Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Convent

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 160 ratings · 30 reviews

There is no getting away from the past ... A breathtaking novel from Maureen McCarthy, spanning generations, that will be devoured by young women, their sisters, friends, mothers and grandmothers.
Description

'I woke up with a feeling about today,' Stella says dreamily. 'Something truly amazing is going to happen.' 'To us or to the world?' I say. 'To you.' 'To me?' I laugh....more

Paperback, 408 pages

Published October 1st 2012 by Allen & Unwin

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Red Dress, Red Coat

102nd out of 348 books — 372 voters

Girl in a Red Dress

78th out of 105 books — 78 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 428)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 09, 2013 Annette rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Convent is a book that takes you back and forth on a gentle roller coaster ride of life. The Catholic way of life from the early 1900 s right through to the present day rang true. The story of 4 generations of women make choices that result in choices being made for them. The torment of having and losing children is a general theme throughout the story. Sadie loses her child Ellen at the age of 3. Ellen is placed in a home for abandoned children. Ellen then grows to become the mother of Ceci...more

like · see review

Dec 29, 2012 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, teenage

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Oct 12, 2012 Ernie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-book

I’m sticking my neck out to declare that this is Maureen McCarthy’s best novel. It’s written in her typically expansive style with memorable characters that are brought together by their association with a Melbourne convent which has now been converted into commercial and arts and crafts spaces. From 1915 when Sadie’s three year old child Ellen is taken away one morning from her home by a policeman and a social worker to the present, when Perpetua (Peach) is found by Ellen, her grandmother and h...more I’m sticking my neck out to declare that this is Maureen McCarthy’s best novel. It’s written in her typically expansive style with memorable characters that are brought together by their association with a Melbourne convent which has now been converted into commercial and arts and crafts spaces. From 1915 when Sadie’s three year old child Ellen is taken away one morning from her home by a policeman and a social worker to the present, when Perpetua (Peach) is found by Ellen, her grandmother and her mother, a former nun, Cecilia, McCarthy weaves her story through time changes and multiple narrations to achieve my complete engagement.
The story moves to 1926 when Ellen aged 14 has been returned to the Sacred Heart convent because of her ‘bad blood’. Then we are transported to 1964 and the fascinating bride of Christ ceremony as Cecilia, aged 19 is inducted into the closed order of the convent. We learn about the arcane disciplines of the order and empathise with her brother Dominic and her father who oppose her ordination, “cooped up like a bloody chook”. The only light touch is Breda, a fellow novice who has a healthy disregard for regulations and shockingly disappears the night before her final vows. Then to Peach, in the present time, a first year physiotherapy student and an adopted child not interested in learning about her biological parents, with her 16 year old sister Stella, conceived soon after the adoption. Her friend Det, an artist with a studio at the former convent, persuades her to apply for a part time job serving at the coffee shop there. Det, after two abortions reveals her pregnancy but surprises all by deciding to have the baby. Other complications are with Peach’s ambivalence about her boyfriends and her sister’s obesity.
The stony presence of the convent buildings including the notorious laundries where the forced adoption girls slaved many hours to wash and iron the linen for hotels under the harsh regime of the elderly nuns and the naïve compliance of the novices dominates the story. Key scenes are Cecilia, surprised by her grief about giving up her baby, conceived with a revolutionary priest and Breda’s escape over the wall with a 23 year old inmate. They become lovers and nurture Cecilia many years later when she returns to Australia after her flight to France.
After the various dramas about convent life and the exploitation of the adopted girls in the laundry, it was refreshing to read of Peach’s lack of interest in finding her birth parents. There are no longeurs in this gripping story and even Catholic schools could not disapprove as the women keep their faith in prayer and their need for a god. The short chapters and clear designation of time, place and narrator facilitate easy reading. The contemporary story has a few expletives and there are sexual references and birthing details that are totally contextual and should cause no concerns in schools that worry about these things. The strengths of the many convincing characters and the dramatic force of their stories moved me swiftly through the 419 pages. Use this in years 9-11 as a class text or for author study with Maureen McCarthy’s other fiction.
Wide reading links: the big questions, choices, identity, belonging, power, families, historical fiction and generations.
(less)

like · see review

Oct 06, 2012 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: women of all ages

