SOLVED. Nun who sees God? [s]

[Amanda]

Several years ago I heard a book review on NPR about a nun who sees these images of God. She then finds out she has a brain tumor and has to struggle with the fact that her experiences may have merely been hallucinations as a result of the tumor. I always wanted to read it, but have no idea of the name or author.

[Cassiel]

Was this book a novel, or non-fiction?

If it is non-fic it may be Phantoms in the Brain by V.S. Ramachandran. I haven't read this book so I'm not positive.

I think I remember that Oliver Sack's book The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat had a piece about the famous visionary nun who may have had migraine.

[CLM]

Could this be Mariette in Ecstasy by Ron Hansen? I have not read it myself but remember family members who loved it.

[Holly]

I believe this might be Mark Salzman's Lying Awake:

(From Google Books)

Mark Salzman's Lying Awake is a finely wrought gem that plumbs the depths of one woman's soul, and in so doing raises salient questions about the power-and price-of faith.Sister John's cloistered life of peace and prayer has been electrified by ever more frequent visions of God's radiance, leading her toward a deep religious ecstasy. Her life and writings have become examples of devotion. Yet her visions are accompanied by shattering headaches that compel Sister John to seek medical help. When her doctor tells her an illness may be responsible for her gift, Sister John faces a wrenching choice: to risk her intimate glimpses of the divine in favor of a cure, or to continue her visions with the knowledge that they might be false-and might even cost her her life.

It's a lovely book, he's one of my favorite authors.

[Cassiel]

Both of those novels sound interesting; good recommendations, thanks CLM and Holly.

[Amanda]

Holly,

This is exactly it. Thank you so much!

[Rainbowheart]

Lying Awake for the link.