Isadore's Secret: Sin, Murder, and Confession in a Northern Michigan Town

by Mardi Jo Link

"In Isadore's Secret, Mardi Link shines a journalist's lamp on this dark, quiet corner of Michigan's history, assuring that the tragic story of Sister Janina is not forgotten. Link's telling is fascinating and thorough, making a story you will not soon forget."
---Steve Lehto, author of Death's Door A gripping account of the mysterious 1907 disappearance of a young nun in a northern Michigan town and the national controversy that followed when she turned up dead and buried in the basement of her own church. Swinging planks of lantern light shine through the musty air and onto the dirt floor of the church basement. The oddly glowing rectangles syncopate over the damp ground and illuminate even the darkest, stooped-down corners of the space beyond. The only sound is the ragged breathing of two men, a young parish priest and a much older laborer. Aboveground these men belong completely to this place, in both body and soul. A glimpse of their faces anywhere in the sanctuary, the rectory, the school, the barn, or the gardens would be a welcome sight. But here below, these men of Isadore are interlopers. Only trespassers would sneak silently into the church's sloped underbelly without witness to carry out such a sinful and secret errand as this one. Despite their tools, and their lantern, and their resolve, neither is equipped for the task at hand or for what is to come. Mardi Link, a former crime reporter, was named Antioch's Betty Crumrine Scholar for Creative Nonfiction in 2007. Her first book, When Evil Came to Good Hart , also published by the University of Michigan Press, spent four months on the Heartland Indie Bestseller List. This true story was the basis for the Broadway play The Runner Stumbles and the film of the same name. Front Photograph of cemetery © John L. Russell, Great Lakes Images; image of face ©iStockphoto.com/duncan1890.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Book Club, Crime, Mystery, Audiobook

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Mardi Link is the author of the memoirs The Drummond Girls: A Story of Fierce Friendship Beyond Time and Chance and Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass On a Northern Michigan Farm . She studied agriculture and journalism at Michigan State University and creative writing at Queens University of Charlotte. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, a street tree planter, a seamstress, and a tournament pool player. Her books about Michigan murders, When Evil Came to Good Hart, Isadore’s Secret and Wicked Takes the Witness Stand spent several weeks on the Heartland Bestseller List and won awards. Mardi's essays have been published in Creative Nonfiction, Bellingham Review, Bear River Review, Publishers Weekly, Traverse Magazine, and the Detroit Free Press . She lives in Traverse City, Michigan, on The Big Valley.

Reviews

[Jlsimon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a really interesting true crime. The fact that this happened in 1907 is really quite an amazing telling of a crime that was probably not easy to investigate.

One challenge for writing this book had to be the fact that there would be no chance of interviewing any of the people involved. Ms. Link does an excellent job filling in all the gaps with court transcripts and other documents to substantiate the story.

Something else that I appreciated in this story is that it was not fictionalized with dialogue created by the author to move the story forward. This story moves forward on its own in a sequential order as it should without any fabrication, which happens altogether to often.

This book can be recommended by individuals who want to come up with case studies for sociological information from turn of the century, religious rites, expectations and effects, women's issues in early 20th century, family dynamics, and even I think maybe how all of the above may influence the actions of an individual.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn in from the beginning, even though I knew the story in bits and pieces. The author did a great job of putting together the facts in a readable, fiction like manner. Very much looking forward to discussing the book at our book group's "Dead Nun Weekend" - in Cedar, only a few miles from Holy Rosary Church where it all happened.

[Kristen Freiburger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jan, weren’t you married in this church before her remains were unearthed?

[Rachel Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like true crime books and understand that crime can happen in the most unexpected places, e.g. the church....and involve the most expected folks, e.g. nuns and priests....then this is the book for you. Brace yourself, especially if you're Catholic....or a church-going Christian of any denomination....I've read plenty of true crime, but this one even shocked ME!! It brings to mind the scripture verse of Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it"?

