This was a story of a girl who entered a convent in the 1960s. Her journey was filled with challenges and self-discovery.

She had to adapt to the strict rules and routines of the convent life. The author vividly described the girl's experiences, from her initial hesitation to her gradual acceptance and growth within the convent walls.

I found myself completely engaged in her story, empathizing with her struggles and celebrating her achievements. The book provided a unique perspective on life in a convent during that era, and I learned a great deal from it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book for the most part. It was a thought-provoking and engaging read that left a lasting impression on me.

I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in history, religion, or personal growth.

Folliowing of Cloiser nuns is a fascinating topic. These nuns have chosen a life of seclusion and devotion within the walls of a cloister. They live a simple and disciplined existence, dedicated to prayer, study, and work. The cloister provides them with a peaceful and protected environment, allowing them to focus on their spiritual journey. The daily routine of the Cloiser nuns is filled with religious services, meditation, and the study of religious texts. They also engage in manual labor, such as gardening, cooking, and sewing. This combination of spiritual and practical activities helps them to maintain a balance in their lives. The Folliowing of Cloiser nuns is not only a way of life for these women, but also a source of inspiration for others. Their commitment to their faith and their selfless dedication to serving God and humanity is truly remarkable.

A memoir penned by a Gettysburg College professor offers a fascinating glimpse into her life as a nun during the 1960s. The professor takes readers on a journey through her experiences, sharing the joys, challenges, and profound spiritual growth that she encountered during that era.

The 1960s was a time of great social and cultural change, and the professor's memoir provides a unique perspective on how these changes affected the Catholic Church and the lives of nuns. She describes the daily routine of life in the convent, the strict rules and regulations that governed their behavior, and the deep sense of community and sisterhood that existed among the nuns.

Readers will be captivated by the professor's vivid descriptions of her experiences, from the solemnity of religious ceremonies to the simple pleasures of daily life. Her memoir is a testament to the power of faith and the importance of following one's calling, even in the face of great change and uncertainty. Overall, this memoir is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Catholic Church, the 1960s, or the human experience.

A Tender Memoir of a Young Woman's Journey in and out of the Convent

This is a tender memoir that delves into the experiences of a young woman who entered, and later left, the Roman Catholic convent in the early 1960s. For me, having chosen a semblance of the religious life myself, this book served as a vicarious expedition of another's journey during a time of profound societal change.

In essence, the writer was gradually drawn away by the allure and greater expanse of life and living outside the cloister. As we read, we witness the minute but significant changes in her perceptions and awareness while she was cloistered. There were moments in the book that brought tears to my eyes. We all make our choices in life, and Larsen made hers, just as I have made my own. I found myself completely enamored with this book. It offered a unique and poignant perspective on a journey that many of us can only imagine. It made me reflect on my own choices and the paths that have led me to where I am today.

The Tulip and The Pope, subtitled “A Nun’s Story,” offers a fascinating account. Deborah Larsen, who took vows as a sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the 1960s, shares her experiences in the convent. Despite leaving after several years, her insights into the cloistered life are invaluable. Her clear and lovely writing style, with frequent use of metaphors, makes the book engaging. It explores various aspects of Catholicism, yet is accessible even to Protestants like me. Having worked at a Catholic school, I have some knowledge of Catholicism, but this book is still easy to understand. It presents an interesting picture of a life lived both apart and then as part of the world.

One image that stood out for me was during the evening Tenebrae service in Holy Week. All the lights in the church were extinguished, and every candle was snuffed out. The regular adult choir, high above in their loft, took hymnbooks and banged on their pews. This signified the rending of the veil of the temple at the moment the Lord died. It was a powerful and vivid description that added to the overall atmosphere of the book.

There has been a very mixed reaction to this book.

I, for one, enjoy spiritual memoirs and found the story of what it was like to become a nun truly fascinating and a little endearing. The writing style was gentle and insightful, which made it a pleasure to read.

However, the end was like taking a giant leap off a cliff and ending with a splat. SPOILER ALERT: It's not really that surprising that she ended up leaving the convent. But what was so disappointing and tragic is that she left from something - albeit an imperfect something, perhaps - to basically nothing. Her passion for God, which seemed so strong at one point, was completely gone and replaced by nothing.

She had such a deep soul, or so it seemed, and yet it appeared that she did nothing with the rest of her life to nurture that beautiful soul. It's truly disappointing and sad to think about how her journey ended.

This book had so much potential, but the ending really let it down. It makes you wonder what could have happened if she had found a way to continue to nourish her spiritual side even after leaving the convent.

Overall, while the beginning and middle of the book were engaging, the ending left a lot to be desired.

An interesting view of convent life in the 1960s is presented, yet his memoir remains behind a veil. The 60s were a period of limited, yet suddenly not-so-limited opportunities for women seeking options in life. Our main character/author departs from the convent before taking final vows. The prose is rather stilted, and the structure is somewhat broken. Although the author writes about personal subjects, I am left with no perception of what the daily reality of her situation must have been like. It's as if you can see the penguins behind the glass but cannot touch, taste, or smell anything. It would have been more fascinating if she could have had the courage to write about the convent without the approval of her ex-sisterhood. Perhaps she would have been freer to address the big issues in a more detailed, blow-by-blow manner. Ultimately, she is too timid. However, maybe an ex-nun of her generation would never be able to write, or even desire to write, the much more interesting story that is alluded to in these pages but is never truly told.

OK.

There is really nothing special to report.

