaffold
by Gertrud von le Fort
originally titled: Die Letzte am Schafott
translated from the German by Olga Marx
Sheed and Ward, 1933
Despite its gruesome historical context of the French Revolution, The Song at the Scaffold by Gertrud von le Fort is a exquisite little gem of a book. It’s only 110 pages so even the [...]
