This was an interesting read to say the least. Christmas' religious journey is unlike any other I've heard which made the read fun. This was a great look into convent life.
I am struggling not to critique on a religious basis as that's not why I read this. I'll try to keep that out.
My biggest issue with the book is the overall lack of religion. Christmas loves to spout of about how religious she is and how important her faith has been to her, but actual faith in God is missing from these pages. She has a demonic encounter but relies on her self wit and books to protect her. Not once does she call upon the God who she claims is so important to her. Sure, she attends offices frequently but critiques the chanting and gives us little of the content or purpose. She studies Scripture but with the same way I studied and discussed this book.
She feels this call to become a nun, and has since she was young, and decided to finally pursue it, but then joining a convent isn't what she expected so she decides that she isn't called to be a nun after all. What? She didn't realize how much she would have to give up, and instead of giving up herself, she gives up this "call" that she has been feeling for 40ish years.
I guess the point of the book was to enlighten the world about convents and nuns, and she does so for daily schedules and clothing, but she never really goes into why one becomes a nun, what it means to be a nun, what the purpose of having nuns is, etc. She is very materialistic in her report of life for nuns, which is disappointing.
I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because it was an enjoyable read. Christmas has a sense of humor and writes well. My issues with it are more about her theology and personality than her writing. I don't quite know what to take away from the book, nor do I know what I should have gained by reading, but it was a compelling story of a woman's healing process.
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