I just finished re-reading, A Nun in the Closet, published by Dorothy Gilman in 1975. It is always a fun and fast read for me. And I am sure if you are a new fan of Dorothy Gilman’s work you will find it completely enjoyable. Who wouldn’t enjoy a story about cloistered nuns who receive an inheritance from a Mr. Moretti of 150 acres of land in upstate New York with a house? The Abbey of St. Tabitha in Bridgemont, Pennsylvania was established in 1955 by Mother Clothilde who came from Switzerland and follows the rules of St. Benedict. The years have not been kind to the order and they are small in number, only 17 including the current Abbess, Mother Angelique. They make ends meet by growing their own food, selling a monthly magazine called, “Reflections” and baking bread that they sell to a local delicatessen now the “All Natural” bread is now in fashion. But the prospect of having so much land, a house and the furnishings within would be greatly appreciated and needed by the nuns living at St. Tabitha.
Two of the more experienced nuns were chosen by democratic vote to go and check out the property which is a few hundred miles away and with the help of their delicatessen patron, the loan of his truck and some money for gas they set off on their adventure after one of them learns how to drive that is. The current Abbess states in her journal of the two elected to go: “Sister Hyacinthe knows how to make a very good dinner out of herbs, weeds, and ground nuts.” and “Sister John, of course, is the only one who can mend our printing press when it breaks down.” Thus armed, they set off to find a spooky looking gothic house with a quite a few surprises inside including a man who has been shot hiding in a closet, jars of sugar that turn out to be something different, a suitcase in the well and hippies camping on the property.
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