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Instrucción de novicias: Vidas del convento barroco para guiar tu presente
»Frech und klug… voller faszinierender historischer Details.« Marie Claire
Die Nonnen, die dein Leben verändern werden – und das mit Stil.
Vergesst, was ihr über Nonnen zu wissen Hinter den Klostermauern des 16. Jahrhunderts lebten nicht nur fromme Ordensfrauen und Märtyrerinnen. Barocke Nonnen aßen Spinnweben, stritten um Make-up oder Geliebte, lasen verbotene Bücher und waren Meisterinnen der Selbstbehauptung.
Mit Witz und Tiefgang zeigen die beiden Wissenschaftlerinnen und Freundinnen Ana Garriga und Carmen Urbita, wie diese Frauen schon vor 400 Jahren Antworten auf moderne Fragen Wie gehe ich mit Stress, Liebeskummer oder Selbstzweifeln um? Was hilft gegen Prokrastination und Imposter-Syndrom? Ihre Geschichten sind überraschend, inspirierend – und machen Mut, das eigene Leben mit einer Prise klösterlicher Gelassenheit zu meistern.
»Ana Garriga und Carmen Urbita erzählen in von den dunkelsten und bizarrsten Seiten des Klosterlebens im 16. Jahrhundert.« El Pais
Die Nonnen, die dein Leben verändern werden – und das mit Stil.
Vergesst, was ihr über Nonnen zu wissen Hinter den Klostermauern des 16. Jahrhunderts lebten nicht nur fromme Ordensfrauen und Märtyrerinnen. Barocke Nonnen aßen Spinnweben, stritten um Make-up oder Geliebte, lasen verbotene Bücher und waren Meisterinnen der Selbstbehauptung.
Mit Witz und Tiefgang zeigen die beiden Wissenschaftlerinnen und Freundinnen Ana Garriga und Carmen Urbita, wie diese Frauen schon vor 400 Jahren Antworten auf moderne Fragen Wie gehe ich mit Stress, Liebeskummer oder Selbstzweifeln um? Was hilft gegen Prokrastination und Imposter-Syndrom? Ihre Geschichten sind überraschend, inspirierend – und machen Mut, das eigene Leben mit einer Prise klösterlicher Gelassenheit zu meistern.
»Ana Garriga und Carmen Urbita erzählen in von den dunkelsten und bizarrsten Seiten des Klosterlebens im 16. Jahrhundert.« El Pais
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
March 6, 2026
Abandonné à la moitié, probablement l’essai le plus nul que j’ai lu depuis très longtemps wow
August 24, 2025
It was fun to learn that 16th and 17th century nuns were one of the girls. They had FOMO, worried about their reputation, ate weird snacks, and developed all-consuming friend crushes. I found myself wishing that it was a straight up historical or autobiographical book because I personally did not connect with the self-help aspects of Convent Wisdom. I did fall in love with the authors and their academic struggles; I will definitely be checking out their podcast. It was a 3.5/5 for me, thank you Avid Reader Press for the ARC!! <3
October 26, 2025
Convent Wisdom is a humorous book written by PhD graduates, Ana Garigga and Carmen Urbita, who specialize in the lives of Saint Theresa of Avila and her close friends for their graduate studies. They draw parallels between the glorification of nuns in the sixteenth century and modern-day celebrity culture and social media politics. It’s really fascinating to see how feminism, reputation, appearance, social status and “followers” all played a role in the lives of nuns and their convents in the 1500s in a similar manner that they do now for women both on and off social media today! This book is published on November 4th. Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for a #gifted advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions below are my own.
Garigga and Urbita draw parallels between the drama of Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton and Saint Therese’s trio of friends. The authors comment on the current renewed interest in nuns through memes, the recent viral dancing nuns, and met gala / fashion trends. The way that followers of Theresa and other venerated nuns would be spied on through peep holes compares to how we gain glimpses into the lives of celebrities through their social media and paparazzi. Parts of a nun’s body and their possessions would even be taken upon their death, much like the possessions and products of celebrities are today.
The authors also reflect on their own seclusion and discipline during their graduate school days. Their graduate work placed them in a similar environment and scheduled system as the nuns they read about, which created an intimacy between them and a mutual understanding of how the nun’s philosophies are still applicable in today’s world.