It seems like an ordinary day with the usual routine.

I woke up, had my breakfast, and then went about my daily tasks.

There were no unexpected events or exciting developments.

It was just a typical day, filled with the ordinary activities that make up our lives.

Sometimes, these ordinary days can be quite comforting, as they provide a sense of stability and routine.

But at other times, we might long for something more extraordinary to happen.

However, for now, it's just another day of doing the same old things.

Maybe tomorrow will bring something different.

Only time will tell.

This book is not an outstanding piece of writing.

Her writing style is frequently perplexing, and I often had to reread the same sentence twice to grasp what she was attempting to communicate.

The author incorporated an excessive number of stories or memories that were either irrelevant or unimportant to the plot.

She overused metaphors, which sometimes made the text seem convoluted.

Moreover, the author only scratches the surface of her experience.

Each chapter is approximately two pages long, so she never delves deeply into any incident she is sharing with the reader.

I also found a significant portion of the writing to be preachy, judgmental, and bordering on insulting.

This book had the potential to be great if the author could have mustered the courage to explore her transformation from a layperson to a nun and back to a layperson in more detail.

As it stands, the entire book feels more like a synopsis than a comprehensive study.

My mom was in a convent, and she has always emphasized that this book is the most accurate portrayal of life within those walls that she has ever come across.

It truly amazed me to hear her say that, as I had no personal experience of life in a convent.

I decided to give the book a try myself, and I was not disappointed.

The author has managed to tell the story in a compelling and interesting way, making it a page-turner from start to finish.

The details provided about the daily routines, the relationships between the nuns, and the spiritual aspects of life in the convent were both fascinating and enlightening.

I found myself completely immersed in the world that the author had created, and I gained a new understanding and appreciation for the lives of those who choose to live in a convent.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about life in a convent or who simply enjoys a well-written and engaging story.

This book truly had a great deal of unexplored potential. To be quite honest, I firmly believe that penning a memoir about one's tenure as a nun (especially in hindsight) must be an incredibly arduous task. Karen Armstrong vividly expresses this sentiment in her preface to The Spiral Staircase. This work is her account of leaving her convent and serves as a sequel to her memoir of her experiences as a nun, namely Through the Narrow Gate. Armstrong states:

Writing Through the Narrow Gate, approximately twelve years later, was a highly salutary experience. It compelled me to confront the past, and I gleaned a great deal. Most significantly, I came to realize how precious and formative this period of my life had been. Despite the numerous problems I encountered, I would not have traded it for anything in the world. Subsequently, I attempted a sequel: Beginning the World was published in 1983. It is, without a doubt, the worst book I have ever written, and I am grateful to say that it has long been out of print. (xvii)


Deborah Larsen's account of entering the convent of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1960 is a rather conflicted memoir. The conflict does not lie in her feelings about her time as a nun but rather in her choice of narrative voice. She has endeavored to achieve in one memoir what Armstrong struggled to accomplish in three. She elucidates in her author's note: \\"My remembrance of 1960 - 1965 never felt like a conventional narrative, although it had progressions. My sense was more of a string of paper lanterns... lit spottily against the dark along a dock, where some days, even now, waves dash.\\" This explanation, however, does not entirely ameliorate the odd sense of detachment that the reader experiences.

A significant amount of the value in a memoir lies in hindsight. Larsen's reluctance to permit herself a deeper reflection upon the events of the 60s left this reader somewhat disappointed. It is not until Larsen contemplates leaving the convent that the narrative begins to hold the potential for greater interest. Not only has she been released to re-engage with the world within the memoir, but it seems that Larsen - as the author - also abandons her cloistered style. Consequently, the reader begins to fathom the point of the first two-thirds of the book:


If you are capable of pushing, then a you is assumed; you must exist if you can push.
\\tMaybe that was it.
There must be an identity or at least an entity; there must be a you.
Or was it the act of pushing, your choosing, your summoning up courage, that created the you? (205)


I am not entirely certain whether Larsen's switch in style was conscious or not, but it确实 results in a disparate reading experience compared to the first part of the book.


What Larsen does manage to achieve, however, is a beautiful collection of vignettes from both within and outside the community. She appreciates the nuns' aesthetic sense: \\"Black became us almost thrillingly, I thought. Clerical, but classy.\\" Moments such as this bring a smile to the reader's face as she recognizes the nineteen-year-old within the nun.

For some, this memoir may feel remarkably undramatic - Larsen transitions from a state of naive obedience to disciplined questioning. Nevertheless, it is precisely this lack of drama that imparts a significant portion of the book's value. Larsen has demystified the choice to enter a convent and reveals obedience, chastity, and poverty to be simply another set of options in the lives that we elect to lead.

Deborah Larsen's story is a captivating one. In the 1960s, she was a devout young nun, embarking on a journey within the walls of the convent.

Her training as a Postulate and Novice was filled with vivid experiences that are chronicled in this biography. The detailed descriptions offer a rare and extensive insight into the cloistered life.

The short chapters and concise sentences add to the overall tone, giving the reader a palpable sense of the starkness and simplicity that characterized the convent environment.

However, Deborah ultimately reached a decision. She chose to leave the convent before taking her final vows. But she did so in a spirit of peace. For she had come to a profound realization - that she could serve God just as well in the outside world as she could within the confines of the convent.

This biography thus not only tells the story of Deborah's time in the convent but also her journey of self-discovery and her decision to follow a different path in her spiritual life.