Shelves: read-in-2012, aussie-author, kindle, fav-drama

Based on her mother’s own history as ward of the state at the Abbotsford Convent in Victoria, the author tells the story of three generations of women whose lives have been affected in different ways by the convent’s historical past. Ellen, who at age four became a ward of the state living at the convent, after her father had her mother declared an unfit parent; Cecilia, Ellen’s only daughter, who at age nineteen took her vows and joined the secluded order as Sister Anunciata; and 19-year-old Pe...more Based on her mother’s own history as ward of the state at the Abbotsford Convent in Victoria, the author tells the story of three generations of women whose lives have been affected in different ways by the convent’s historical past. Ellen, who at age four became a ward of the state living at the convent, after her father had her mother declared an unfit parent; Cecilia, Ellen’s only daughter, who at age nineteen took her vows and joined the secluded order as Sister Anunciata; and 19-year-old Peach (or Perpetua), Cecilia’s daughter adopted out at birth and as yet unaware of her heritage.

With insight and sensitivity the author tackles the subjects of motherhood, religion and the changing role of women in our society, as well as the search for our origins and the legacies of past generations which shape our lives though we might not be aware of them. I really enjoyed reading this book, and the characters came alive for me. McCarthy is one of the few authors who manages to pull off switching characters and times between individual chapters, without distracting from the main storyline or confusing the reader. Whilst we hear from Peach in the first person, her mother’s and grandmother’s stories are narrated in the third person, and skip back and forth between 1916 and the present time – which slowly unveils their personal histories and fleshes out their characters as the reader learns more about them.

Having visited several convents on our travels around Australia, I could picture the austere room Cecilia would have inhabited at the convent, as well as the isolation, the heat and a life totally removed from anything she would have known previously. Not a stranger to the Catholic religion (after spending my childhood in Europe), I was still somewhat shocked by the harsh boundaries imposed on the convent’s young recruits and charges – as well as learning that a man had the power to have a child taken away from her mother without a proper trial and prove of neglect. Despite the messages contained in the story and its sometimes controversial themes, the author tells the story without judgment or righteousness, but creates an interesting contrast between the different life stories which stimulates the readers to make up his/her own mind. Though some of the later elements of the story where predictable, I savoured every opportunity to learn more about its protagonists, hoping for all the threads to come together in the end.

Tackling issues affecting every woman at some stage of her life, this book will appeal to women of all ages – even if only to muse how conditions have changed for our gender in the last century. The Convent also provides a fascinating insight into a chapter of Australian history not often addressed in fiction – of convent life in rural Australia. An insightful, thought provoking and enjoyable read – highly recommended.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 30, 2013 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Maureen McCarthy was inspired to write this book as her own mother was raised in the Abbotsford Convent as a ward of the state in the 1920’s and although ‘The Convent’ is fictional, I feel she has created a fascinating story based on three generations of women who are connected to The Abbotsford Convent. The story jumps around quite a bit between the different characters and years – and not always in order, so I recommend if you are going to read it have some time up your sleeve. I found a coupl...more

like · see review

Oct 03, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-are, aussie-author, provided-by-publisher

Maureen McCarthy is one of the few authors whose protagonists are generally aged in their late teens or early twenties, embarking on university or finding their way in the first years after leaving school. I started university about the time Queen Kat, Carmel & St. Jude Get A Life was published (it has been republished this year by Allen & Unwin) and loved the book, quickly devouring the rest of her backlist soon after. It has been a while now since I have read anything by the author but...more Maureen McCarthy is one of the few authors whose protagonists are generally aged in their late teens or early twenties, embarking on university or finding their way in the first years after leaving school. I started university about the time Queen Kat, Carmel & St. Jude Get A Life was published (it has been republished this year by Allen & Unwin) and loved the book, quickly devouring the rest of her backlist soon after. It has been a while now since I have read anything by the author but I was thrilled to receive The Convent for review. Though The Convent is labeled as young adult fiction, I feel the novel will appeal to a much broader age range of women. A thoughtful, intriguing and heartfelt story, it explores the experiences of four generations of women whose fates are linked to the Abbotsford Convent.