It's such a fun concept to reflect on how celebrity culture isn’t just a phenomenon today, but it was very much active centuries ago in the way potential saints were followed and worshipped. The text dives into the personal writings of Saint Therese and her closest companions to illustrate the politics and strategies at work behind the scenes of a convent, such as how the nuns carefully craft how they present themselves to the public, the prayers and services they complete as a performance of their sainthood, their speeches and mannerisms being controlled in order to be the perfect demonstration of philanthropy.
This level of politics in how to dress and present oneself, how to speak, how to carry oneself, and how to act and perform charitable acts, are all performed by those we venerate today in the “cult of celebrity” through their charities, product placements and media training. Hence the subtitle of the book – how 16th-century nuns can save your 21st-century life.
The only weakness I found with the book: the cover and topic of the book suggests an intended audience that is younger (millennial and under), but the style that the book is written in is quite academic and verbose, to the point I sometimes felt an interesting topic or point may be lost on a Gen Z or Gen Alpha reader. I think this book could go far if it was written in a more accessible way to capture attention from a wider audience.
Garigga and Urbita draw parallels between the drama of Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton and Saint Therese’s trio of friends. The authors comment on the current renewed interest in nuns through memes, the recent viral dancing nuns, and met gala / fashion trends. The way that followers of Theresa and other venerated nuns would be spied on through peep holes compares to how we gain glimpses into the lives of celebrities through their social media and paparazzi. Parts of a nun’s body and their possessions would even be taken upon their death, much like the possessions and products of celebrities are today.
The authors also reflect on their own seclusion and discipline during their graduate school days. Their graduate work placed them in a similar environment and scheduled system as the nuns they read about, which created an intimacy between them and a mutual understanding of how the nun’s philosophies are still applicable in today’s world.
It's such a fun concept to reflect on how celebrity culture isn’t just a phenomenon today, but it was very much active centuries ago in the way potential saints were followed and worshipped. The text dives into the personal writings of Saint Therese and her closest companions to illustrate the politics and strategies at work behind the scenes of a convent, such as how the nuns carefully craft how they present themselves to the public, the prayers and services they complete as a performance of their sainthood, their speeches and mannerisms being controlled in order to be the perfect demonstration of philanthropy.
This level of politics in how to dress and present oneself, how to speak, how to carry oneself, and how to act and perform charitable acts, are all performed by those we venerate today in the “cult of celebrity” through their charities, product placements and media training. Hence the subtitle of the book – how 16th-century nuns can save your 21st-century life.
The only weakness I found with the book: the cover and topic of the book suggests an intended audience that is younger (millennial and under), but the style that the book is written in is quite academic and verbose, to the point I sometimes felt an interesting topic or point may be lost on a Gen Z or Gen Alpha reader. I think this book could go far if it was written in a more accessible way to capture attention from a wider audience.
June 21, 2025
This felt like half memoir half historical non-fiction. I didn't find any of the insights particularly wowing but it was fun to learn more about the nuns. I might have liked a more hard historical non-fiction but this should be fun for most readers.
December 13, 2025
This book was really not what I expected. I could do without the modern day references- they really pained me and at times read like a bad Buzzfeed article. I think it’s clear that the authors had fun with this book, but I think I was hopeful that this book would be a deeper dive on nuns and nun culture. Just not quite what I was looking for but this didn’t meet the mark for me.
January 15, 2026
I bought this while it was half price - despite the book being incredibly new - and I think I've realised why. The book is both exactly what it says on the cover, but also not? Each story of the nuns - usually St. Teresa of Avila - is interspliced with the two authors own personal experiences that tie in with both the situation and the overall statement they're making in the micro-chapter. It was these little anecdotes that really dulled the book down for me. I bought the book called 'Convent Wisdom,' with a nun on the cover, talking only of nuns in the blurb, goodness forbid I expect ALL of the contents to be about nuns and not the two authors wondering whether or not to re-download Bumble. The two authors also don't seem to be catholic themselves or have much reverence for the religion, not that they particularly disrespect Catholicism or catholic beliefs but they routinely call the nuns silly or have a kind of pompous air about it that seems like they constantly think they're better than the saint or faithful that they're talking about. I know I'm being overly negative which I suppose in a way is unfair because I really did enjoy the parts of this book about holy (and un-holy) women throughout history but all the rest of the gunk really brought it down.