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isadore’s Secret: Sin, Murder, and Confession in a Northern Michigan Town by Mardi Link is a remarkable true crime story set during the early part of the 20th century in Isadore, Michigan, a small, Polish Catholic community in rural northern Michigan. Being a lifelong Michigander of Polish/Slovak Catholic descent, and being familiar with the Felician nuns and their Motherhouse first in the “Poletown” section of Detroit and then in Livonia, Michigan, the story really came alive for me. The truth is oftentimes stranger than fiction. Definitely held my interest to the very end.

[Cindy H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Jannina, a vivacious, well liked nun goes missing one afternoon in Isadore, Michigan 1907. Rumors swirl but the missing nun can not be found. Ten years later as preparations for a new church building are about to begin, her body is found buried beneath the church grounds. Who killed Sister Jannina and why? Based on news clipping, court documents and outstanding research a scandalous true story unfolds.
Audio narration was very good and made this book even more engaging.

[Sarah Hadd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I am biased because I am from the area where this mystery took place but I really enjoyed this. It had its slow parts but overall I felt this was a fascinating story and one I had zero knowledge of prior to reading it, despite having grown up so close to where it took place. Definitely recommend for any true crime fans!!

[Maria Almaguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was un-put-downable. I had pulled this book to fulfill holds at my library countless times and I've read Link's first book, When Evil Came to Good Hart (another gripping true crime story) but have never read this. With the re-discovery of my Catholic faith during this pandemic, however, it was the right time for me to read. In 1907, in Isadore, Michigan, a small town in the Leelanau Peninsula made up of mostly Catholic Poles, a nun disappeared. Her body wasn't discovered until over ten years later and the scandals it unearthed are shocking. Link's writing kept me on the edge of my seat and as a librarian, I'm impressed with her research. This just might appear on next year's book list for the mystery book discussion!

[Kimba Tichenor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of the 1907 disappearance and murder of a nun in the small northern Michigan town of Isadore, inhabited at the time primarily by Polish Catholic immigrants. While the circumstances surrounding the murder could lend themselves to a sensationalist retelling, the author has not chosen this route. Instead, the author has tried to contextualize the crime by recreating both the religious world in which the nuns lived and the larger secular context in which the crime would be judged and the defendant found guilty. Each chapter begins with a relevant excerpt from the "Nun's rules" that governed the lives of the Polish nuns in this small community and these rules are also interwoven within the chapters. The result is that one has a strong sense of the world in which these nuns lived, the hardships that they endured, and the secrets that they kept. It also gives you a clear picture of how the law was understood and applied in small town America. However, what the book does not provide is a fast-moving story of sex, sin, and murder as the title may seem to suggest. If this is what you look for in a true crime book, this is not the book for you. But if you are looking for a crime story that is as much history as crime story, then you will find this book of interest.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I now live about 3 miles from the site of this notorious murder--a beautiful old church on four corners in rural Leelanau County, MI, where the rolling terrain is dotted with orchards, vineyards, white farmhouses--and, evidently, secrets.

Mardi Link does a terrific job of assembling the story from a wide array of original source material. And an amazing story it is, revealing much more about the community of Polish immigrants and their faith than actual details of who did what. Long-time residents of the area tell me that parishioners still refuse to talk about what happened in little Isadore, even though the events in the book happened over 100 years ago.

Highly recommended.

[Jean · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book as I enjoy true life mysteries. The author had a wonderful opportunity to weave an intriguing and compelling story. Instead she focused entirely on her research, writing in detail, often repetitively, directly from the research. It was dry and cumbersome in spots. Would have been a great story if she'd written it as "based on facts" rather as completely nonfiction. We might have actually felt something for the characters.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, especially for anyone with Polish descent or Catholic upbringing. A true story set in the early 1900`s in a small town in MI. It shows us how our justice system has gotten better in our days. We stopped at this Church on our last trip to Traverse City and took in the sights described in the book.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading some (dark) history about one of my very favorite places: Leelanau County. The author did a nice job pulling together all her resources to create a very intriguing tale. 2017 reading challenge, read a book set in, or about an area you will visit: ✅

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched. I enjoyed learning so much about the community and its traditions as the story unfolded. The fact that the story is true makes it even more amazing and also quite sad.

