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katerintree's review
3.0
I love women religious - & so I was very interested in this book. I am glad I read it, but so many times I was frustrated by Jo Piazza, & then increasingly with some of the Sisters she profiled. Poverty, chastity, & obedience are the vows religious brothers & sisters take, yet some of these sisters (not all!) have forgotten their vow of obedience.
There is a lot to be learned about humility & obedience by reading the stories of those who struggle with both, and to have them paralleled with stories of sisters who are in obedience to Church teaching was interesting.
If you're new to Catholicism & want to learn about the faith, this book is no help. If you are a faithful Catholic who isn't easily offended, this book is interesting. If you could give a hoot about the Church but are interested in nuns in general, take this book with a grain (a cup?) of salt.
There is a lot to be learned about humility & obedience by reading the stories of those who struggle with both, and to have them paralleled with stories of sisters who are in obedience to Church teaching was interesting.
If you're new to Catholicism & want to learn about the faith, this book is no help. If you are a faithful Catholic who isn't easily offended, this book is interesting. If you could give a hoot about the Church but are interested in nuns in general, take this book with a grain (a cup?) of salt.
readerpants's review
4.0
Sweet and inspiring collection: ten short portraits of badass feminist nuns. I have been sold on the awesomeness of nuns since reading my beloved [book: Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence]. This one felt more like dishy (tho obvs admiring) magazine articles, but it was certainly effective at communicating its argument that nuns are amazing women doing incredible work in the world. I am completely convinced.
tinylittlehobbit's review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I loved it, I will definitely be looking up most if not all of these women. The Church definitely needs more sisters like these. Actually not only the church, but the world in general.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Slavery, and Sexual assault
my3sonsandmaya's review
5.0
This was an excellent collection of biographies on 10 nuns. I was amazed how all of them heard a clear call from God to follow Him and how they all spent their entire lives doing just that, walking humbly into service for Jesus often up against the very institution they pledged their lives to, the Catholic Church. The patriarchy, rules, power issues and scandal of the Catholic Church are evident in every way in this book. One thing that made this so interesting is none of the nuns deny these things to be present many of them fight against it yet all of them remain devoted to their Catholic faith. These nuns are intelligent, faithful, humble and just enough bad ass to make this book a great read.
jobatkin's review
4.0
I really enjoyed all of the stories in this book. They were thoughtfully and honestly told and all the more powerful and inspiring for being true. I hadn't really thought of nuns being such self-sacrificing and service-oriented people, often willing to risk their personal safety and dignity and reputation in order to follow God's call by helping those who need it most. As the author says, if nuns were in charge, things would just get done, problems would be solved, and people would be helped. The stories will stay with me I think, as will the concept of such radical service to God that takes over your whole life and provides such practical help to people, while illustrating the freedom, grace, depth and power that can be found when you find and follow God's calling on your life and dedicate it to the service of others.