Very interesting, Barb. I cannot claim a great fascination for nuns myself. I grew up knowing them up close and personal--during 10 years of Catholic schooling. I did have one nasty nun (like the one you describe here) who was the one and only teacher I had that my father met with to question her methods..... She had frankly crushed me in front of my sixth grade classmates over something she expected me to know how to do, despite her never teaching us how (conducting a meeting with Roberts rules of order). Anyway, I may need to pick this one up. Thanks again for your interesting reviews.
Thanks so much for these memories, Beth. It's so interesting how our ideas about big things (nuns, what it means to be a nun) are shaped by small things. I LOVE the image of the nuns hopping over the fence.
My fascination is not so much with nuns as with Belfast where my great-grandmother was a flax spinner a century ago (and which I'm trying to write about!). Thanks for this recommendation!
I share this fascination of nuns. I was born on the campus of Park School and my earliest memories are of the nuns coming over in their habits and playing with me in front of our house. They actually were the ones who taught me how to do a somersault. I do not remember any of their faces, just their kind gestures and playful manner. My other recollection of nuns was when the art museum closed up their gardens with fences, mostly soft bendable fences and this particular morning I was arriving early to work and was walking towards the building from the outer parking lot. I saw 3 nuns, young ones, in white habits. The were walking towards the gardens and came in contact with the plastic, malleable green fence. They looked around, I smiled at them and they pulled up their habits and jumped over the fence. The visual was priceless. It was forever embedded in my mind. I will have to read this book and thank you for the recommendation. I am reading Martyr! So well written. Thank you for that too!
I do have some positive memories of very specific nuns too. I love your story here, Rachel. It makes me think of Sr. Joan Marie who taught me that my birthdate is a command: March forth! I also remember a lovely nun who taught high school physical education. She was always so encouraging. She would have jumped that green fence you describe here.
Glad you liked the post. Bravo to your dad!
Very interesting, Barb. I cannot claim a great fascination for nuns myself. I grew up knowing them up close and personal--during 10 years of Catholic schooling. I did have one nasty nun (like the one you describe here) who was the one and only teacher I had that my father met with to question her methods..... She had frankly crushed me in front of my sixth grade classmates over something she expected me to know how to do, despite her never teaching us how (conducting a meeting with Roberts rules of order). Anyway, I may need to pick this one up. Thanks again for your interesting reviews.
Thanks so much for these memories, Beth. It's so interesting how our ideas about big things (nuns, what it means to be a nun) are shaped by small things. I LOVE the image of the nuns hopping over the fence.
Oh, wow! That sounds really fascinating. Yes. Write about it.
My fascination is not so much with nuns as with Belfast where my great-grandmother was a flax spinner a century ago (and which I'm trying to write about!). Thanks for this recommendation!
I share this fascination of nuns. I was born on the campus of Park School and my earliest memories are of the nuns coming over in their habits and playing with me in front of our house. They actually were the ones who taught me how to do a somersault. I do not remember any of their faces, just their kind gestures and playful manner. My other recollection of nuns was when the art museum closed up their gardens with fences, mostly soft bendable fences and this particular morning I was arriving early to work and was walking towards the building from the outer parking lot. I saw 3 nuns, young ones, in white habits. The were walking towards the gardens and came in contact with the plastic, malleable green fence. They looked around, I smiled at them and they pulled up their habits and jumped over the fence. The visual was priceless. It was forever embedded in my mind. I will have to read this book and thank you for the recommendation. I am reading Martyr! So well written. Thank you for that too!
I do have some positive memories of very specific nuns too. I love your story here, Rachel. It makes me think of Sr. Joan Marie who taught me that my birthdate is a command: March forth! I also remember a lovely nun who taught high school physical education. She was always so encouraging. She would have jumped that green fence you describe here.