January 3, 2026
Forgettable and silly, in my opinion. I went into this expecting to get some tangible guidelines from nuns. All I received was the opinion of a girl who likes nuns. Some interesting stories, though.
Review of advance copy received from Otros
recuerdo que en la serie #friends #ross ridiculizaba a su hermana #monica cuando está se ponía una funda de almohada en la cabeza a modo de velo nupcial y Ross la llamaba #lamonjavoladora. Pero para quienes hayamos visto Friends no nos resultaria tan descabellada la idea de una Mónica que en lugar de casarse con Chandler lo hiciese con Dios y construyese un gran convento limpio como una patena donde refugiar a todas sus amigas empezando por Rachel y Phoebe. Una gran congregación neoyorquina para dar refugio a todas aquellas chicas maniáticas de la limpieza y el orden , el rigor y las to do list ....y buenas cocineras !
Pues esa #instrucciondenovicias que podría haber sido el spin off de Friends se convirtió en la sitcom con bastantes menos risas enlatadas de dos jóvenes doctorandas que deciden instalarse en Providence, Rhode Island como el último lugar en el mundo donde diseñar a la medida del siglo XXI un rinconcito terapéutico, un convento portátil para todas aquellas que en un momento dado hemos soñado con dejarlo todo y correr al abrigo de una celda maltrecha en la que apenas cabe una cama de noventa y un crucifijo y pasar gozosas el resto de la vida acudiendo a la llamada de maitines. Pero nada más lejos de la realidad. Si en el siglo XXI no te comes una rosca porque no tienes padrino lo mismo ocurría en los favoritisimos siglos XVI y XVII porque monja no se hacía quien quería sino quién podía y sin dote magnífica no había convento. Las puertas de estos lugares ancestrales solo se abren con moneda de cambio y una vez que consigues estar dentro hay que seguir ganándose el sustento y sino que se lo pregunten a Santa Teresa de Jesús que no solo consiguió la santificación por la transreverberación, sus bilocaciones o sus libros, también por su gran olfato para los negocios con la máxima que rica es quien menos gasta y haciendo la mejor oferta por lo bajo consiguió los mejores terrenos para su rebañito de fieles novicias.
Porque al final un convento también es un negocio pues hasta la fecha nadie vive solo por el amor a Dios aunque el ayuno fue otra de las grandes proezas de todas aquellas religiosas que ya tempranamente destilaban olor a santidad. Pero mientras languidecían en sus más de dieciocho horas sin probar bocado esperando a nadie sabe que para romper el ayuno una gran monja veneciana sucumbio al encanto de la creme de la creme del Venetto y conociendo la destreza de las monjas en el corte y confección las puso a diseñar los modelitos más atrevidos de la Serenísima Laguna. Que un hábito es un hábito y siempre merece respeto y el decoro es imprescindible pero ¿ a quien no le gusta saltarse de vez en cuando las reglas y que el atienda con el que llegar a la casa de Dios tenga un punto chic ?
Porque #grandisimarepugnancia es ponerse a trabajar y a escribir con todo lo que se tiene encima y haber sido capaz de escribirlo todo . #grandisimarepugnancia y a pesar de todo ser capaz de continuar cuando sientes que nada tiene sentido, que vivimos en un tiempo cíclico, que todo lo que nos ocurre ahora ya le ocurrió a alguna monja de los siglos XVI y XVII y que justo en esa dicotomía, en ese paralelismo infranqueable #anagarriga y #carmenurbita diseñan a medida un rinconcito de sosiego , una instrucción de novicias, un legado anacrónico de María de Jesús de Agreda para que está #grandisimarepugnancia que sentimos, que nos rodea muchas veces se pueda transformar en los versos más candentes de sor Juana Inés de la cruz "siento una grave agonía/por lograr un devaneo / que empieza como deseo/ y para en melancolía".
