While this is not a real inside look at life in a Poor Clares' cloister, it is as close as one is likely to get. The Poor Clares are some of the most restrictive enclosures in the western monastic tradition. As spiritual memoir, it is a rather engaging read. The author comes clean early on about her struggles with faith and the spiritual life. The fact that she views this monastic community as a beacon for those of us enduring a dark night of a soul is one of the strengths of her tome. I came away for this book with the impression that this is a real person writing about really people, not some ethereal attempt at lofty spiritual platitudes, but the true grit of the hardcore spiritual life in all of its struggles. ( )

Reading this memoir is like spending time with an old friend. The author's musings were eerily like my own regarding faith. This book attempts to understand why cloistered nuns choose such a sheltered life and why praying is so important to them. ( )