[Sally Labioda]

A must read for any Polish, Catholic, Michiganians

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, well-researched and fleshed out in compelling detail by Mardi Link.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this story! I grew up near where this takes place, and surprisingly never knew anything about it. I recognized many of the family names, and of course all of the locations.

[Lizabeth Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1907, Sister Janina disappeared without a trace from Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church in the small rural town of Isadore, Michigan. The theories as to how and why she disappeared ranged from running away with a man to becoming mentally ill like her mother and wandering off into the swamps to die. But there were also rumors that persisted over the years that there was something darker that happened to the gregarious and vivacious nun.

In 1918, the new parish priest and his sexton followed the rumors, digging in the church basement. They discover bones and the remnants of a nun's habit. It appears that Sister Janina never left the town or the Church. The discovery sets in motion a series of events that neither the reclusive community or the Church can stop or hide.

As the criminal investigation begins, the possible suspects in Janina's murder, she was hit repeatedly over the head, were a limited selection: Stella, the stern housekeeper who hated the nun's joy of life; Stella's daughter Mary; Sisters Angelina and Josephine, two younger women who were the first to notice Janina's absence; or possibly a stranger. Father Andrew, not well liked in the community, had been fishing at the lake accompanied by his sister and the Church's live-in laborer.

Then came the real shocker. There were fetus bones found with the nun's body. She was pregnant. There was a trial, which never mentioned the fetus bones, a conviction, and consequences for many within the Church. As the years went by, both Father Andrew, who defended Stella even after her alleged confession and conviction, and Father Edward, who found the body, found themselves bounced from church to church as retaliation. The citizens in Isadore never spoke of "The Tragedy" except for the rare occasions that they were offended by a play and a film, both based loosely on the events in the town.

Was Stella guilty? Probably. Who was the father of the child? I'm leaning toward someone in the town, not Father Andrew, although that is just my gut reaction. With Andrew's sourness, it doesn't seem like he would appeal to Janina who was friendly with everyone she met. Did a priest violate the sanctity of the confessional? Seems like it, but who and why is still in debate. Where is Sister Janina buried? Probably in the cemetery next to where she lived and was murdered, but no one knows exactly where.

I found this book due to a video on YouTube where the poster visited the church grounds and related the story of the murdered nun, suggesting the book to get more details and information. An ILL (InterLibrary Loan) request later and some weeks of waiting (ILLs are notoriously slow) and the book was in my hands. Thank you, Fort Myers Beach Library!

Did I love the book? When it is a book about a horrific crime, it is hard to say "love". I will say that Link's style of writing was engaging, the crime tragically intriguing, and the conclusion controversial for many. Even if she hadn't listed the sources used, you could tell that Link did her research. Very readable, complete with photos that help envision the people and places mentioned.

If you're a fan of true crime books, get this book. A very good read from start to finish. 3.5 out of 5

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Riot Read Harder 2019:
#5 A book by a journalist or about journalism
#9 A book published prior to January 1, 2019, with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2019:
#9 A book you meant to read in 2018
#50 A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent

My mom asked me to read this book after she and her friends all read it, so we can take a girls' trip up to Isadore this summer and see where it all happened.

Good, informative book on a really interesting and obscure topic.


