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Collette | 2/18/2014
" I moved through this slowly...it's a great book to pick up and put down without losing continuity. Some chapters (essays) are stronger than others, but on the whole, I enjoyed Norris' experience with the Benedectines, and especially enjoyed her perspective as a Protestant who was open-minded enough to use Catholic disciplines and theology to grow spiritually.. "
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Kati | 2/14/2014
" It has been a little bit since I read this book, but I have read all of Kathleen Norris' non-fiction (that I know of) and this remains my favorite. I really like the way she uses old monastic stories, almost fables, to make some of her points. I definitely feel like I "get" monasticism more after reading this book. Henry Nouwen is good for that, too. "
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Carrie | 2/12/2014
" Made me want to visit a monastery and long for a slow life. "
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Nikki | 2/11/2014
" i love this book. it is to be read slowly, meditating on and with. my dear meg gave it to me as a gift and it is a perfect gift. "
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Santosh Ninan | 2/1/2014
" Amazing writer - I will read everything she writes. "
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Anita | 1/29/2014
" I loved this book! Beautiful depiction of monastic life and faith. "
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Elyssa | 1/22/2014
" I'm not religious like the author, yet I enjoyed this book. It's a beautiful meditation on engaging in a life of inner contemplation. "
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Jon | 1/18/2014
" This is a sort of mystical/Catholic experience, and it almost made want to take up church again. Almost. "
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Michael Mckinney | 1/18/2014
" A really challenging read, in that I felt small and clumsy in its entirety and depth...like trying to paddle a boat across a deep lake without noticing the water. "
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Veronica | 1/18/2014
" Norris tackles many of my favourite topics in this book: liturgical worship, poetry, feminism, rural and urban life, the monastery, childhood memoirs, love. Though this book is beautiful, I think I've been ruined by Merton. I rather expect a book on monastic life to stir me with profundity. This didn't, but was still a reflective read, which is what I was looking for. "
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Sarah O | 1/3/2014
" Kathleen Morris dances between the spiritual and the physical worlds by sharing her own experiences. I gravitate toward the likes of Anne Lamotte more, but would recommend Norris' writing for someone who enjoys walking through another's spiritual experiences. "
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Angela Joyce | 12/16/2013
" I have a much higher opinion of the monastic life now, no question. "
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Stephanie Adrian | 12/8/2013
" A holy book that leads one into prayer. "
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Pamela Barrett | 11/16/2013
" This is one of my favorites. I always try to find one book a year to read as a devotional during my quiet time. I read this one a few years ago and it is beautifully written. "
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Lisa Filipczak | 11/4/2013
" I am glad I read this book. It was a little slow and quiet but that was part of its charm. I learned a bit about faith and religion and it inspired me to reflect more about my own faith. The various topics chosen by the author were well suited for reflection. "
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Andrea | 7/6/2013
" This book was a little hard for me to read for some reason, but it brought out some fantastic discussions in the book group I read it with. "
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Linda | 5/8/2013
" Interesting view of monastic life "
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Amy Terhorst | 1/21/2013
" If you've ever wondered what it was like to live for a time in a monestary, this is the book to read. "
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Julie | 5/5/2012
" I tried to read this a few years ago... got partway through and found it too dry to continue forcing my way through. I'd like to finish it, though. "
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Daphne | 4/4/2012
" this book was significant for me. one that was read at the right time, ya know? "
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Helena | 12/3/2011
" Got partway through it and got sidetracked, but I'd like to revisit it sometime. "
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Wipp | 10/15/2011
" A surprising look into different areas of spirituality by an unlikely, and, at first, rather reluctant investigator. I've never seen a Roman Catholic monastery through the eyes of a jaded Presbyterian authoress before. "
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Kira | 8/11/2011
" a beautiful book. it wanders but i like this. about saints, about faith, about liturgy, about community. "
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Ronda | 3/10/2011
" I loved this book - A poet's take on the cloistered life. It is quiet and beautifully written and very thought provoking. You need not be Catholic to get lost in its pages.
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Angela | 3/8/2011
" An intimate look at an intimate relationship with God. Author explores various contemplative venues.
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Joe | 12/29/2010
" At the right moments, she really resonates with me.
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Stella Used Books | 12/12/2010
" A beautiful, intimate book about the role of liturgy in modern life... her insights into life in a community are wonderful, and challenging. An inspiring portrait of a life worth aspiring to.
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Gabriel | 11/28/2010
" I felt it was too unfocused for such length. I was also hoping for something a bit more didactic and universal, and less uninformative and personal.
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Pamela | 10/24/2010
" This is one of my favorites. I always try to find one book a year to read as a devotional during my quiet time. I read this one a few years ago and it is beautifully written.
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Helena | 9/24/2010
" Got partway through it and got sidetracked, but I'd like to revisit it sometime.
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