Cloistered by Catherine Coldstream

[Minny123]

Has any one else read this book?
It's a beautifully written account of a young woman joining a Carmelite convent in the north of England.
She describes her experiences of God in that peaceful ancient order.
I found it quite moving.

I’ve not read it yet but I read an interview in The Guardian about the book and I plan to read it.

Thank you for the recommendation.

I'm listening to it on Audible. I am surprised that they even allowed her to
Enter after only being a Catholic for a year. And so soon after a major bereavement.

I'm looking forward to reading it.

It's book of the week on r4

I listened to book of the week and enjoyed it up until •Spoiler• her beating, I found it so brutal that I couldn't continue to listen.

I used to be a Carmelite Secular. It's a very beautiful charism. The nuns near me seemed very peaceful and contented near me but I did hear rumours that things were not happy in a convent in the north. Both convents have now closed. I think she was just unlucky.

@Minny123 I've been trying to work out which Carmel it was. I found parts of it slightly unbelievable. Like the way she described the bishop turning up for an official visit in his own clothes. The ex carmelite nuns I've met are as hard as nails and this sort of explained why, a bit. There was quite a lot of drama in my local one a few years ago. That has now closed.