Pues esa #instrucciondenovicias que podría haber sido el spin off de Friends se convirtió en la sitcom con bastantes menos risas enlatadas de dos jóvenes doctorandas que deciden instalarse en Providence, Rhode Island como el último lugar en el mundo donde diseñar a la medida del siglo XXI un rinconcito terapéutico, un convento portátil para todas aquellas que en un momento dado hemos soñado con dejarlo todo y correr al abrigo de una celda maltrecha en la que apenas cabe una cama de noventa y un crucifijo y pasar gozosas el resto de la vida acudiendo a la llamada de maitines. Pero nada más lejos de la realidad. Si en el siglo XXI no te comes una rosca porque no tienes padrino lo mismo ocurría en los favoritisimos siglos XVI y XVII porque monja no se hacía quien quería sino quién podía y sin dote magnífica no había convento. Las puertas de estos lugares ancestrales solo se abren con moneda de cambio y una vez que consigues estar dentro hay que seguir ganándose el sustento y sino que se lo pregunten a Santa Teresa de Jesús que no solo consiguió la santificación por la transreverberación, sus bilocaciones o sus libros, también por su gran olfato para los negocios con la máxima que rica es quien menos gasta y haciendo la mejor oferta por lo bajo consiguió los mejores terrenos para su rebañito de fieles novicias.
Porque al final un convento también es un negocio pues hasta la fecha nadie vive solo por el amor a Dios aunque el ayuno fue otra de las grandes proezas de todas aquellas religiosas que ya tempranamente destilaban olor a santidad. Pero mientras languidecían en sus más de dieciocho horas sin probar bocado esperando a nadie sabe que para romper el ayuno una gran monja veneciana sucumbio al encanto de la creme de la creme del Venetto y conociendo la destreza de las monjas en el corte y confección las puso a diseñar los modelitos más atrevidos de la Serenísima Laguna. Que un hábito es un hábito y siempre merece respeto y el decoro es imprescindible pero ¿ a quien no le gusta saltarse de vez en cuando las reglas y que el atienda con el que llegar a la casa de Dios tenga un punto chic ?
Porque #grandisimarepugnancia es ponerse a trabajar y a escribir con todo lo que se tiene encima y haber sido capaz de escribirlo todo . #grandisimarepugnancia y a pesar de todo ser capaz de continuar cuando sientes que nada tiene sentido, que vivimos en un tiempo cíclico, que todo lo que nos ocurre ahora ya le ocurrió a alguna monja de los siglos XVI y XVII y que justo en esa dicotomía, en ese paralelismo infranqueable #anagarriga y #carmenurbita diseñan a medida un rinconcito de sosiego , una instrucción de novicias, un legado anacrónico de María de Jesús de Agreda para que está #grandisimarepugnancia que sentimos, que nos rodea muchas veces se pueda transformar en los versos más candentes de sor Juana Inés de la cruz "siento una grave agonía/por lograr un devaneo / que empieza como deseo/ y para en melancolía".
January 7, 2026
“ we who had become so accustomed to letting words pour forth, to accompanying any trivilaity with four times the amount of adjectives…..”. A sentence from this interminable book that sums up the verbose writing style.
Its too academic to be pop culture, too mired in pop culture of the age of the authors- namely Millenials -to be of wide interest, too much of a stretch of a fun, but ultimately unsuccesful premise, to work.
You should note the authors specialisms on the sleeve if you dive into this expecting a rich seam of wisdom from a diversity of European nuns. The references are almost exclusively Mexican or Spanish, specifically Discalced nuns and after all those soporific pages i still do not what on earth that means.
The device of writing together “ we think this, we did that” etc presents as juvenile and im sorry but they just come across as whiny spoiled Millenials.
I expected to love this but it was a trial worthy of the inquistion to finish it.
Its too academic to be pop culture, too mired in pop culture of the age of the authors- namely Millenials -to be of wide interest, too much of a stretch of a fun, but ultimately unsuccesful premise, to work.
You should note the authors specialisms on the sleeve if you dive into this expecting a rich seam of wisdom from a diversity of European nuns. The references are almost exclusively Mexican or Spanish, specifically Discalced nuns and after all those soporific pages i still do not what on earth that means.
The device of writing together “ we think this, we did that” etc presents as juvenile and im sorry but they just come across as whiny spoiled Millenials.
I expected to love this but it was a trial worthy of the inquistion to finish it.