Nineteen year old Peach (Perpetua) has always admired the Abbotsford Convent's grandeur, now home to artists studio space, boutique stores and the cafe at which Peach works, but she was unaware of it's personal significance. Adopted at birth, it isn't until Peach receives a letter from her biological grandmother, Ellen, that she learns her grandmother was raised there and her birth mother, Cecilia, once served as a nun within the Enclosed order. While Peach struggles to come to terms with the unexpected information about her past, it is her present that she is most concerned with. Her sister is depressed, her best friend is pregnant and she is still reeling after a messy break up.

As Peach navigates her way through her changing world, McCarthy traces Peach's lineage and their connection to the convent. Sadie was declared an unfit mother in 1915 after her husband abandoned her and her daughter Ellen taken from her to be raised in Abbotsford. Ellen spent her entire childhood as a ward of the nuns before marrying and her daughter, Cecilia pledged her life to God's service as a young woman. The author shares snippets of these women's lives and their hopes, dreams and regrets with alternating chapters.

Through the the women's stories, McCarthy also traces the changing social and moral landscape for women over the century. Attitudes to women's rights, motherhood, marriage and sexuality have shifted seismically in the last one hundred years and the author acknowledges the evolution without any feminist rant.

McCarthy admits that she has a very personal connection to this story. Most significantly McCarthy's own mother was raised in the Abbotsford Convent after being made a ward of the state at age 3 and while she rarely spoke about her time there, McCarthy was always fascinated by her mother's early life. McCarthy's interest in her characters and their experiences is evident in the care in which she has constructed the story.

The Convent is a wonderful story, an easy read but with surprising depth for the thoughtful reader to ruminate on. This is a great choice for any Australian Women Writer Challenge participants given the relevance of its themes.
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 11, 2012 Lauren Murphy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aww2012, aussie-author

4.5 stars

The Convent is a fascinating exploration of (fictional) young women who were associated with the Abbotsford Convent. Inspired by McCarthy’s family history, The Convent is a young adult novel which will appeal to readers young and old. The author’s mother was raised in the Abbotsford Convent as a ward of the state in the 1920’s and for a long time she yearned to inquire into the past, but didn’t actively research the institution until after her mother’s death.

I’m a big fan of Maureen McC...more 4.5 stars

The Convent is a fascinating exploration of (fictional) young women who were associated with the Abbotsford Convent. Inspired by McCarthy’s family history, The Convent is a young adult novel which will appeal to readers young and old. The author’s mother was raised in the Abbotsford Convent as a ward of the state in the 1920’s and for a long time she yearned to inquire into the past, but didn’t actively research the institution until after her mother’s death.

I’m a big fan of Maureen McCarthy’s novels; the first I read was When You Wake and Find Me Gone (2002) which I picked up in my late teens. It’s set partly in Australia and partly in Ireland and explores history, war and family in such an powerful way that I’ve still got it sitting on my bookshelf almost ten years later… and I really should pick it up and read it again because I’ve always thought of it as one of my favourite books.

Anyway, back to The Convent! The four women were inspired by women in McCarthy’s own life, the woman who adopted out her daughter (her grandmother), the orphan (her mother), the nun (her sister), and the present-day student (her friend’s daughter). And so the characters Sadie, Ellen, Cecilia and Peach fell into place.

Sadie is a young woman separated from her husband in 1915. On one fateful day, her young daughter Ellen is removed from her care and placed with the nuns at the convent. She doesn’t play a huge role in this book, probably only two chapters are dedicated to her. But she is certainly the catalyst to the lives of the next three generations of women in the story.

Ellen was raised in the convent during a time when people didn’t ask questions or inquire about the past. Ellen goes on to have a have a large family, including one daughter, Cecilia. Ellen’s earlier years aren’t explored in too much detail through her viewpoint, but she plays a huge part in the novel during the present day era as the grandmother of young Peach.

