'those who God destroys He first makes mad' is the opening line and gives the reader an inkling of where it will develop. Set in an isolated convent in the Spanish Sierra, six nuns life an uneventful life until one day an abandoned baby is found on the steps.

While the immediate thought is the child should go to the local orphanage the Mother Superior disagrees and becomes very attached to the child who she sees as a miracle sent by God allowing her to be the mother she had always wanted.

None of the nuns necessarily chose the life it was merely the most convenient life for each of them and gradually we learn about what their individual backgrounds are leading to this point.

Although a short book nevertheless it keeps the reader intrigued as we learn about the baby's origins and how his arrival ensures no one will ever be the same after his arrival.

I really enjoyed this book which gave an obviously fictional account of secluded religious life which spirals inexorably down into the inevitable end. Even though some aspects can be seen ahead of time the story loses nothing for that.

The language is very discriptive and praise must be given for that alone. The inclusion of the storks who nest in the old chimneys of the buildings no longer needed are a powerful metaphor of convent life.

I received this book from Goodreads Giveaways direct from the author in return for my honest appraisal. ( )

Nuns! Secrets! Spain! ( )

Little novel well written with good characters few inconsistencies could have been perfect but already good. ( )

I enjoyed the ambience of this novel. The setting in the Convent was so very intriguing; the dark, cold, dismal atmosphere was a perfect setting for this story. I found the issues of redemption, forgiveness, deception were perfectly written throughout. I enjoyed the darkness of the novel. It is not a lifestyle that it written about very often so it was intersting getting a peek into it. ( )

This story about a foundling baby boy left on the doorstep of an isolated Spanish convent is a compelling and atmospheric read. The book is really more of a series of character studies that highlights the underlying tensions in a community of cloistered women. The reader will have no trouble figuring out the "miracle" of the the child's birth, but since this isn't really a plot-driven novel, the lack of mystery is less relevant than the author's ability to paint a vivid picture of the isolated life in the convent.

Not really an enjoyable read, at only 200 pages it is nevertheless a quick one. Wonderful use of language and a lyric style made this a four star read for me. ( )