by Mary Gordon
First published 1986
Felicitas Maria Taylor has spent her entire life surrounded by five devoutly religious women and their charismatic priest. They have shielded her from the outside world, creating a cocoon of faith and tradition. When she arrives at Columbia University in the 1960s, Felicitas discovers freedoms she never knew existed. The intelligent and charming young woman hungers for normal happiness and ordinary experiences. At university, she meets and falls for exactly the wrong man. This relationship destroys her carefully constructed world and forces her to confront painful truths about love and independence. Broken by the experience, Felicitas must return to the protective circle of women who raised her. She faces an agonizing choice between embracing her future and honoring her past. The women who love her offer sanctuary, but Felicitas must decide whether their shelter represents salvation or imprisonment.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction, 21st-century, family-drama, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Columbia University
Period: 1960s
304 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Ballantine Books