March 23, 2026
Pq tornar a dir que soc sensible quan puc dir que he estat “bendecida con el dudoso don del llanto”
January 3, 2026
Part history, part self-help book, part PhD student memoir. I found the self-help angle pretty surface level, and the memoir angle interesting at first but then kind of repetitive ("here's another way being a grad student is like being cloistered"). I thought it shined much more as a history book, and would've liked the balance skewed more in that direction. 3.5, worth a read.
February 19, 2026
este libro es absolutamente celebratorio de la posibilidad de pertenecer... cuantísimo conocimiento e ingenio!!! en él caben todas las emociones, todos los datos, todas las "cosas tenidas por pequeñeces" (que son todo lo contrario 📿).
qué disfrute y qué divertido!!!
y qué manera de aligerar el aire denso y en ocasiones irrespirable de mi opozulo. grandísima repugnancia
qué disfrute y qué divertido!!!
y qué manera de aligerar el aire denso y en ocasiones irrespirable de mi opozulo. grandísima repugnancia
November 29, 2025
Wavered between a 3 and 4 on this and went with a three because ultimately, I think it tried to do too much and was weaker for it.
THAT SAID: as someone who was also a bit traumatized by completing a PhD in history at an Ivy League school (like the authors, and an experience that frames much of the book), I found this soooooooooo relatable. 😄 I laughed a lot-- so much so that the woman on the plane next to me asked what I was reading and wrote it down, so I clearly was having fun reading it.
I think people without that specific background can still enjoy this book, but if you've survived a similar academic experience, you really should check it out. You will feel extremely seen.
And "greatest repugnance for work" may just become a Monday mantra for our time, not just the 16th century. 😄
THAT SAID: as someone who was also a bit traumatized by completing a PhD in history at an Ivy League school (like the authors, and an experience that frames much of the book), I found this soooooooooo relatable. 😄 I laughed a lot-- so much so that the woman on the plane next to me asked what I was reading and wrote it down, so I clearly was having fun reading it.
I think people without that specific background can still enjoy this book, but if you've survived a similar academic experience, you really should check it out. You will feel extremely seen.
And "greatest repugnance for work" may just become a Monday mantra for our time, not just the 16th century. 😄
March 8, 2026
I had very high hopes for this book because it is literally my brand but was a bit disappointed to find that it is basically just drawing parallels between the lives of two women in academia at Brown getting their PhDs in history and medieval land Early Modern nuns… for instance, comparing cathartic tears when watching your favorite tragic period drama to women like Margery Kempe or a Marie d’Oignes who were notorious for being holy weepers. Some of the comparisons felt far fetched and others very obvious… I loveeeee the overall idea and am always keen on finding things that demonstrate the relevance Middle Ages and Renaissance to 21st century life but unfortunately this did not feel like one :/
January 1, 2026
i really enjoyed this book! i think it is geared more towards younger women who enjoy the middle ages, however that is perfect for me haha! i thought it was a great blend of the often dense medieval history with a modern flare that was relatable and informative.
February 24, 2026
Mi libro más esperado de este año. Y no defrauda.
Recoge los momentos más destacados de la vida (y obra) de diferentes monjas del Siglo de Oro, extrayendo de ellos reflexiones que nos ayuden a sobrellevar los dramas cotidianos en el siglo XXI. Escrito con gran rigor académico, aporta anécdotas y comentarios llenos de humor, una amplia bibliografía e incluso una guía de monjas para las que a veces nos perdemos escuchando a Las hijas de Felipe.
Recoge los momentos más destacados de la vida (y obra) de diferentes monjas del Siglo de Oro, extrayendo de ellos reflexiones que nos ayuden a sobrellevar los dramas cotidianos en el siglo XXI. Escrito con gran rigor académico, aporta anécdotas y comentarios llenos de humor, una amplia bibliografía e incluso una guía de monjas para las que a veces nos perdemos escuchando a Las hijas de Felipe.
Did not finish
March 2, 2026DNF after chapter 1 because it’s due back to the library and not compelling enough to keep overdue.
December 27, 2025
Hmmm I really struggled choosing how many stars I should give this book, in the end I think it will have to be a three. Although I do feel the book was quite charming and (very) easy to read , I feel like I could not connect with the constant parallel drawn between the authors struggles with writing their phds and being a nun.
