She chose to be: Cloistered (Catherine Coldstream)

#Cloistered #NetGalley

This is a memoir about a woman who wanted to become a cloistered Carmelite nun. She was following in a long tradition that stretches back to medieval times. Women became cloistered nuns in those days to, perhaps, escape marriage and find more freedoms, including intellectual ones. Catherine Coldstream had her own reasons.

She joined a community with such commitment and hope. Readers follow her experience there and discover, along with her, that life in a cloister does not always mean a life of peace. There are issues, power struggles, and conflicts. What will the author choose to do-stay or go? And, perhaps, more importantly why?

This is a compelling memoir and one that I recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 12 March 2024