SISTER MATTHEW AND SISTER ROSE

Two women at a convent find love with each other in Douglas’ historical novel, set in the 1960s.

Maureen Collins doesn’t believe in church doctrines, and she’s not even sure if she believes in God. She joined a convent, taking the name Sister Matthew, to have a place where she’s surrounded by women; she also wanted to learn how to be a better person and to better serve the world. However, she found what she was truly seeking, not in the enforced silence, constant praying, or isolation from society but in her love for another woman. Rose Clancy grew up first with a father who often yelled at her mother and then with a widowed mother who drank too much. She escaped into what she calls “time travel,” in which her mind wandered to distant places and times and provided visions she believed were sent from God. Her church and Catholic school were safe havens from her troubled family, and her faith had always been her true home. It seemed a logical choice to join a convent and live a spiritual life in service to others. She didn’t plan on falling in love. This historical romance tells the story of two women who, against all odds and all indoctrination, find that life can be better than they ever imagined. Douglas, who wrote the fantasy romance Lancelot: Her Story (2015), once again picks up the theme of oppression facing people in love. The work masterfully and respectfully discusses the Catholic religion, offering criticism when necessary, and interweaves these analyses into the characters of Maureen and Rose. The author shows how all the nuns at the convent learn to live with the heavy duties, responsibilities, and restrictions of their chosen life. In addition, the narrative provides glimpses into the outside world and the greater events surrounding the characters, showing how society is changing; it also reveals how isolated the women are from information and what that means for their faith. Douglas does a fantastic job of building out her fictional world and putting the romance at the center of it all.

A deeply thoughtful and well-developed love story.