Book Reviews of Changing Habits

A quick read - interesting to any current or former Catholic on the transition of nuns after Vatican 2 - part fiction, part factual. Very interesting.

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.

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.

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.

Addressing a subject not often found in women’s fiction, Debbie Macomber has written a compelling book that is absolutely unputdownable.

It’s 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 O’Shaughnessy, from a large Boston Irish family, has always known she’d become a nun. There was never any question from the time of her first communion on. And a more wonderful and devout nun you’d be hard pressed to find. But when Kathleen’s 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 Joanna’s 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 father’s vehement protest. The young Italian girl has been primed to take over her father’s 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 I’ve 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.

This book about 3 nuns that leave the convent was very interesting. I enjoyed-a little different than I usually read but good.

Interesting book about 3 women who enter the convent at very early ages...for different reasons. And after almost 7-8 years, they decide that they have chosen a vocation that will not last for a lifetime. Interesting to see how things evolve for these ladies. You must read it to see.

Debbie Macomber traces the lives of three young women who decide to become nuns, although each "hearing the call," perhaps had other personal reasons for the decision. We learn something of what it was like for them to live life as a nun in the period immediately before and after Vatican II. A cousin of Macomber's had been a nun and left her order, and one of these women is probably based on her. It turns out she had met two other women who had also left their orders. Although I'm not Catholic, I found the book fascinating, and the characters nicely drawn and very sympathetic. Nice read.

this was a very good book... I really enjoyed it and it moved along at a good speed. Hope you enjoy it too... Debbie doesn't usually disappoint...

One of Debbie's best stories!

One of my favorite Macomber books

Loved this book. Found myself cheering on the three girls as they took each step in finding themselves.

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.

The only Macomber I didn't love

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 sister faces an unexpected crisis of faith. Ultimately Angie, Kathleen and Joanna all leave the sisterhood, abandoning the convent for the exciting and confusing world outside.The world of choices to be made, of risks to be taken. Of men and romantic love.The world of ordinary women . . .

I have not read this one.

Another great book by Debbie Macomber. I really like this book.

three young girls enter the convent, each from different backgrounds. They are not immune to what is happening in the world and have crises of faith. Ultimately they leave the convent for the confusing world of outside.The world of choices to be made, of risks to take.

Another excellent book by Debbie Macomber

"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....thhe desire to join a religious order...."

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 sister faces an unexpected crisis of faith. Ultimately Angie, Kathleen and Joanna all leave the sisterhood, abandoning the convent for the exciting and confusing world outside. The world of choices to be made, of risks to be taken. Of men and romantic love. The world of ordinary women...

Didn't want to put book down

New York Times Best Selling Author - The world's most popular writer of fiction - and about - women. They were sisters once. Three women who uproot their lives to follow their true destiny.

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 Minneapolisl, they're not immune to what's happening around them, and each sister faces an unexpected crisis of faith. Ultimately Angie, Kathleen and Joanna all leave the sisterhood, abandoning the convent for the exciting and confusing world outside. The world of choices to be made, of risks to be taken. Of men and romantic love. The world of ordinary women...

IN A MORE INNOCENT TIMES 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.

Three ladies from different backgrounds join a convent and then with a crisis of faith, leave to go out into the changes of the world.

Despite the seclusion of the convent house in Minneapolis the three sisters are not immune to what's happening around them. Each sister faces an unexpected crisis of faith. Ultimately they leave the sisterhood for the world outside. The world of choices to be made, of risks to be taken. Of men and romance.

a good book about 3 nuns and their lives 20 years later after leaving the nunnery

Interesting read. Not one of her better books, but still enjoyable.

One of my favorite books by Debbie. A fast read, and I hated to put it down when my reading time for the night was up.

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. Later in their lives they find a world of choices to be made, of risks to be taken.

In a more innocent time, three grils enter the convent. All come from different backgrounds but all have the desire to join a religious order. They eventually all leave the church for the exciting and confusing world outside.

Three girls enter the convent and each one faces a crisis of faith. Follow the story as they take on lives of ordinary women after leaving the convent!

excellent book...not Macomber's best but still a very good read

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 sister faces an unexpected crisis of faith. Ultimately Angie, Kathleen and Joanna all leave the sisterhood, abandoning the convent for the exciting and confusing world outside. The world of choices to be made, of risks to be taken. Of men and romantic love. The world of ordinary women...

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.

VERY GOOD READ

This is one of the worst Macomber books I have ever read. Don't bother!

in a more innocent time 3 girls enter the convent. angelina,kathleen, and joanna come from very different backgrounds but they have 1 thing in common the desire to join a religious order.
despite the seclusion of the convent house on minneapolis they're not immune to whats happening around them and each sister faces an unexpected crisis of faith. ultimately angie,kathleen, and joannna all leave the sisterhood abandoning the convent for the exciting world outside. the world of choices to made of risls to be taken. of men and romancantic love. the world of ordinary women

Great book!

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.

Excellent book

I bought this book new and I'm sure I'll never read it because it's not my taste.

I thought this was a great story! It was the first of Ms. Macomber's books that I read, but it won't be the last!

Debbie Macomber is probably my favorite author - another excellent book.

As a Catholic I was disappointed that not even oneof the 4 nuns who were discontent decided to remain in the convent, een though all for had no regrets about the time they spent there. The book was good and well written.

I liked the book. It was diffrent that a fair amount of the book was in letter form. Also, it wasn't focused totaly on the romance facter.

I can not even describe how involved this book is. It is wrote in a way only DEBBIE can write it. It lets you look at three women who have all chosen a marriage to god and the various reasons for chosing to leave nun-hood. You do not need to be a believer to like this book..

This book is about the life of 4 Nuns at a time of change in the life of the church. A great read of a life not many knew.
Debbie is a great writter!!

Another great book from Debbie Macomber. This was very good considering I did not think it would be my type of reading.

Fun romance with a twist

A book how these young girls became nuns and what they did to change their minds from sisterhood.

GOOD NOVEL

I just couldn't get into this one. Read about half of it and returned it back to library

Unusual topic for Debbie Macomber. The stories of three women who all become Roman Catholic nuns - all during different eras; and all leave the sisterhood - all for different reasons

Macomber offers a very human look at three women who uproot their lives to follow their true destiny. Very good.

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 sister faces an unexpected crisis of faith. Ultimately Angie, Kathleen and Joanna all leave the sisterhood, abandoning the convent for the exciting and confusing world outside. The world of choices to be made, of risks to be taken. Of men and romantic love. The world of ordinary women.

This book has been loved by several people, so it is gently worn, but still ready to be read a few more times.

Great book!

In prolific and diverse writer Macomber's latest contribution to the women's fiction genre, three young women decide to enter a convent in Minneapolis during the 1950s and 1960s. Angelina Marcello, the oldest, becomes a nun against the protest of her beloved father. Joanna Baird enters the convent after her boyfriend marries someone else, and Kathleen O'Shaughnessy's family has always believed she would become a nun. The women weather turbulent times within the relative isolation of the convent, but the outside world does eventually intrude via their respective jobs. Kathleen and Angelina both teach in a parish high school, and Angelina develops a strong bond with one of her outspoken students that induces her to question her faith. The other two sisters also have crises of faith that lead them out to the greater world. When the convent is slated for demolition in 2002, the former sisters reunite and share their stories. Macomber offers a very human look at three women who uproot their lives to follow their true destiny

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