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The Nun
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
14 posts | 5 read | 1 reading | 7 to read
August 15, 1839. Messina, Italy. In the home of Marshall don Peppino Padellani di Opiri, preparations for the feast of the Ascension are underway. This may be the last happy day in the life of Agata, the Marshall's daughter. She and the wealthy Giacomo Lepre have fallen in love. Agata however must forsake her beloved Giacomo for the good of her family. Unfortunately the extended families of these illicit lovers cannot come to an agreement in their efforts to put the tawdry matter of their offspring's affair to rest and when Marshall don Peppino dies, Agata's mother decides to ferry her daughter far from Messina, to Naples, where she hopes to garner a stipend from the King. The only boat leaving Messina that day is captained by the young Englishman, James Garson. Following a tempestuous passage to Naples, during which Agata confesses her troubles to James, Agata and her mother find themselves rebuffed by the king and Agata is forced to join a convent. The Benedictine monastery of San Giorgio Stilita is rife with rancor and jealousy, illicit passions and ancient feuds. But Agata remains aloof, devoting herself to the cultivation of medicinal herbs, calmed by the steady rhythms of monastic life. She reads all the books James Garson sends her and follows the news of the various factions struggling to bring unity to Italy. She has accepted her life as a nun, but she is divided by her yearnings for purity and religiosity and her desire to be part of the world. She is increasingly torn when she realizes that her feelings for James Garson, though he is only a distant presence in her life, have eclipsed those for Lepre.
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marleed
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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In my A+ to F rating system I had 4 books rating my subjective A- (4.5). Highlighting the tagged because I‘m thrilled a challenge brought it to my attention!

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

review
Aimeesue
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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Pickpick

I‘m not Catholic, but I grew up in an area that was VERY Catholic, so I was familiar with the basics of modern day Catholicism. What Agata goes through to avoid being used in the financial plans of her family, and the plotting of the church, is astounding. I enjoyed watching her grow even while cloistered, and learning the many reasons one might become a nun at that time. Well done, though the ending was a bit abrupt for me.
#nunlitquarterly

Librarybelle I‘m enjoying this so far! 7mo
Aimeesue @Librarybelle It‘s so well done! 7mo
See All 11 Comments
quietjenn I am very far behind, but everyone's comments are making me excited to make time for it. 7mo
batsy Great review! I haven't started and hope to squeeze it in this month. The reviews all make it sound intriguing. 7mo
jlhammar Fantastic review! Agree about the ending. It never fails to shock and sadden me just how little agency women had over their own lives. 7mo
Aimeesue @quietjenn It‘s funny, for a novel that has the MC basically trapped in a convent for most of the book, it was very compelling. 7mo
Aimeesue @batsy I enjoyed it very much, hope you do, too! (edited) 7mo
Aimeesue @jlhammar It was just over so fast! 7mo
Aimeesue @rubyslippersreads I hope you like it, 7mo
38 likes11 comments
review
marleed
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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Pickpick

I‘m thrilled this book came to my attention through #NunLitQuarterly and soon become immersed in Agata‘s world. I‘ll never make my peace with the power the Catholic Church gives to families of wealth, nor the amount of young girls rehomed to convents - but gosh it makes for an interesting read. I believe this was my first translated novel of 2024! I was also intrigued with Agata‘s 1840 fascination with the P&P Bennet sisters.

jlhammar I agree, so interesting! Glad you enjoyed it. 7mo
Aimeesue Nice review! I was stunned at the power wealthy families had (have?) within the church. Mind boggling. 7mo
marleed @Aimeesue Unfortunately, have remains the tense, and it‘s true of so many churches, clubs, charities… 7mo
64 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
jlhammar
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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Pickpick

I ended up enjoying our April #NunLitQuarterly pick quite a bit. Rich in historical detail. Lots of inner turmoil for our young heroine. A good deal of drama yet filled with quiet, reflective moments. I think it was meant to be a happy ending, but I was left feeling concerned about how things might play out—hopefully just lots of romance and reading.

Deblovestoread Definitely how I envisioned the ending. It‘s good to HAE once in awhile 💜 7mo
62 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
kspenmoll
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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1839, Messina, Italy. Immersed in this world this morning.#nunlit #porchlife

jlhammar Enjoy! Just finished last night. Need to gather my thoughts for a review. 7mo
slategreyskies I probably shouldn‘t admit this, but at first glance, I thought that jar of shells was a frozen coffee. I was like, “Wow, that‘s a huge drink!” And then my eyes focused… haha 😂 7mo
kspenmoll @slategreyskies Well that is about what I drink in a day- a tanks worth! 😂 7mo
51 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
jlhammar
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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“she prayed and worked on a paperole that was meant to have a gleaming white consecrated host at its center.”

The art of paperole has been mentioned a few times. Had to go searching for some images. Found this beautiful example.

