A Change of Habit by Sister Monica Clare

 

Publisher: Crown

On Sale Date: April 1, 2025

Pages: 336

I reviewed a digital review copy from the publisher

Sister Monica Clare is the Sister Superior at the Community of St. John Baptist, an Episcopal convent based in New Jersey, and a spiritual counselor specializing in religious trauma, mental illness, and addiction.

In this moving memoir, Sister Monica Clare tells her story of how she became a sister. Her story starts with a troubled childhood. Her father Clyde was a very violent man who terrorized the family, especially her mother. As a child, she saw the movie The Nun’s Story starring Audrey Hepburn, which sparked an interest in her to become a nun.  Before becoming a nun in 2012, she was married, and she worked as a photo editor in L.A. and performed in an acoustic rock duo and an improv comedy troupe. But her true calling in life kept calling stronger. 

Sister Monica has a beautiful way of telling about her life before she became a nun, with jobs that paid the bills , while she was also in a unhappy marriage. She tells what it takes to become a nun, which seems an easy step, but actually is not easy, as it takes years and many offical rites of passage to become a nun.

It was very moving to read her way to become a professional sister, while she was also worried she would never reach that level. In the end she is even voted for to become a Sister Superior, and she also tells us what it is like to live daily as a nun. I found the end part, just like the rest of the book, very moving as she was called to work ministering in New York City to poor and homeless people at St Mary's. 

I found this book very beautiful, like many of us, Sister Monica Clare found it difficult in life to fit in, something that is recognizable for many people, just as coming from a difficult childhood with a parent that isn't suitable to be a parent, in this case her father. When she truly felt she belonged, it reminded me a bit of the musical Sister Act, wherein Deloris sings about her sister community who always got her back and where she truly is home.  I found it so beautiful to read that Sister Monica Clare found her true belonging and reached what she wanted in life. Overall I found this a beautiful and very personal memoir, that is also entertaining and fun to read, and I truly recommend reading it!!