Changing Habits

by Debbie Macomber

A powerful novel of faith and self-discovery follows three very different women--all of whom join an order of nuns, and then leave--as they each embark on extraordinary and emotional journeys to discover their true place in this world and experience the wonders of love. Reprint.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Christian, Womens Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Fifteen of these novels hit the number one spot.

In 2023, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publication includes Must Love Flowers (July). In addition to fiction, Macomber has also published three bestselling cookbooks, three adult coloring books, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two acclaimed children’s books.

Celebrated as “the official storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved and six have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies. Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a ratings favorite for three seasons.

She serves on the Guideposts National Advisory Cabinet, is a YFC National Ambassador, and is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove series.

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debbie Macomber writes stories from the heart, with the wholesome mixed with decent moral dilemmas, which do not require a whole lot of investment.

I can’t recall a time period we have covered here, the 1950’s leading into the decades after. Three women enter a convent for various reasons, rightly or wrongly, where we learn about the factors leading to this major life decision. Relationships, usually broken, and the heartbreak surrounding this, the author is well versed at showing the reader every day characters moving on with life’s challenges with compassion and sincerity.

As always the endings are quite neat, but I will always be assured Debbie Macomber’s stories leave me with a sense of lighthearted fulfilment. I don’t seem to be able to recapture the same feelings I had with Cedar Cove. Perhaps I’m searching for a similar feel good? Possibly a time revisit that part of the world based on the author’s home town.

I listened to this via the Libby app and my public library.

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This remains one of my favorite books of Debbie Macomber's. It explores the life of three nuns. I love the characters and watching as they develop during the stories.

[Karen.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Absolutely excellent and a real eye opener into being a Nun.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written, well researched book. I grew up during this time period, and was taught throughout school, largely by nuns. Reading this book gives a clear insight into exactly what these women sacrificed to become nuns, more than I ever realized. It also explains the decline of the profession. The sacrifices and subservience required were too extreme, and led many to question why they were nuns. The book delves into the lives of 3 women who became nuns, became friends, but eventually left the convent. It is also more than just a story about nuns-it is a compelling story of 3 women growing and learning at the start of the women's movement, their lives, loves, struggles, and eventually seeking their own independent lives.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Changing Habits is the 70th stand-alone novel by popular American author, Debbie Macomber. It follows the lives of three women of different ages from their first awareness of a vocation to serve God in the order of St Bridget’s Sisters of the Assumption, through their profession as nuns and their lives in the religious order to their eventual rejection of vows and return to secular life. The period from 1958 to 1972 was a time of great upheaval in the Catholic Church and also saw major changes in the secular world: Macomber uses these changes to anchor her story’s era and to show some of the effect these changes had on the lives of women in the convent. Angelina Marcello joined the order against the wishes of her widowed father, an Italian restaurant owner who always saw her as inheriting the business; Kathleen O’Shaughnessy knew from a very young age that she would be a nun, something that was simply accepted in her family; Joanna Baird turned to God when her fiancé came home from the Vietnam war with a pregnant Vietnamese wife by his side. Eventually, these three very different women meet at a convent in Minneapolis. Soon enough they are facing issues that lead them into disillusionment and dissatisfaction with their lives, and a crisis of faith. This novel is quite a departure from Macomber’s romances, and is more reminiscent of her Cedar Cove and Blossom Street series: her main characters are strong women dealing with life-changing issues. Alcoholism, rape, teen pregnancy and abortion feature, and the Catholic Church’s paternalistic mindset, in particular with birth control, plays a significant part. Macomber has certainly done her research on the Catholic religion: those educated or raised in the Catholic faith will recognise many of the practices described. While the endings for each character are fairly predictable, this is still an interesting read.

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first part of the book. I learned about being a nun and even thought the transition from nun to not was interesting. It seemed like she hurried through the end though after having such a rich story in the beginning.

[Garnet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has inspired me to look for more books about what is was like to be a nun. It was written with accurate background research. Then that information was transitioned into an easy to read story that encompassed the trials and tribulations of three characters.

