{"product_id":"a-change-of-habit-leaving-behind-my-husband-career-and-everything-i-owned-to-become-a-nun","title":"A Change of Habit: Leaving Behind My Husband, Career, and Everything I Owned to Become a Nun","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe soulful, hilarious memoir of a chronic people pleaser who surprised everyone in her life by abandoning an unfulfilling career and marriage to join a convent--and learned how much we stand to gain when we fully embrace our authentic selves\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eA Change of Habit\u003c\/i\u003e follows the arc of Sister Monica Clare's career with irreverence and sincerity. . . . Her book [confirms] the warmth--and fragility--of her new community.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn her twenties and thirties, Monica Clare was a talented but exhausted photo editor who spent her days getting yelled at by clients who were often strung out on cocaine and megalomania. For years, the voice calling her to a simpler, quieter life had been getting louder. As a little kid, she'd seen Audrey Hepburn in \u003ci\u003eThe Nun\u003ci\u003e'\u003c\/i\u003es Story\u003c\/i\u003e and thought: \u003ci\u003eThat's me\u003c\/i\u003e. That's how she found herself straightening her habit nervously as she walked into a convent, preparing to live alongside eleven other sisters who'd taken the same vow of poverty and celibacy . . . indefinitely. \u003ci\u003eCould a chronically fidgety, pop culture-obsessed woman of the world ever fit in?\u003c\/i\u003e she wondered. And why did the other nuns seem so cold and disapproving? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs the months went on, she realized the other nuns were shy, not unfriendly--much like herself. The culture at the convent discouraged giving compliments or even saying \"please\" or \"thank you,\" since acts of generosity were to be freely given and received. But when Monica rose to the role of Sister Superior, she got the policy against compliments changed. Relationships started to blossom, first awkwardly and then more easily. Who would have predicted that Sister Christina, the one she thought had deeply disliked her from the start, would turn out to be a huge hugger? Or that they'd spend entire afternoons trying to keep a wild turkey from running amok in their community garden? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEqual parts tell-all and rallying cry, \u003ci\u003eA Change of Habit\u003c\/i\u003e reveals how much we can say yes to when we stop laboring to prove our worth to ourselves and others. In her role as a spiritual counselor, Sister Monica guides people from all walks of life toward resisting the false promises of capitalism, finding healing in small acts of nurture and connection, and ultimately, restoring themselves to a place of wholeness, all while living in this gorgeously messy world of ours.","brand":"Crown Publishing Group (NY)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51937441579239,"sku":"9780593727119","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0449\/4075\/5096\/files\/imageloader_df4db651-23ed-4fe1-9308-42cee1283ce2.jpg?v=1775009747","url":"https:\/\/arvidabookco.com\/products\/a-change-of-habit-leaving-behind-my-husband-career-and-everything-i-owned-to-become-a-nun","provider":"Arvida Book Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}