I was very excited and feel this book has a lot of potential, I just wish it was slightly more organized and focused a little more on the nuns.
I was very excited and feel this book has a lot of potential, I just wish it was slightly more organized and focused a little more on the nuns.
December 15, 2025
I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book. As I listened on audio, I was like “this feels like a podcast episode” only to learn the authors had (have?) a podcast. The research is impressive, for sure. It is primarily historical research, a little bit of pop culture and social commentary, lots of 16th-century-nuns-just-being-girls. and like 1% self-help. I unfortunately did not get the self-help aspect at all, or maybe it just didn’t resonate with me. I don’t know enough about Catholic teachings or mysticism for much of this to make sense to me, so I felt a little out of my depth. Still an interesting read.
October 7, 2025
“Convent Wisdom” by Garriga and Urbita was a book I was excited to pick up because of my own upbringing and fascination with nuns. I learned a lot reading this book, especially fun and weird facts that not a lot of people may know about what nuns were doing back in the day with all of the time they had on their hands. This book covers the authors’ own experience obtaining their PhD’s and the advice they took from the women that they were studying and writing about. I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in the topic, as some of the jargon can be tough to get through. I found myself losing focus with the text as it went on because the differing storylines of the nuns were hard to distinguish as a lot of them had similar (and long) names. 3 stars ⭐️
July 22, 2025
Nuns! They’re just like us! This is a delightful read - witty and fresh - and while you’re enjoying the voices of Ana and Carmen, you’ll glean a thing or two about life as 16th c. religious. Their lives were way more diverse and interesting than I’d have imagined. What an accessible way to put all that scholarship on the page. I literally laughed out loud.
Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC. The opinions are my own.
Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC. The opinions are my own.
November 10, 2025
I think I had wished this was more of a series of bios of these women, but I did really like this regardless!
March 20, 2026
Me regalaron este libro justo el día que se presentó en Barcelona y, al salir de la presentación, no podía tener más ganas de leerlo. Ana y Carmen han conseguido algo casi impensable para quienes nos dedicamos a la investigación: despertar el interés del público general por esas pequeñas cosas en las que invertimos tantas horas y que tantos quebraderos de cabeza nos ocasionan.
La academia es un territorio hostil, da igual en qué siglo leas esto o a qué rama del saber te dediques. Divulgar es un arte que no está al alcance de todo el mundo: puedes ser un experto en tu materia y, aun así, ser incapaz de hacerte entender con alguien que no tenga el mismo bagaje que tú. Por eso este libro es importante: porque acercar un objeto de estudio a quienes no se dedican a ello, pero sienten curiosidad por, en este caso, las idas y venidas de las monjas de los siglos XVI y XVII.
Dicho esto, el libro me ha decepcionado en su forma. Me da pena que todas las referencias hayan quedado relegadas a los apéndices y no tengan su tradicional hueco a pie de página. Detrás hay tanto trabajo de documentación que creo necesario dar cuenta de ello en el cuerpo del texto, no solo para saciar mi curiosidad de una manera más eficiente (es decir, no tener que ir al final cada vez que aparece una cita, que no son pocas), sino también para poner en valor ese trabajo.
Aunque es cierto que las cuitas personales de las dos autoras son lo que menos me interesa, entiendo que no es este un libro académico y que, a veces, estas historias personales sirven para entrar mejor en un tema complejo. Me quedo con ganas de un poco más de chapa y un poco menos de intimidad, pero, aun así, lo he disfrutado mucho.
La academia es un territorio hostil, da igual en qué siglo leas esto o a qué rama del saber te dediques. Divulgar es un arte que no está al alcance de todo el mundo: puedes ser un experto en tu materia y, aun así, ser incapaz de hacerte entender con alguien que no tenga el mismo bagaje que tú. Por eso este libro es importante: porque acercar un objeto de estudio a quienes no se dedican a ello, pero sienten curiosidad por, en este caso, las idas y venidas de las monjas de los siglos XVI y XVII.
Dicho esto, el libro me ha decepcionado en su forma. Me da pena que todas las referencias hayan quedado relegadas a los apéndices y no tengan su tradicional hueco a pie de página. Detrás hay tanto trabajo de documentación que creo necesario dar cuenta de ello en el cuerpo del texto, no solo para saciar mi curiosidad de una manera más eficiente (es decir, no tener que ir al final cada vez que aparece una cita, que no son pocas), sino también para poner en valor ese trabajo.
