A Nun in the Closet

Oh, lord, this is ridiculous. Fun, and funny, and rich. I was in a rather sober mood when I started (no particular reason), so I merely smiled throughout with occasional laughs. I suspect that if I'd started off cheerful I'd have been rolling on the floor. A pair of cloistered nuns (which, in Gilman's definition, meant people who have totally ignored events outside their cloister since they joined the Order in 1955) must go out into the world to deal with a legacy of a house and land. It's the early '70s, there are migrant workers nearby and some "leftover hippies" trying to help them. And then there's the money in the well, and the wounded man hiding upstairs...and then things start to get interesting. I think I actually like (or show more rather, identify with) Sister Hyacinth more than Sister John - the latter is considerably more extroverted. Great story, and I will doubtless reread it. show less

When the nuns of St. Tabatha Abbey received a letter informing them that a mysterious man named Joseph Moretti has left them his estate, two of the cloistered nuns are nominated to go investigate the property. Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe reach the old house and their cloistered world soon begins to fall apart. The house is dark and scary and the nuns start to think it might even be haunted by the ghost of Mr. Moretti. Searching for water they discover a suitcase full of money hidden down the well. Then they discover a wounded man who has been shot, hiding in an upstairs closet. He pleads with them, asking that they don't notify a doctor or the police, and asks for sanctuary. They disguise him as a nun but before long both the show more police and the mafia arrive.

The book was written in 1975 so it has a bit of a dated feel. The characters' plea for the townspeople to accept migrant workers is an issue that is just as relevant today. One of my favorite things about Dorothy Gilman's characters is that she doesn't find it necessary to stereotype mature women. A Nun in the Closet is a quick and easy read that has some humorous moments. While not as entertaining as the author's Mrs. Pollifax series, it was still an entertaining story. show less

What a delightful read this was: just the thing to lift the spirits.

Like the Mrs. Pollifax novels, this has a good deal of light fluffy playfulness, even silliness in it. But this is playfulness that's grounded in something not at all silly underneath. Sister John is an inspiration, and so is Sister Hyacinthe in her own way. I'd love to read more about the Sisters of St. Tabitha.

I especially liked (mild spoiler)Sister John's delighted encounter with one of the "new nuns," as well as the intensity with which she took up the cause of the migrant workers - particularly in light of recent controversies about nuns in habits or on buses.

What a gem. This goes on the "good stuff" shelf of my bookcase.

I'm not convinced that the author had ever actually met a nun, or for that matter a hippie, or engaged in any research whatsoever before writing this book; her FBI agent is unbelievable and strictly for laughs, and the mafiosi are cardboard cutouts. Nonetheless it's a cute book and I don't regret the loss of an hour or two reading it, since there was little else to read in a Saskatchewan campground... it's definitely more gripping and much funnier than your average road map or travel brochure.

I had been considering reading Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Polifax series even though the premise of Grandma in the CIA seemed a bit improbable. So many folks were praising the series. However, I read A Nun in the Closet first, and it put me off reading anything else by Ms. Gilman.

The book isn't terrible; it's even funny in spots. But those spots are few and far between, and it's very dated. Plus, as a product of Catholic schools, I can tell you that nuns aren't this naive or foolish. Nor are mobsters this stupid or good hearted. I'm a bit young to remember, but I doubt hippies were this clueless, either. I'm willing to suspend belief a bit as I read, but this book asks you to turn off your brain completely.

If you're looking for a wholesome show more read, stick with Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Charlotte MacLeod's Sarah Kelling series. If you're looking for a wholesome but comical mystery, try the excellent Mma Ramotswe series, which begins with The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, or Simon Brett's lovely Mrs. Pargeter series. You'll like these books much, much more.

As I said, this book isn't terrible. It would worth picking up if you don't have anything better in the house to read. But life's too short to read A Nun in the House if you can get out of the house to buy or check out something else. show less

Sister John and Sister Hyacinth are members of a cloistered sect of nuns. When the abbey receives news that they have been left a huge, old house and land by an unknown benefactor, the two nuns are chosen to go and explore the property and report back.

Upon arrival, they discover the old, rundown house, completely furnished, a wounded man hiding in a closet, a battered suitcase full of money and some strange jars filled with a white-powder substance in the pantry. Nothing at the abbey had ever taught them how to deal with any of this!

Sister John is a determined nun who can fix anything. Sister Hyacinth is more of a free spirit, yet well versed in plants and herbs; a strange paring who work well together.

With the assistance of some hippie show more types who are camping nearby, they manage to solve the mysteries and learn a bit about living outside the cloister.
This is a fun read with quite a bit of humour, but also a good dose of tension from the nuns getting into some tight spots.

Dorothy Gilman is probably more well-known for her Mrs. Pollifax series, but I find her stand-alone books very good reading. show less

2018:
4 Stars. Audible. It was still fun....even more fun than it was the first time, since I have absolutely no recollection of reading it. This time around, I found it interesting to think how a fully cloistered nun would find the “modern” world...and I didn’t find Sister John unbelievable. Sister Hyacinth’s driving, on the other hand.... I was impressed that Gilman did the research on medicinal herbs, and on the plight of the migrant workers. Quite a cut above the Mrs. Pollifax series!

2015:
3.5 Stars. Kindle. A fast, mindless read, but still fun. The entire plot was beyond anyone's ability to suspend their disbelief, but sometimes that is exactly what is called for. Not fine literature, but any stretch of the imagination, but a show more good read nevertheless. show less