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Changing Habits
Changing Habits
Author: Debbie Macomber
They were sisters once. — In a more innocent time, three girls enter the convent. Angelina, Kathleen and Joanna come from very different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common-the desire to join a religious order. — Despite the seclusion of the convent house in Minneapolis, they're not immune to what's happening around them, and each siste...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780778320289
ISBN-10: 0778320286
Publication Date: 4/1/2004
Pages: 384
Rating:
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 204

3.7 stars, based on 204 ratings
Publisher: Mira
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Changing Habits on + 46 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
A quick read - interesting to any current or former Catholic on the transition of nuns after Vatican 2 - part fiction, part factual. Very interesting.
Beachreader avatar reviewed Changing Habits on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Addressing a subject not often found in womens fiction, Debbie Macomber has written a compelling book that is absolutely unputdownable.

Its the late sixties a time of turmoil for many young Americans. But three young women decide to use their lives to serve God and become nuns.

Kathleen OShaughnessy, from a large Boston Irish family, has always known shed become a nun. There was never any question from the time of her first communion on. And a more wonderful and devout nun youd be hard pressed to find. But when Kathleens naiveté allows her to get into a very stick situation, her fellow nuns have no problem sending her away .

Joanna and Greg become engaged before he leaves for Vietnam. They had become intimate before conflicting with Joannas morals. But she knows they are meant for each other and while he is gone she spends time planning the wedding. But Joanna is in for a shock when he returns, giving her all the impetus she needs to enter the convent. She becomes a caring nurse and in her caring ends up devoting herself to more than just her patients when a troubled young physician forces her to take stock of her life.

Angelina joined the convent despite her fathers vehement protest. The young Italian girl has been primed to take over her fathers restaurant business from an early age. Sister Angelina becomes a schoolteacher, caring deeply for her students. But when she is unable to help one of her favorites leading to tragedy, Angelina is unable to forgive herself.

Debbie Macomber has given readers a glimpse into a world that has many a mystery to many. As a non-Catholic the depth of the isolation forced on the novices, especially in the late sixties, surprised me. But Macomber has chosen to set the bulk of CHANGING HABITS in a time that saw many changes in the Catholic Church and for the nuns in particular.

The poignant stories and choices made by these three women make for one of the most compelling books Ive read in a very long time. In spite of the subject matter, there is romance as well, but the story really belongs to Kathleen, Joanna, and Angie.

This book is very highly recommended not only for its interesting subject matter but also for the compassion with which Macomber tackles controversial issues, as well as her trademark poignancy. It certainly proves why she is one of the most beloved authors writing today.
reviewed Changing Habits on + 302 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A great read by Debbie Macomber. Excellent story about three women that enter a convent. All three are from different backgrounds, this book is their journey and their story as each faces a crises in their faith.
reviewed Changing Habits on + 17 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Very interesting.Well researched. Many delicate subjects are handled in humane,nonjudgmental ways.Written in an interesting Macomber format. Even if your not Catholic it is a good read.
fibrogal avatar reviewed Changing Habits on + 180 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Three stories that are told piece by piece in alternating style. Only occasionally does more than one of the characters appear in each story segment. It was almost as if I was reading three different books at once and alternating among them, which I found disconcerting. Sometimes I had to stop and try to remember which character was the focus of the current segment, because their similarities seemed more significant than their differences. Parts of the book were very moving, but other parts just fell flat. The book kind of trails off toward the end.
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reviewed Changing Habits on
this is a reissue of this title by Macomber - see 9780778320289 for reviews and summary. Its a well written story, a little more serious than Macomber's typical book.
reviewed Changing Habits on
Five star rating. As Debbie Macomber goes, any of her books are great. Changing Habits hit home a little for me since I attended Catholic grade school and high school and were familiar with the lives of nuns. Although none of my teachers left the convent, I'm not sure whether leaving the convent was an option. A very good read. Eileen
reviewed Changing Habits on + 4 more book reviews
Loved this book. Found myself cheering on the three girls as they took each step in finding themselves.
rutha avatar reviewed Changing Habits on
My first book by this author, really enjoyed it. It chronicles the lives of three very different women who joined the convent for very different reasons.
reviewed Changing Habits on + 75 more book reviews
If you like Debbie Macomber you'll like this book, but it is a bit predictable.
reviewed Changing Habits on + 4 more book reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It gives you such an insight into the lives of young women who choose to pursue the vocation of being a nun. It also allows you to realize that these are real women with dreams and desires and the difficulties that each faces in their pursuit of their love for God and service to HIM.
Tunerlady avatar reviewed Changing Habits on + 581 more book reviews
This was a wonderful story about three young girls who became nuns in the late 50's - early 60's and their evolution to and different life than they had at first imagined. A great story - fabulous characters...very intriguing. I also learned alot about the Catholic church and how it evolved during that time.


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TagsNuns