Sister Mary Janina was an orphan who became a nun in the Catholic Church.
She was sent to Isadore, where she taught for about a year before she mysteriously disappeared in 1907.
There was a massive search effort for her, lead by Father Andrew, but eventually it died down.
A decade later, Isadore's new priest, Father Edward, hears rumors that Sister Mary Janina was murdered and buried in the basement of the church.
Father Edward and the sexton dig up bones in the basement and rebury them in the cemetery. The dirt caves in on the new grave and they are found.
Stella, the housekeeper at Isadore during the time when Sister Mary Janina disappeared, was accused of the crime and arrested. Supposedly she confessed to the priest in Milwaukee when she went to visit her daughter. Word got around the Catholic Church and back to Isadore.
Stella claimed she was tortured in jail by the sheriff and a undercover detective he hired. She started acting crazy and she was sent to the mental hospital in Ann Arbor, but was deemed sane.
Stella was convicted in court in Leelanau County and was sentenced to life in a woman's prison in Detroit with hard labor.
Father Andrew continued fighting for her freedom. Her appeal was denied by the Michigan Supreme Court, but after seven years in prison, the outgoing governor paroled her as her last official act.
Stella moved to Wisconsin to be with her daughter and son-in-law. She worked more than 20 years as a cook at a local Catholic Church, and died at the age of 92.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Link does a great job of explaining where her information comes from, and has clearly found every bit of information available on the case. From church documents to yearbooks to archived material, Link presents as complete a story as there can be with what is known, and explains what is not known very clearly. Link also goes into the culture of Isadore in great depth, with the brilliant beginning where she explains how isolated Isadore was at the time of the murder from language to location. The ending was also great, where Link presents all available information on what happened to those involved and contextualized the governor's political decision to release Stella.
The actual story is fascinating. From the period where the body was undiscovered to the trial with all its errors and the bias in the town it was held in, the story was gripping, and even now I'm not sure who to believe. Link paints fascinating portraits of the historic figures, including interesting details such as that the priest owned an alligator. But best of all, Link allows the reader to come to their own conclusion (the one moment that I thought she didn't was where Link decided that Janina's baby was the priest's). My grandmother and her book club had a great time debating the available evidence, and I'm sure I will with my grandmother.
This is a really excellent true crime novel, but also a picture of a town in a period of time. Next time I'm in Traverse City, I might have to take a moment to visit Isadore!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I'd never heard of ISADORE'S SECRET, it's been around since 2009. I was curious about this nonfiction story that takes place in Michigan and involves priests, nuns, and a Catholic community. So I read it and found that Mardi Link did a great job, not only satisfying my curiosity but also writing a well-researched story that will interest any true-crime fan from any state or religion.

This is a story about a nun who went missing in the early 1900s in the small community of Isadore, Michigan, in the northern Lower Peninsula. There were rumors about what happened to her, but no one knew for sure. Years later a priest and sexton found bones buried in the dirt floor of the basement of Isadore's Catholic church. They were suspected to be the missing nun's. And the cook at the rectory was suspected of murdering her.

That is a simple way of putting it. But it's a convoluted story involving more suspicious characters, including priests and pregnant nuns, priests and bishops who might not have kept a confession secret, a sheriff who used unfair means of getting a confession, a possibly unfair trial, and a possibly innocent cook.

Link deserves more credit for ISADORE'S SECRET than she got. I'm glad I finally read it.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

True crime story about a young (pregnant) nun who goes missing in 1907 whose bones were found buried under the church in 1918. The housekeeper was tried for the murder in 1919. This all took place in a small town in Michigan's Leelanau peninsula, Isadore. (the "pinky finger of the mitten" of Michigan's lower peninsula) The author has done extensive research into the case that highlights the society norms that existed at that time and place. Issues of religion, sexism, scandal, immigrant community (Polish in this case), poverty, justice, all are a part of this story.

Quotes: P. 82 [Father Edward’s] natural tendency for deep thought and shallow action had to be overcome if he was to avoid disaster, and for once, he knew it.

P. 166 So shameful was his sin that, even though it was common knowledge, nowhere was it entered into the extensive court records. The murder of a nun could be made public, but not a priest’s sexual indiscretions. Which is the only explanation for why nothing was said, either, about the smallest bones found with Sister Janina’s remains.

