Cloistered

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

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.