#NunLitQuarterly

Deblovestoread Beautiful 💜 7mo
Centique Isnt that gorgeous! 7mo
batsy Wow! 7mo
Tamra That has to require extraordinary patience! 7mo
Aimeesue Oh, it‘s mostly quilling! I did wonder. 7mo
45 likes5 comments
quote
jlhammar
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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“She opened the package—it was another novel, The Monk. The title made her smile…She leafed through it, as she always did. Every book has its own identity and characteristics, and Agata had a ritual that she followed in order to get to know and love a book…and only then did she pick up the paper knife. She put the little uneven tabs of paper that ripped off as she cut the pages into her mouth, as if they were communion wafers.”

#NunLitQuarterly

jlhammar I thought this was a great passage. Love that Agata has such a passion for books and reading. 7mo
batsy Nice quote. Especially the shoutout to The Monk, which I've been meaning to read! I haven't started yet and might not be able to this month, but I'll try to squeeze it in early May 🤞🏾 7mo
jlhammar @batsy No worries! I don‘t know where this month has gone. Look forward to your thoughts if/when you give it a try. 7mo
Aimeesue I laughed at him sending her The Monk. It‘s so depraved! Just was a nun needs! 😂 7mo
39 likes4 comments
review
Deblovestoread
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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Pickpick

Finished this last night for #NunLit. Look forward to the discussion because I think I missed something big somehow. I really liked the first half or so and then it lagged a bit for me. 4 🌟

jlhammar I‘m only up to page 85. Enjoying Agata‘s love of reading. 7mo
43 likes1 comment
blurb
Deblovestoread
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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“The tender morning sunshine sifted down through the skylight, filling the room below and highlighting the pink marble of the Baroque staircase.”

I am loving our April #NunLit book so far.

#FirstLineFridays

@ShyBookOwl

jlhammar Good to hear! Planning to spend some time with this one tomorrow. 7mo
48 likes1 comment
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Deblovestoread
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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1) The tagged book for #NunLit, All Over Creation for #AuthorAMonth and Zorrie for #SundayBuddyRead

2) sort of a pre order of The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo from BOTM

Come and play everyone!

@TheSpineView

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LitsyEvents
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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Repost for @jlhammar

#NunLitQuarterly 🔔 April 2024 reminder 🔔

Ciao Sisters!

Our next selection, The Nun by Simonetta Agnello Hornby, takes us to 19th century Italy. Read the book sometime in April, post your review &/or any thoughts along the way and be sure to tag the group.

All are welcome!

35 likes1 comment
blurb
jlhammar
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
post image

#NunLitQuarterly 🔔 April 2024 reminder 🔔

Ciao Sisters!

Our next selection, The Nun by Simonetta Agnello Hornby, takes us to 19th century Italy. Read the book sometime in April, post your review &/or any thoughts along the way and be sure to tag the group.

All are welcome!

Librarybelle I was just thinking about this today! Getting my copy now! 8mo
batsy Thanks for the reminder! 8mo
See All 7 Comments
quietjenn FYI, looks like the Kindle version is on sale at the moment! 8mo
Cathythoughts Every time I see these Nun lit posts , I have to smile to myself 😁 8mo
Suet624 Thank you for reminding us! 8mo
rubyslippersreads It‘s also available on Hoopla, if anyone one has that through their library. 8mo
55 likes7 comments
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jlhammar
The Nun | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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#NunLitQuarterly 🗳 QUARTER 2 VOTING 🗳

Perpetual Reading Sisters of Litsy, please cast your vote for our second read of 2024. Which of these would you most like to read in April?

Librarybelle I‘ll choose The Nun 13mo
KathyWheeler When in Rome 13mo
Deblovestoread The Nun 13mo
See All 13 Comments
rubyslippersreads The Nun 13mo
marleed When in Rome 13mo
JamieArc When in Rome is on my list to read to that one has my vote! 13mo
Aimeesue The Nun because Europa. I‘m totally biased! 13mo
quietjenn A tough one, but I think I'll go with The Nun. 13mo
jlhammar @Singout Excited you‘ll be reading with us, Sarah! Feel free to cast your vote here for our April pick. 13mo
Singout Thank you! I‘ll pick When in Rome. 13mo
batsy Ooh Europa! Plus it sounds so good. My pick is The Nun. 13mo
kspenmoll Both, but I will go with The Nun 13mo
jlhammar Voting is now closed - our winner for April is The Nun. 13mo
37 likes13 comments
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La_Cori
La monaca | Simonetta Agnello Hornby
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1. La monaca by Simonetta Agnello Hornby and Journey to the Center of the Earth

2. Captain Marvel in theatre last week;
Spiderman: into the Spider-Verse last night at home (loved it!! 🕸🖤)

3. Tea or milk

@rachelsbrittain #weekendreads