Going between three characters flowed well, and entwined them. Childhood, “nun-hood”, and mainstreamed adulthood are related for each one. It was not kept all flowery, but rather realistic.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book! I just love Debbie Macomber's writing and story telling! This is the story of nuns during the 1960's who feel the call to serve God and then due to different circumstances-- one very thought provoking and heart wrenching-- they all choose to leave the convent after several years. I think I want to sit down and read this one again right away!

[Diane Majeske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angelina, Kathleen and Joanna each had very different reasons for joining St. Bridget's Sisters of the Assumption in the early 1960s. But each was devoted to her faith, and despite the strict, complex rules of the convent and the swirling controversies of the outside world, each stayed true to her call.

But one by one, each woman suffers an unexpected crisis of faith. And ultimately, all three leave the sisterhood for the exciting, confusing world outside the convent walls. It's not an easy choice, and it's not an easy change.

I found this book fascinating - I had no idea what a nun's life was like, and I felt that Macomber did a good job of exploring and explaining the maze of regulations that rule a so-called simple life. She touches on controversies within the church in dramatic, poignant ways, weaving storytelling in with historical facts.

I do wish the women's lives had been more entwined - while they're all nuns and they all know each other, they don't interact that much, and I found myself wishing for that deeper friendship that's often woven through Macomber's novels. Also, since the book covers such a large span of time - starting in the 50s and ending in the new millennium - there are large chunks of time that are glossed over. I wanted more details.

Still, small complaints in an overall compelling story.

[Jenny Mansell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually enjoy Debbie Macomber's books but this one was an exception. The idea for the book is an interesting one but it didn't seem to me to be executed well. The story dragged in the middle and at points seemed to meander without really heading anywhere. One character who was supposed to be morally reliable found it more shocking for clergy to be a "practicing homosexual" than for a close friend to be raped. The book treated the rape more like a mistake on both sides and as if it was just a rather rude thing to do, instead of a serious crime and something which would take a long time to heal from. I also found the treatment of the church to be rather confusing, where at times the author hinted at beliefs causing great harm and at other times as if it was almost completely positive. I'm sure that was in part intended to reflect the character's changing views but even at the end the book says one character would have continued to be a nun if she had a "real vocation" which didn't make sense to me considering the book was about how people change and how something that could be right at one time might not be right at another.

[Sher❤ The Fabulous BookLover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful! Macomber is such a great storyteller. They way she wove 3 womens lives was wonderful. I wouldn't have thought I would like a "nun" novel but I did. I loved hearing about the church, a nuns life and just the way things were then. There were accurate accounts and it almost felt like a true story. In a weird way this book brought me closer to Jesus. Sometimes the norm, and rituals are not what God requires of us. He requires obiedience and a willing heart. Once again, Debbie Macomber did not disappoint!

[Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a well researched (I assume, I didn't fact check) book on the life of three woman who decide to become nuns and then leave the church. It includes current events in politics and the Catholic Church during the 50s-70s. I liked the book and was intrigued by the story. There is a sexual scene in the book that to me was rape, yet it was not called that and in a conversation with a priest he said she was not totally at fault; she said no. This ruined the whole book for me. Without this it would have gotten 3 stars.

[Shirley Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book drew me into the lives of the characters and the Catholic Church and it’s teachings. Growing up Protestant, there was a lot I didn’t know or understand about Catholicism. The book began with the 1950’s as three teen-age girls entered the convent. I was truly enthralled with the reasons each of the girls became nuns. Being a teen in the 50’s but not being Catholic, the stories intrigued me and spoke to the strength of these young women.
The book followed the women through their lives and how changes in protocol shaped their futures.
I loved the book!