Cecilia (Ellen’s daughter) was a young woman curious about the world and the role of God had in her life. She chose to join the convent at the age of 19 where she served as a nun for ten years. She is released from the convent in her thirties and a brief fling leads to an unplanned pregnancy. Baby Perpetua is born and Cecilia chooses to adopt her out to a couple who are ready and willing to raise a child.

Perpetua (Peach) is the main protagonist of the novel, set in modern day (the 90s I think) and she’s just got a new job at the local café in an arty precinct, formerly known as the Abbotsford Convent. Her adoptive parents have gone on an overseas trip and she is left with her recluse younger sister, a broken heart from the fallout of her first love and her two feisty best friends Cassie and Det. She receives a letter from her biological grandmother Ellen and her curiosity is sparked, she begins to question who she is and where she came from. Her identity crisis is exacerbated by her friend Det’s unexpected pregnancy- she smokes, drinks and has no plans for the future.

I loved how McCarthy weaved the lives together of these four remarkable women, the lives they lead in very different times and the influence of the maternal genetic line in a family that has become unglued due to laws, societies and personal reasons. I wholeheartedly recommend McCarthy’s novels, I’ve never been disappointed. Must trawl through her backlist, I’ve got a couple of her books still sitting on my TBR shelf.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 01, 2013 Pam Saunders rated it 5 of 5 stars

I live near the Convent where this story is set, so I have also visited the coffee shop that Pearl, the main character, works in. I have walked the Convent grounds but never been into the building. I am now keen to go back and look again for this book was a beautiful blend of building history and the lives of those who lived there. It could have been a sentimental read but it wasn't. A blend of past and present, the values and beliefs of each time not clashing but each dealt with respectfully.

A...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 17, 2012 Johanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Last year I heard Maureen McCarthy speak at an event at school and she mentioned that she was an 'artist in residence' at the Abbotsford Convent. When I went to the convent for breakfast the other day I was so pleased to see the finished product on sale!
It is really good, moves quickly and has at least 5 major plot lines. The story jumps easily across a century, with the same recurring Melbourne suburbs tying it all together.
McCarthy writes young characters really well. I found a few old fashio...more

like · see review

Jun 15, 2013 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the easy pace of this book, it was almost like being an observer. As a family historian it really appealed to my 'need to know' instincts and I believe the fact that the story was based on real events and circumstances made it all the more compelling. Wonderful descriptions of the Convent and surrounds made it really come to life. I found myself pacing my reading in order to prolong the experience.. Life within the confines of the convent is vividly and realistically portrayed w...more

like · see review

Dec 28, 2012 Penny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I really enjoyed this book. A little disappointed by the ending, but only a little. I just wanted to know more (or perhaps I was waiting for a big bang or something? not sure) and it did leave me thinking deeply and wondering about some of the characters, but that isn't always a bad thing and often how we see life from our own perspective. (I think I've decided I'm a bit of a sticky beak and I really wanted to know some things about some characters and it just didn't eventuate so I felt like the...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 29, 2012 Jackie ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blergh-blergh-blergh

I'm a little irritated I bought this. I don't know why - but it was NOT my style! For one thing, I found it tedious and it took a long time to get through. And I absolutely hated the choices these women made throughout the book, please, I need to take them around their heads and shake them a little. This book grated on my last nerve and I did not enjoy reading it very much at all. So, I'm sorry but I'm not recommending this book. I have no more words.

Age: 12+
Rating: 3 stars

Thanks, (:

like · see review

Jan 06, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoy McCarthy's writing, but there was a sense of deja vu in this reading... different setting, and knowing the Abbotsford Convent, it was stunningly recreated... but this novel revisits several past themes. Still, an easy read, but I won't reread it, unlike Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude get a Life and Chain of Hearts which I've read several times over.

like · see review

May 14, 2013 Xena Raider rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow, loved this wonderful story. Set in Melbourne about the old convent. Incredible insight into how the convent 'lived' over the years and the stories it could possibly hold. Great research and very well written. I couldn't put the book down and am definitely heading to the convent for a visit - and a bite to eat. Loved it!

like · see review

Feb 10, 2013 Jessica rated it 1 of 5 stars

The issue I have with this book is that the author has written these women with so much gloom and anguish it's as if she is saying to the reader "Love these characters, they deserve your sympathy".

