The Nun's Story

A very compelling work with not only a wonderful main character but also a very powerful sense of the essence of the religious life. Worth reading, thought-provoking.

I first read this book two years ago, and to this day its message makes me stop and question my life and its course in this world. This is the type of story you want your children to read, and one, once read, which must be treasured again and again. Hulme's characters are full and rich, human in their fallibility while admirable for their ardent striving to the perfection of God's children. Sister Luke, the main character, is a person so vivid, so real, I found myself sharing her trials as she strove for that perfection, crying in frustration when thoughtlessness or simple humanity held her back. I laughed and smiled when something went right, and strove with her to understand better myself, my fellow people, and the strange world in which we live. Simply put, this is the story of a nurse who chooses a live as a nun, the struggle she makes to balance both roles while remaining true to herself, and the painful decision that finally leads her to change everything to remain honest with herself and God. It is a starkly written story that in itself is simply presented, yet makes the reader delve deeper into herself to get the full experience of this wonderful story. Even if you don't normally read religious books or don't know anything about nursing, READ THIS BOOK! There is nothing more technical to understand than the human heart, and that is truly the center of this book.

Picking this up was truly a whim. I had just seen the movie with Audrey Hepburn and loved it, and was curious as to how closely it followed the book. If you are a reader who gets annoyed or distracted by side stories or tangents, this is a book for you. Hulme writes briskly, sticking to the subject, moving things along...it's as if she is using her simple, concise language as a metaphor for the nun's life, because within the unadorned narrative is a rich, complex, emotional and bewildering tale...much like the character of Sister Luke. It's a very revealing peek into life in the convent, into the training of the Brides of Christ, and raises some very interesting questions and choices a nun must make. Absolute selflessness, and Sister Luke's own nemesis, absolute obedience. Her desire to do good cannot be kept within the context of her vows; she cannot reconcile the nurse within her and the nun within her. I thought it was a very engaging, powerful story, and it moved me profoundly.

The Nun's Story, by Kathryn Hulme, is not a book that can be read in one sitting, due not only to its length but to the fact that the depth of its contents requires the reader to take a deep breath after every paragraph. This touching story tells the life of a young woman who tries arduously to become a good nun. Although The Nun's Story is not related to the majority of people's everyday lives, it demonstrates the beauty and the enchantment of a world which to many is a complete mystery. The Nun's Story is absorbing to the point of tears, a novel in which it is quite impossible not to sympathize with the character. Although it is said that Hulme's intentions were to criticize and denounce convent life, the book in no way creates that sort of atmosphere. It simply shows to the world a bit more about a very special world, and in all truth, this is done beautifully.