[Dorothy A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved reading Debbie Macomber books for years but this is not my favorite. I was surprised at some of the intimate scenes. Debbie has never had that kind of writing in the books I've read. And especially surprised about it in this book. I will say the characters were interesting but being Catholic again I was a little surprised by the story lines.
I hope this is a one of a kind for her

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Warning: Spoilers May Be Included In This Review. Read At Your Own Discretion)

I struggled with how to rate this book which follows three women (Angelina, Kathleen, and Joanna) as they choose to join, then leave the convent. Part of my struggle with how to rate the book falls on the author and some of her choices. I have commented before that I don't like how far Macomber allows her characters to go in their sexual attraction/sexual scenes. Usually, she reigns them in before the sex act itself, but in this book there seems to be no such restraint--and it's not between the people you'd expect it to be between (a husband and wife) but instead between two teens and even a rape scene! I might forgive the scenes between the two teens since, even though I'd prefer they weren't there, they did have a purpose in the plot--but the rape scene comes out of left field for me and the only purposes I can see for it plot-wise are 1) to show us how naive and sheltered former nuns are when they're out in the world and 2) to provide a reason for Kathleen to contact Father Doyle--and honestly, for #2, I think the author could have found another way for that to happen without having to resort to a graphic sex scene.

I found the details about this particular group of nuns and how the girls trained to be nuns interesting. I don't think I'd have been able to do some of what was expected of them: silence for 12 hours a day, a whole year of mostly silence (the 2nd year of training), not being able to see family, not being able to eat a meal with others who aren't sisters or family. But, that said, as much as I disagree personally with some Catholic teaching, I do admire that these three women felt a calling to serve God and seemed to connect with him on a level that I struggle to find.

I also didn't know that nuns could ask for a leave of absence from their order. (Of course, today's environment might be totally different than the years in which this book were set.)

Angelina is an only child whose mother passes away. Her father owns a restaurant named after her, and Angelina enjoys spending time with him there and learning how to tell what spices various dishes need. Angelina's father made a promise to her mother to raise her as a good Catholic, but he's always thought she'd take over the restaurant from him. He's not overjoyed when she decides to become a nun instead. Angelina end up being a parochial teacher. She forms a bond with one of her students, Corinne, who questions Catholic teachings when she falls in love with a Protestant boy. (There's an odd mix of trying to live out some Catholic beliefs while also trying to be a feminist.) This causes Angelina to start questioning her decisions.

Kathleen's family seemed to decide she was going to be "their nun" when she was 6 years old. I'm not sure Kathleen ever thought about doing anything else as a vocation. She became a parochial teacher also and did bookkeeping/administrative work for the church school. A supposed fill-in job keeping the parish books leads to her discovering discrepancies and seeing flaws behind the veil. Eventually she's accused of doctoring the books (which she did but at a priest's direction) and stealing from the church (which she didn't do). When her order doesn't stick up for her as she expects, she starts to question decisions she's made.

Joanna thought about being a nun in ninth grade but meeting Greg made her rethink that career choice. She and Greg get engaged just before he is shipped off to the war in Vietnam. Greg comes home with a pregnant wife. Joanna takes this as confirmation that life in the convent is for her. She trains as a nurse, but lives in the same convent with Kathleen and Angelina. Joanna falls in love with a doctor at the hospital where she works.

The novel touches on the church hiding certain aspects of its priests--such as having priests who were alcoholics or priests who were homosexual. In both cases presented in this novel, the bishop, when told of the problems, chose to transfer a priest elsewhere rather than getting him the help he needed or confront the problem or remove him from the priesthood. In one case, it seemed like the priest who was trying to ask for help in dealing with a colleague was punished for bringing the problem to the bishop's attention.

The novel also touches on the fact that not as many people (men or women) choose the priesthood or being a nun as used to--and the changes that have resulted from that realization. Some priests from other nations are asked to come to staff American churches to help alleviate the shortages. Nuns have had their clothing requirements changed (habits becoming less severe or eliminated altogether) and don't have such strict silence requirements during training--their living quarters aren't cells like they were in this book's time.

[Sally Lindsay-briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the late 60’s and early 70’s Angie, Kathleen and Joanna joined a religious convent to become nuns. Each one faced an unexpected crisis of faith. The writing by seasoned Debbie Macomber was enlightening, instructive (because so little is known about what nuns experienced) and very realistic. Great read!

[Glendy Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debbie Macomber takes you through the life of 3 girls, they all want the same thing, they all come from different places and their lives are united by one common desire. But things change, people change and what might have been a dream today might be a nightmare later. I think is a wonderful story, you get to meet this 3 girls deeply and you get to feel their pain and frustration.