Surely your audience Ms McCarthy are a little more intelligent than that.
Your pleas fell on deaf ears with this reader.

like · see review

Nov 26, 2012 Marylu rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed all the Maureen McCarthy novels and this one is probably my favourite for many reasons - the setting In the Abbotsford Convent with its history, the honest reflection on motherhood and the really interesting story across generations.

like · see review

Oct 09, 2012 Sarah Mayor Cox rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just loved this new book from Maureen and will be talking with Maureen on Friday 12.10.12 after the 10.30am news on ABC Cenral Victoria 91.1FM with Ann Jones. If you miss it you can go to the Mornings blog to hear the audio.

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Marg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: parent-club-recommendations, ya-reads

A family saga that spans four generations, each connected in some way to Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne. A great read with memorable characters which will appeal to women of all ages.

like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Legs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Maureen McCarthy as always, has delivered another thoughtful, compelling YA novel. Great characters, and the backstory illuminating life at The Convent in bygone eras is really interesting.

like · see review

Apr 28, 2013 Sylvia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was quickly engrossed in the book. Having been taught by Catholic nuns for most of my twelve years at school, I found the story very believable.

like · see review

Apr 17, 2013 Emilia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this Australian novel. A good quick read.

like · see review

May 06, 2013 Andreamaree Simpson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great story, very Melbourne.

like · see review

Feb 08, 2013 Nat rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars. Not normally something I'd choose to read, but loved the fact it was local to me and historically based.

Found all the characters extremely interesting and just wanted to keep reading to see how it would unfold. Especially liked Peach although I didn't get her attraction to the fairly lame at times Fluke, although who can control who they fall in love with, especially at 19? Still, it was endearing. A great read for something different (for me anyway).

like · see review

Oct 17, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourite-authors, young-adult, australian-author, favourites

I always look forward to new publications by Maureen McCarthy and 'The Convent' lived up to all expectations. I just loved it!
Inspired by the experiences of her own mother who lived as a ward of the state at the Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne, this story tells the story of 3 generations of women Peach, Cecilia and Ellen and their connection to the Convent.
A wonderful story that explores many social issues and will appeal to readers of all ages.

like · see review

Apr 10, 2013 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Easy reading... Nice to read about a Melbourne location...

like · see review

Jan 04, 2013 Isabel Mansfield rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book

like · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Sacha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loved this book and the constantly interconnecting stories. Very interesting insight into the nuns.

like · see review

Apr 22, 2013 Bronwyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think this is her best book so far. It certainly rings true to my life experience with the Catholic church and social mores, and those of my mother earlier last century.

like · see review

Apr 13, 2013 Hayley Mincham added it

Shelves: to-read-in-2013

I am yet to find a Maureen McCarthy book I haven't enjoyed. This one didn't disappoint.

like · see review

May 20, 2013 Diana added it

the writing made me cringe but the story and local history was interesting

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 14 15 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

Genres

Young Adult

10 users

Cultural > Australia

3 users

Book Club

2 users

See top shelves...

About Maureen McCarthy

Maureen McCarthy, the ninth of ten children, was born in country Victoria. An Australian author and scriptwriter, her novels concern the lives of emerging adults, from ages sixteen to early twenties. She has worked as a teacher in Victorian Secondary Schools and has also written scripts for television and educational films. McCarthy has three sons and lives in Melbourne.

More about Maureen McCarthy...

Books by Maureen McCarthy

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Convent

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Convent
avg rating	preview: The Convent Goodreads rating: 3.88 (160 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15759007-the-convent?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342663781l/15759007.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15759007-the-convent?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Convent by Maureen McCarthy[/url]

The Convent

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Genres

About Maureen McCarthy

Books by Maureen McCarthy

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Convent

new topic
Discuss This Book