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leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review
3.0
It’s important to know that this memoir focuses on the author’s life up to the beginning of her work with death row prisoners, which she discusses in her other books. I admire her life of service and advocacy, but it was hard to read her condescending tone towards her younger Catholic self, Catholics of that time, and Christian and Catholic foundational beliefs. She even comments that she had planned on being more charitable in how she wrote about her young, well-intentioned self, but oh well. There were some inspiring and thought provoking sections, especially towards the end, but it was tedious to get to them.
ajlewis2's review against another edition
5.0
This story of a young woman finding herself drawn to join a religious order of sisters seems very true to life to me. She covers her years of formation later becoming a director of novices herself. Having gone through 7 years of formation myself, although older than she was long after Vatican II, I so enjoyed reading this part of her story. The changes that happened after Vatican II with lots of people leaving vowed religious life is covered well and is very interesting. The author goes through a lot regarding personal relations and how those are navigated in this way of life. That was a fantastic part of this book for me. She has transitions and awakenings and lays it out there. Her style of writing is forthright and plain good reading. Her work regarding the death penalty is not covered much in this book with only a bit pointing to earlier books presented in the Afterword.
kterhaar's review
4.0
A memoir of a young woman dedicating her life to God by becoming a nun. Her desire to succeed is evident even as a young child. Her journey to become the voice for those on death row. is document. This is a great read.
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