What a delightful read this was: just the thing to lift the spirits.

Like the Mrs. Pollifax novels, this has a good deal of light fluffy playfulness, even silliness in it. But this is playfulness that's grounded in something not at all silly underneath. Sister John is an inspiration, and so is Sister Hyacinthe in her own way. I'd love to read more about the Sisters of St. Tabitha.

I especially liked (mild spoiler)Sister John's delighted encounter with one of the "new nuns," as well as the intensity with which she took up the cause of the migrant workers - particularly in light of recent controversies about nuns in habits or on buses.

What a gem. This goes on the "good stuff" shelf of my bookcase. ( )

Sister John and Sister Hyacinth are members of a cloistered sect of nuns. When the abbey receives news that they have been left a huge, old house and land by an unknown benefactor, the two nuns are chosen to go and explore the property and report back.

Upon arrival, they discover the old, rundown house, completely furnished, a wounded man hiding in a closet, a battered suitcase full of money and some strange jars filled with a white-powder substance in the pantry. Nothing at the abbey had ever taught them how to deal with any of this!

Sister John is a determined nun who can fix anything. Sister Hyacinth is more of a free spirit, yet well versed in plants and herbs; a strange paring who work well together.

With the assistance of some hippie types who are camping nearby, they manage to solve the mysteries and learn a bit about living outside the cloister.
This is a fun read with quite a bit of humour, but also a good dose of tension from the nuns getting into some tight spots.

Dorothy Gilman is probably more well-known for her Mrs. Pollifax series, but I find her stand-alone books very good reading. ( )

humerous suspense as nuns inherit house with resident hippies and mafia ties

When the nuns of St. Tabatha Abbey received a letter informing them that a mysterious man named Joseph Moretti has left them his estate, two of the cloistered nuns are nominated to go investigate the property. Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe reach the old house and their cloistered world soon begins to fall apart. The house is dark and scary and the nuns start to think it might even be haunted by the ghost of Mr. Moretti. Searching for water they discover a suitcase full of money hidden down the well. Then they discover a wounded man who has been shot, hiding in an upstairs closet. He pleads with them, asking that they don't notify a doctor or the police, and asks for sanctuary. They disguise him as a nun but before long both the police and the mafia arrive.

The book was written in 1975 so it has a bit of a dated feel. The characters' plea for the townspeople to accept migrant workers is an issue that is just as relevant today. One of my favorite things about Dorothy Gilman's characters is that she doesn't find it necessary to stereotype mature women. A Nun in the Closet is a quick and easy read that has some humorous moments. While not as entertaining as the author's Mrs. Pollifax series, it was still an entertaining story.

Oh, lord, this is ridiculous. Fun, and funny, and rich. I was in a rather sober mood when I started (no particular reason), so I merely smiled throughout with occasional laughs. I suspect that if I'd started off cheerful I'd have been rolling on the floor. A pair of cloistered nuns (which, in Gilman's definition, meant people who have totally ignored events outside their cloister since they joined the Order in 1955) must go out into the world to deal with a legacy of a house and land. It's the early '70s, there are migrant workers nearby and some "leftover hippies" trying to help them. And then there's the money in the well, and the wounded man hiding upstairs...and then things start to get interesting. I think I actually like (or rather, identify with) Sister Hyacinth more than Sister John - the latter is considerably more extroverted. Great story, and I will doubtless reread it. ( )