The Orchards of Perseverance: Conversations with Trappist Monks about God, Their Lives, and the World

David Perata's THE ORCHARDS OF PERSEVERANCE is one of the most interesting books on Catholic contemplative religious life available. Perata gives some background about the Cistercians, a group of Catholic monks and nuns also known as the Trappists whose life is based on the Rule of St. Benedict. The majority of the book contains interviews with monks, both priests and brothers, who live at New Clairvaux Abbey in Vina, California. The subjects of the interviews range from monks who have been in religious life for many years and the newest member of the community who eventually decides he is not called to the monastic life. In each of the interviews we see very different people struggling with a variety of issues with varied perspectives on life all searching for one thing: union with God. This book is not a pretty book so to speak. We do not find ideal people or perfect role models. What we do find are people who are real and attempt to live a life that is challenging for the person perusing it and fascinating for those of us who read about it and observe it. Reading about the joys and struggles of these monks can help us as we strive to live in our world and search for the same thing these men are searching for, and in many ways are finding. I do know how the Trappists feel about the many books written by them. Some I'm sure they love and appreciate, others they probably would not mention because as anyone who has ever met a Trappist knows, courtesy is a hallmark of this order. Whenever I have visited a Trappist monastery, I usually head right to the bookstore and I do not find all the so called Trappist books, but I do always seem to find THE ORCHARDS OF PERSEVERANCE prominently displayed. My guess is the reason is that Trappists themselves find the book authentic, and quite frankly, that's good enough for me.

Wonderful book filled with commentary from the monks. Offers a great analysis of the questions that many of us ask ourselves in this life and this book portrays the few whom make the sacrifices to actually live it.

So many questions I had about Trappist Monks were answered in this book. This is a must read book if you are at all interested mans relationship with God from men who spend there whole life working on this relationship. The author allows you to me them personally for he has a personal relationship with them from an early age. This is the book you wish someone would write and has. I highly recommend this book.

The Orchards of Perseverance book review by [email protected], here's a book which illustrates well the power of a book. David D. Perata, author of The Orchards of Perseverance - Conversations with Trappist Monks about God, TheirLives, and the World - (Ruthven, Iowa, St. Therese's Press, 2000, softcover, 224 pages) brings together taped interviews of the monks of Our Lady of New Clairvaux Abbey at Vina, Calif., with 85 photos of the monks at work, at prayer, and at leisure, and his own experiences of New Clairvaux with its community of monks and cluster of buildings on a large plum and walnut plantation, into a wonderful reading experience. Mr. Perata first experienced New Clairvaux in the 1960s when he was still a grade school "kid" and returned many times for the "mystical spirituality" (page XIX) and "basic goodness" (page XIX) he finds there. The introduction carries as its photo frontispiece a scene of three smiling monks, one of whom is holding the author's daughter Cheyenne. And this is the first of many seeming incongruities which show the human side of the monks as well as the mystical side. The author proceeds to give the history of the Cistercians from third century Egypt, through all the centuries, to 19th century foundations in the United States, including the 1848 foundation of the Abbey of Gethsemani near Louisville, Ky., and the 1955 foundation of New Clairvaux. Chapter II delves into "the seemingly concrete realities of daily living with the more ethereal parameters of the monastic vocation" (page 11). Photos illustrate the plum harvest which sends the fruit to Sunsweet for prune-making. Chapter III elaborates on the meaning of Union with God as taught by 12th Century St. Bernard of Clairvaux and 20th century best-known Trappist monk Thomas Merton. The remaining chapters IV to XII present the interviews pretty much verbatim as the monks responded to 1991 interviews by the author. Each one tells a fascinating life story of how the individual came to know his vocation (several by reading one or more books by Thomas Merton - especially The Waters of Siloe and The Seven Story Mountain - the power of a book), how he happened to come to New Clairvaux, and some of the joys and sorrows of living out the life of a Trappist monk. One is an artist - Father Anthony - a maker of pottery. Another is a musician - Father Paul Bernard - who moves from organ keyboard to compuer keyboard as he leads the singing and oversees the farm. Father Dominic of Kenya, East Africa, studied at New Clairvaux from 1989 to 1993 and then returned to his native country. His interview affirms that monks too "handle and interpret the confusion, insecurity, clashes, and difficulties" (page 130) that all human communities and families cope with. In his epilogue, the author gives his "spin" on the lives and stories of these monks as a search, a quest for truth and for Absolute Truth - God. Reading about the struggles an