Aunque es cierto que las cuitas personales de las dos autoras son lo que menos me interesa, entiendo que no es este un libro académico y que, a veces, estas historias personales sirven para entrar mejor en un tema complejo. Me quedo con ganas de un poco más de chapa y un poco menos de intimidad, pero, aun así, lo he disfrutado mucho.
February 1, 2026
(2,5)
tô livre!!!! senhor, parecia não acabar nunca. gostei bastante da ideia no começo, apesar de começar com um pé atrás por medo de encontrar uma escrita bem brega - o que é de fato o caso, mas acho que funciona bem com a proposta.
gostei das pontes entre as vidas das freiras nos séculos XVI e XVII e a vida das duas autoras/podcasters, e gostei também de como elas compartilham com a gente o tanto de pesquisa por trás do livro.
no entanto, achei meio confuso a maneira como elas organizaram os capítulos e depois da página 100 eu já não sabia mais qual freira era qual. o que começou como uma leitura divertida virou uma obrigação (até porque tenho que fazer uma resenha do livro pro meu voluntario).
tô livre!!!! senhor, parecia não acabar nunca. gostei bastante da ideia no começo, apesar de começar com um pé atrás por medo de encontrar uma escrita bem brega - o que é de fato o caso, mas acho que funciona bem com a proposta.
gostei das pontes entre as vidas das freiras nos séculos XVI e XVII e a vida das duas autoras/podcasters, e gostei também de como elas compartilham com a gente o tanto de pesquisa por trás do livro.
no entanto, achei meio confuso a maneira como elas organizaram os capítulos e depois da página 100 eu já não sabia mais qual freira era qual. o que começou como uma leitura divertida virou uma obrigação (até porque tenho que fazer uma resenha do livro pro meu voluntario).
January 21, 2026
The book is written as a long blog, not as a nonfiction book, with the authors jumping from history to their personal lives indiscriminately. What history there is is good, however it isn't combined as one narrative string and it jumps in where the authors thought it fit their personal experiences, which aren't really that interesting, to be honest. This is not a book for serious readers.
March 6, 2026
2.5.
Bof, intéressant par bouts (certaines anecdotes sur la vie de certaines nonnes nous rappellent à quel point elles ne sont pas si éloignées de nous!), mais j'ai trouvé que les liens avec la culture pop contemporaine étaient souvent cringes et forcés. les autrices ont l'air d'avoir eu ben du fun à écrire ce livre et tant mieux pour elles, mais le plaisir ne sest pas tant rendu à moi. dommage.
Bof, intéressant par bouts (certaines anecdotes sur la vie de certaines nonnes nous rappellent à quel point elles ne sont pas si éloignées de nous!), mais j'ai trouvé que les liens avec la culture pop contemporaine étaient souvent cringes et forcés. les autrices ont l'air d'avoir eu ben du fun à écrire ce livre et tant mieux pour elles, mais le plaisir ne sest pas tant rendu à moi. dommage.
March 19, 2026
Lecturilla de nicho; rinconcito terapéutico, de sintagmas preciosos y de sosiego.
“Y aprendió que, como suele suceder, sola no puedes pero arropada por tus amigas sí. “
“ Sencillamente celebrar la blandura de las sabanas y ver las horas pasar mientras el único trabajo que existe es el del cuerpo avanzando dulcemente hacia su propia descomposición. ”
“Y aprendió que, como suele suceder, sola no puedes pero arropada por tus amigas sí. “
“ Sencillamente celebrar la blandura de las sabanas y ver las horas pasar mientras el único trabajo que existe es el del cuerpo avanzando dulcemente hacia su propia descomposición. ”
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December 19, 2025Excited for the Spanish audiobook to be released, and hope it will be read by the authors - this was enjoyable, but lacking something of the delivery that they bring to the podcast.
January 5, 2026
I loved Convent Wisdom - Ana and Carmen did a masterful job of weaving together life as we know it with wisdom shared from sixteenth and seventeenth century nuns. Highly recommend.
January 26, 2026
Not sure these nuns wills save my life but it sure was interesting learning about their lives!
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