Cloistered by Catherine Coldstream

£10.99
Available
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9781529931518
Published:
06 Mar 2025
Format:
Paperback
Number of pages:
320 pages
Dimensions:
198x129x35mm
Weight:
0.500kgs
Here is a memoir of twelve years as a contemplative nun in a silent monastery. 'Cloistered' takes the reader deep into the hidden world of a traditional Carmelite monastery as it approaches the third Millennium and tells the story of an intense personal journey into and out of an enclosed life of poverty, chastity and obedience. Finding an apparently perfect world at Akenside Priory, and a haven after the loss of her father, Catherine Coldstream trusts herself to a group of twenty silent women, believing she is trusting herself to God. As the beauty and mystery of an ancient way of life enfolds her, she surrenders herself wholly to its power, only to find that all is not as it seems behind the Order's closed doors.

'Evocative' Sarah Perry
'Immersive' Katherine May
'Profoundly moving' Mark Haddon

Discover Catherine Coldstream's compelling account of life as a nun in the 1990s, and the dramatic events which led to her flight from the monastery.

After the shock of her father's death, and with the rest of her family scattered, Catherine was left grieving and alone at twenty-four. A search for meaning led her to the nuns of Akenside Priory.

Here she found a tight-knit community of dedicated women and peace in an ancient way of life. But as she surrenders to her final vows, all is not as it seems behind the Priory's closed doors.

Catherine comes to realise that divine authority is mediated through flawed and all-too-human channels. She is faced with a dilemma: should she protect the serenity she has found, or speak out?

'Gripping… A rich memoir' Daily Telegraph

'Absorbing and beautifully written' Financial Times

About the Author: Catherine Coldstream was born in London, and grew up loving music, words, and books. After converting to Roman Catholicism in her twenties, she spent twelve years in a Carmelite monastery where she lived the life of a silent contemplative nun. Since leaving her community she has studied at the Universities of Oxford, East Anglia, and London, and taught theology, philosophy, and ethics in schools. The effects of her years as a nun have never left her and continue to inspire and inform her writing.

More Information
Number of pages 320

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