A Nun in the Closet, by Dorothy Gilman
A standalone novel by the author of the charming Mrs. Pollifax series, about a retired grandma who becomes a spy, which seems to be taking my f-list by storm.
When the small and impoverished Abbey of St. Tabitha gets a surprise bequest of a house, two of the cloistered nuns, the enthusiastic Sister John and the herb-wise Sister Hyacinthe, are sent to inspect it - a process which involves borrowing a delicatessen delivery van and teaching Sister Hyacinthe to drive (terrifyingly).
Upon arrival, they discover a wounded man in a closet, a suitcase full of money down the well, a kitchen empty except for fifty jars of sugar, and a local population of hippies, political agitators, migrant workers, corrupt sheriffs, and a contingent of dangerous men intent on getting back into the house they were clearly using for something.
This is an absolutely delightful book, and one with depth underneath its breezy surface. It’s set in the early 70s, but feels more like a period snapshot than dated, and the themes are just as relevant now as they were when it was written. While the nuns’ innocence is often very funny, their philosophy and knowledge set is serious and taken seriously, as is that of the hippies. There’s hilarious hijinks, a cast of distinct and mostly very likable characters, clashes of world views and also surprising commonalities in world views, a lot of herb lore, and a tiny but real community that springs up in and around the house. And all this is contained in a quite short novel that one could easily read in one sitting, and is compelling enough that you probably will.
A Nun in the Closet
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2219421.html. Comment here or there.
When the small and impoverished Abbey of St. Tabitha gets a surprise bequest of a house, two of the cloistered nuns, the enthusiastic Sister John and the herb-wise Sister Hyacinthe, are sent to inspect it - a process which involves borrowing a delicatessen delivery van and teaching Sister Hyacinthe to drive (terrifyingly).
Upon arrival, they discover a wounded man in a closet, a suitcase full of money down the well, a kitchen empty except for fifty jars of sugar, and a local population of hippies, political agitators, migrant workers, corrupt sheriffs, and a contingent of dangerous men intent on getting back into the house they were clearly using for something.
This is an absolutely delightful book, and one with depth underneath its breezy surface. It’s set in the early 70s, but feels more like a period snapshot than dated, and the themes are just as relevant now as they were when it was written. While the nuns’ innocence is often very funny, their philosophy and knowledge set is serious and taken seriously, as is that of the hippies. There’s hilarious hijinks, a cast of distinct and mostly very likable characters, clashes of world views and also surprising commonalities in world views, a lot of herb lore, and a tiny but real community that springs up in and around the house. And all this is contained in a quite short novel that one could easily read in one sitting, and is compelling enough that you probably will.
A Nun in the Closet
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2219421.html. Comment here or there.