[Sandi Poyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

That was a supreme waste of time. I kept waiting for something, Fluff.

[Emma Inman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. I learned so many things I would’ve never known about being a nun and the stories of three women who were nuns. I really enjoyed it and read it quickly.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the decisions seemed illogical, but maybe they were realistic. Some of the situations just made me angry.

[Bookworman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very different story in many ways from Macomber's usual books. This follows the lives of three young women who become nuns. Great characters and compelling stories; a bit darker than many of Macomber's other books but still enjoyable.

[Craig Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started Changing Habits by Debbie Macomber while travelling home from Brasília and got ⅔ of the book read while on the plane. This was a welcome change from all the other Macomber novels I had read, as Changing Habits was not a Christmas romance. In fact, out of all the novels I have read by the author, this was by far my favourite. Macomber excels in developing a story and characters when she has been allowed the page count to do it. While not an excessively long novel, at 422 pages this is long for Macomber, whose Christmas romances usually clock in at under 300. And the irony is, as this was a story about three young women who enter a convent, there is hardly any romance to read about whatsoever. I could not put this book down as I immersed myself in the lives of three young women who decide to devote their lives to the Catholic church as nuns.

Macomber did her research, and I never felt as though the author was merely parroting facts about convent rules and protocol. This book was an education in itself, and its timeline, taking place before and after the Second Vatican Council, showed how changes in official church policies affected individual convents and the women within them. There were several anachronisms however, as the author’s references to the Singing Nun and her hit song “Dominique”, as well as to the Beatles’ arrival in the US, both occurred later than when certain events occurred in her novel.

Each of the three nuns undergoes a crisis which leads to her taking a leave of absence. Kathleen is wrongly accused of embezzling church funds. Joanna falls in love with a doctor. Angelina, who is a teacher, loses one of her students when she dies following a backstreet abortion. These women are tormented by their feelings of betrayal to the church when they leave the convent. In the case of Kathleen, after years of living a life of indoctrinated subservience, she cannot even find the courage to stand up for herself when faced with these false accusations. She doesn’t come across as helpless or unbelievable. When Mother Superior confronts her about the unbalanced books, she doesn’t question it. She knows it is against church policy to contradict the Mother Superior.

When the Second Vatican Council gave permission to nuns to alter their wardrobes, Macomber wrote a creepy encounter between Joanna and her future husband, Dr. Tim Murray. The doctor, who was her employer of all people, said this:

“Oh, and Sister–I like the changes in your habit. It’s long overdue. What a sin, keeping those legs of yours hidden all these years.”

Perhaps the doctor felt he could say this because he knew it wouldn’t be in a nun’s nature to make a complaint of harassment. Joanna falls in love with him, though, and she leaves the convent for him.

Three decades after these women leave, they are invited back to a reunion. I found the conversations they shared to be trite and the feelings they expressed so simplistic that I was left with a couple of Duh! moments. For example, Kathleen seems to have come to the realization that among the former nuns:

“A lot of the women I talked to mentioned feeling guilty.”

And added:

“A lot of the women I spoke to had problems with relationships. Especially relationships with men.”

I can let these moments slide, though. Those airhead quotes occurred on pages 419 and 420 of the 422-page novel, which more than made up for it as an enjoyable Macomber read. I really did not want to put this book down, and raced to the end once I got home from vacation.

[A. R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was particularly interested in this book because I attended a catholic school from kindergarten through high school. And even though I wasn't catholic, at one time I also wanted to be a nun. (I think it had something to do with wanting to be a teacher.) So I found the background stories of the three women in this book intriguing. I was extremely interested in why they chose to join a religious order and what their lives were like once they did.

I don't know how accurate the portrayal was, but it made for an interesting story. I found the plot lines somewhat predictable, but not cheesy. The characters were well drawn. And as each became more a part of the religious order, it was easy to understand their dissatisfaction with losing their individuality. The writing was fine, not extraordinary, but I don't need extraordinary to enjoy a book.

