The first of my four NetGalley reads for the month, and I started with the lightest and easiest one to read as I try to get through my 20 Books of Summer and the second heatwave of our summer (remembering British houses are built to retain heat, not withstand it, before those in hotter climes sigh once more). I requested this one back in February, having been attracted by the jolly cover and nun theme. Yes, I’m one of those people who likes a nun book, even though I’m not religious myself. The NetGalley description suggests it would suit fans of Sister Act, Rev and the Vicar of Dibley, rather oddly – I saw parallels with Richard Coles‘ new series.
Anne Booth – “Small Miracles”
(7 Feb 2022)
It’s the mid-1990s and Saint Philomena’s Convent is down to three nuns, Margaret, shy and not keen on pushing herself forward, but now somehow the Superior, bustling Bridget, pillar of the community, and austere, 90-year-old Cecilia, obsessed with the history of their founder. A lottery win starts off a plot of answered prayers and others helped: this is what I would call a “community” novel, like “The People on Platform 5” or even “Thrown“, with a range of other characters, each with their own story that intertwines with the whole – shy academic Matthew, expert on the convent founder’s mysterious brother, who must have a set of lost paintings somewhere, his capable sister, Sarah, who was one of my favourite characters, George the travel agent with the domineering mum, their handyman and his family.
A mysterious find spurs a trip to Italy, with the nuns staying in character but experiencing some revelations of their own. Their relationships are beautifully drawn, as is Margaret’s grief at the loss of her best friend, Helen, a true sister in the convent and taken too soon, which informs her whole demeanour and way of being. Their religion is also respected and celebrated – not self-conscious, just there, with Margaret regularly talking to God through prayer and asides, and many characters being comforted by their faith. This wasn’t pushy but calming and rather lovely, and the novel can definitely be enjoyed by the non-religious, as I prove.
The plot is cleverly done, with family history, art and a whiff of scandal all coming together, side characters brought in and a lovely resolution which I had half-foreseen but not in the way it happened. There are several delightful cats to whom nothing negative happens, and a variety of characters of different ages, the three main nuns being over 50, and a little racial diversity brought in although in side characters, one a shop owner, one a friend of the convent and its church. A nice, gentle read.
Thank you to Vintage for selecting me to read this book in return for an honest review. “Small Miracles” was published on 4 August 2022.
peterleyland
Aug 11, 2022 @ 12:22:19
Just one about The Last White Man Liz. Lucky you. I have read all his recent Observer articles on it and am inspired to get it in the future. I look forward to hearing what you think
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Liz Dexter
Aug 11, 2022 @ 17:54:30
I’ve just started that one and it’s fascinating; I don’t read fables very often but I read his Reluctant Fundamentalist and he certainly draws you in. There’s going to be an interesting article on the New Statesman website about it soon.
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Marcie McCauley
Aug 11, 2022 @ 14:11:16
I can relate to how puzzled you are to find yourself enjoying stories about nuns. I have a list of favourites myself. Hee hee
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Liz Dexter
Aug 11, 2022 @ 17:55:07
I think really it’s the community aspect I love reading about, so compressed in nun books!
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Aug 11, 2022 @ 16:42:38
Sounds very nicely done, Liz, and like the fact the protagonists are older ladies!!
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Liz Dexter
Aug 11, 2022 @ 17:57:09
Yes, that was a good aspect of it, the 90 year old sees it through to the end of the book, too.
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Lory
Aug 11, 2022 @ 17:46:03
Sometimes a nice, gentle read is so restorative. What attracts you about nun books, may I ask? I’m always interested in reading about life in community myself … both challenging and comforting as it can be.
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Liz Dexter
Aug 11, 2022 @ 17:58:20
It’s the community aspect, I also like reading about people who are good or trying to be good (that comes from Iris Murdoch, I think). So I like a community read anyway, a compressed community in a nunnery or a commune, even more. And yes, a gentle read is restorative: I’m certainly on a challenging one now, but the next print book is about book collecting …
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Laura
Aug 12, 2022 @ 08:09:02
I almost requested this from NetGalley – you know how I feel about nun books! – but was worried it would be a bit too sweet for me. Your review basically confirms this, but it does sound like a lovely read.
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Liz Dexter
Aug 12, 2022 @ 08:26:28
That’s what book blogging is for, right, finding your community of nun book lovers! It WAS sweet but had spiritual concerns, despair and the strains of living in community, too; I wouldn’t call it saccharine. Anyway, yay nun books!
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Laura
Aug 12, 2022 @ 08:29:12
Absolutely!!
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Brona's Books
Aug 13, 2022 @ 08:30:02
We have the reverse problem – our homes are (mostly) built to stay cool in our summers, so over winter (what for you would be a mild winter) is freezing for us as cold draughts sneak in under doors, around windows and through the poorly insulated walls & roofs. So I sympathise, and hope you get some respite soon.
(PS even our Australian friends in London are saying how hot it has been – it looks like the sale of little blow up swimming pools have done well, judging by the fb pics š
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Liz Dexter
Aug 13, 2022 @ 10:52:28
Thank you for your sympathy! Fortunately the back of our house faces north and my study in the second bedroom is in the “well” between the kitchen/bathroom wings of us and next door so NEVER gets any direct sunlight, the yard on the ground level is damp and ferny and I get a cool breeze through the window all the time. Only another 48 hours to go and it’ll be raining again!
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wadholloway
Aug 13, 2022 @ 09:06:15
We’re having a very Melbourne winter here in Perth (WA) if not a London one. I’m not used any more to grey rainy days.
Have I read a nun book? Not that I can think of. Though the first adult book I read was Evelyn Waugh’s life of the English martyr Edmund Campion. Waugh was very keen on Catholicism once he converted.
On reflection, Ann Radcliffe’s The Italian has lots of nuns, mostly villainous.
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Liz Dexter
Aug 13, 2022 @ 10:53:09
Yes, it does! I long for grey rainy days but they’ll start again on Monday apparently …
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Annabel (AnnaBookBel)
Aug 13, 2022 @ 10:19:05
You’ve probably read The Abbess of Crewe by Muriel Spark – but I think that’s my favourite, odd, nun book! Will look forward to your thoughts on the Mohsin Hamid which I’ve just read.
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Liz Dexter
Aug 13, 2022 @ 10:53:41
I think I have a long while ago, yes! I am trying to put my thoughts together now. Found it so powerful and compulsive a read so hard to write about!
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heavenali
Aug 17, 2022 @ 12:08:10
I’m never sure I like nuns in books, but there does sound like a lovely supporting cast of characters too.
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Liz Dexter
Aug 17, 2022 @ 13:24:36
Yes, and they were the kind of nuns who were out in the community, not the cloistered sort; it was a nice study of fellowship and friendship.
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