First published 1981
Karen Armstrong was a promising young student until she felt the calling to join a strict Catholic convent. Within the narrow confines of the cloister, she endures grueling daily rituals, stifling silence, and constant self-denial. Torn between her devotion to God and her own deepening doubts, Armstrong's spirit is tested as she struggles to find meaning in the harsh, unyielding lifestyle. But her story is not one of surrender - it's a vivid, unflinching look at the price of absolute faith, and the human need for freedom and self-expression.
Genres: autobiography, religion, biography-memoir, christianity, catholic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Great Britain
304 pages · Paperback · Bantam Books, New York
Content warnings: abuse, mental-illness