Suggest to: true crime readers, people interested in Michigan history

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isidore is a small community in Michigan with a large Polish, Catholic community. The church runs the school for the children. Stella is the housekeeper of for the Priest. It is rumored that Stella doesn't like the nuns. When Sister Janina doesn't come to dinner, a search for her starts. It is rumored that the Priest and the doctor have being seeing Janina alone which is not allowed. Although everywhere is searched, Sister Janina is not found. Ten years later, bones are found in the basement of the church. It is said that Stella confessed in the confessional to killing Sister Janina. A trial begins. The Priest funds Stella's lawyer. A spy is put in Stella's jail cell who says Stella confessed to her. The Sheriff terrorizes Stella showing her the bones talking, leaving her locked in with the bones and scaring her. Book is a little dull at time, but interesting information about the church and small, Michigan towns.

[Jo Fetsco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the early 1900s in Isadore, Michigan (near Traverse City), this tells the story of a small Polish Catholic community that suffers a horrific event: one of the three nuns that teach at Holy Rosary, the Catholic church there, disappears during their “nap time”, never to be seen again. Bones are discovered later buried in the church basement. The housekeeper, who keeps house and cooks for the priest and the nuns, is accused, tried, convicted, and sent to prison for life for her murder. There are many secrets in this community that affect the trial and those involved in the community and the case. It’s an interesting book mainly due to the fact that it takes place in Michigan. It’s a little difficult to get through the dryness at the beginning of the book, but it gets better when the trial is the focus.

[Cindy Koch-Krol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book out of the library along with several other true crime books because I'm writing a true crime book, and I wanted examples to study. But this one caught my interest and I decided I needed to read straight through it. I was captured by the sheer amount of research involved. I loved the characterizations not just of the people involved in the case but also of the climate, and the Polish Catholic society of the small town. Mardi described the political climate of the community in exact detail. I've known many people like the ones in the book. I especially liked the way she handled the courtroom scenes. They were very exciting. I've been in courtrooms before and they are not that exciting, despite how they are depicted on TV.

I can't wait to read more of her other work.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story. At times angering, sad...at the area residents behavior and of the handling of the case by the authorities, and also the Roman Catholic Church. They all failed Sister Janina and justice for her murder. Not necessarily excellently written, but good enough that I kept turning the page. So many questions left unanswered. The author revealed as much as she could in her investigation, but ultimately, the hidden secrets and unwillingness of the locals hamper the investigation. They continue to ignore what happened, even today. In my opinion, it could help a community to heal if they talk it out.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-documented "true crime" story about the shocking 1907 murder of a young nun in the small town of Isadore, MI. I'm a big fan of Mardi Jo Link, and this book does not disappoint. Her prose is so well-suited to the story, and she gives an account not only of the murder and subsequent trial, but of the people and the times from this area of Michigan. The book tells you everything that's known about the case -- but still leaves the reader with some lingering questions. In the end, there are some secrets that are carried to the grave.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The deception of the Catholic Church is on display for all in this book. It should not have surprised me that the church tried to cover up these sins, especially knowing how many priests have molested how many children. But I guess I’m just too naive & trusting of church authority figures. Reminded me of what extremes those in places of power and privilege will go to protect and preserve their power and privilege. Cultural supremacy has become a poison to the church that is useless in God’s kingdom.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact that I am a native Michiganian and am fairly familiar with the west side of the state made me pick up this book, but the fact that I am not Catholic made it more mysterious yet informative at the same time. A nun murdered in a fairly remote area, and pregnant to boot, has all the earmarks of a real mystery! Yes, it was a bit tedious in a few spots, yet all the information seemed necessary to the full telling of this true story.

[Hannah CF · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up my copy in the corner of a large bookstore while on vacation in Traverse City. This is a true story and riveting tale about murder and intrigue in a small town. Since I vacationed near here a bunch as a child I found it and the historical narrative style very compelling. The author is a sympathetic narrator to all involved and I happened to agree with her take. It is a rare instance where the murderer engendered sympathy from me.