There were two plot threads that really disappointed me. One involved a date rape, and it seemed to cavalierly dealt with. The other was the idea that birth control was more controversial than pre-marital sex. In a catholic school, I found it hard to believe that a nun would be more upset at a girl wanting to use birth-control, but not about the physical relationship going on. It just didn't ring true to me.

Overall, a good and interesting read.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why would three vital young women choose to enter a convent and take vows of poverty and service? What would make those same three women decide to leave and reenter society? Macomber's novel explores the lives of three young women -- one who becomes a nun against her father's wishes, one who enters the convent after being jilted a month before her wedding, and one who was following the expectations of her family. Their lives intersect, but their stories are really parallel.

Each woman's story is interesting and compelling; the reader is instantly drawn in. Macomber writes their stories in alternating voices so that the action moves quickly. Although the back cover tells the readers that each woman will ultimately leave the convent, and the stories are rarely surprising, I couldn't put the book down. Perhaps I was drawn to the stories because I was raised Catholic. I completely understood all the references and the motivations of the characters. But this is not a "Catholic" story, it's really the story of girls/women and the pressures that rise from faith, family, and self. It's also a great look at the changing Church from the 50s - the 90s. Interesting, touching, and very readable.

[Amelia in PDX · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book was written in 2003 (or published anyway), this story line is ending in the 70's, the story line is starting in the late 50's/early 60's when there was so much change coming about in the world, let alone in the Catholic church. The world was changing, the Viet Nam war was gong on and people's attitudes were changing about many things.

I was having to go back to what that time period was like. I admit I was in school during that time, but I also remember the trying time that many people had in trying to find their places in this re-organizaning world. The woman's place was considered in the home, or teaching, or secretarial or if you belonged to the Catholic church, to the church.

This story evolves around three women who chose the church, pretty much straight out of high school and their growth. Their ages were not that close together, their times of serving as nuns varied, but they all meet in one location and times were catching up with them... See their choices, their decisions, their pain and their growth.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The time is the late 1960s and early 1970s. Three young women have taken theiir vows to become nuns. But it is a turbulent time in the world and within the Catholic church. This story follows each of the three young women, from their decisions to join an order, to their lives within the order, their growing discontent, and their decisions to rejoin the world. We see these women as individuals, seeing beyond the designation of nun. One will leave for love, one out of grief and despair, and one out of disillusionment. This story gave me, a Protestant, an intimate view into the lives of the brides of Christ.

[Mayda · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this abridged audio version, the story moves along rather quickly. Two young women enter the convent, each convinced that she is where God intends her to be, each sure of her vocation. But as the years pass, other circumstances intervene to make them question their conviction to their faith. Macomber does a good job in illustrating the struggles these nuns endure as they make life-changing decisions. She also points out some of the problems that plague the Catholic church. A thought provoking read, this novel is probably better in its original unabridged length. An interesting side note is her frequent references to historical and political occurrences.

[Mary Kenyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Debbie Macomber's non-fiction books, but haven 't read a lot of her fiction. I'm guessing she has grown as a writer since this 2003 book was written, and I'm fairly certain there is less sexual content in her later books as she is often referred to as a Christian writer, and this one would definitely not be categorized in that genre. Still mild for a romance. Very intriguing storyline and one I have been curious about since meeting a woman who had once been a nun before she left to get married. Made me more curious about what life in a convent is like.
For someone who likes neat and tidy happy endings, I was not disappointed.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I guess I re-read this book as it was already in "My Books" but I honestly did not remember the book at all. Go figure.

Having been raised Catholic, I really enjoyed this story about 3 women who became nuns but later left the sisterhood. Each woman had a different experience and reason for becoming a nun and all three had different reasons for leaving.

I learned a lot about what it takes to become a nun. I know I would have never made it!

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about 3 women who became nuns-Angelina who left her father and his Italian restaurant-Kathleen who left working at her uncle's "pub" and Joanna who was almost married to a Viet Nam veteran. Kathleen left the convent after being accused of taking money from the church. Joanna ended up taking a leave of absence to sort her feelings out. Angelina's father came one day to the convent and insisted on taking his daughter back home even though the Sister Superior was not going to allow it. This book kept my mind thinking at all times. What a wonderful, down-to-earth book.