SOLVED. Novel about a Chinese-speaking widow (not Chinese herself) who becomes a nun. Read about 40 years ago. Spoiler. [s]

[Marina]

I read this as a Reader's Digest condensed novel, the title I remember, in Italian, was something like 'The Garden of Silence'.

The main character was a woman who had entered a nunnery after the death of her husband, in the novel we discover her story, at some point she is conflicted about staying or going out, she ends up staying, taking her wows, and if I remember, she's sent to a new foundation either in China or Taiwan where her knowledge of the language matters.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Good news, there is a RDCB page in wikipedia and you can search for your title and author by year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reader%...

[Orsolya Könyvtáros (formerly Memp)]

In This House of Brede (1969) by Rumer Godden? The widowed main character, Philippa, joins a Benedictine monastery and (view spoiler)[is later sent to Japan with a new group of Japanese sisters since she had a background of world travel and government work and spoke Japanese already. (hide spoiler)]

[Kris]

Google Books preview of In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden - Orsolya's suggestion:

- https://books.google.com/books?id=pas...
- There are different cover images.

[Marina]

Oh, thank you! I believe it's the right one.
I've been looking for it for ages, thank you so much!