This memoir is the story of Sister Annabel Laity, also known as True Virtue, a British woman who became ordained as a Buddhist nun and has trained with Thich Nhat Hanh.

Born in rural England, her journey takes her all over the world, and it is interesting to hear about the lessons she learns and people she meets along the way.

Laity is vert relatable and mentions her own struggles with meditation, which is reassuring for the layperson trying to practice on their own . Overall, the story was insightful and inspirational, though the writing was a bit drier than the memoirs I typically read.

I was curious to learn more about the monastic life and Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village community. This book definitely delivered, but I think it was a little much for me. As promised in the blurb, Sister Annabel Laity (aka True Virtue) openly shares the ups and downs of her lifelong search for spiritual community. I give her credit for writing such an honest, self-aware autobiography, but for me, it was too long, too detailed, and didn’t hold my interest. I found myself skimming, which I almost never do.

There were glimpses of the author’s dry sense of humor that I appreciated: “You could say that my ability to focus was outstanding, but perhaps I also was sometimes neglectful of my body’s messages.” I found some of her expressions charming; she often refers to things that “watered seeds of joy in me.”

I recommend reading the sample to see how well you like the author’s writing style. If you’re a patient reader who is curious about spiritual journeys and the monastic life, this might appeal to you.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

I am always fascinated by the lives of people who “sacrifice much” of what we ordinary folks regard as important or even crucial in our lives in their pursuit of spiritual growth and fulfillment. Here, Sister Annabel Laity writes of her journey towards becoming a Buddhist nun. The book is well-written , insightful and even inspiring. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this story of Sister Annabel (True Virtue) as she recounts her path to becoming a Buddhist nun. I was born around the same time as her and my family often took vacations in Cornwall and Devon so I could relate to her stories of the beautiful countryside there. But there it stopped because I wasn’t a young woman seeking enlightenment. I loved the author’s conversational style of writing and I loved that she presented herself flaws and all. Thank you Sister Annabel for sharing your journey with us
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book for obvious reasons
1. I knew nothing about the author, so this felt like fiction to me.
2. I didn't feel obligated to love the story just because I liked the author.
3. The writing was very clean and relatable that I loved every bit of it.

Having said that, few parts felt dragged a bit too long. Read this for a good story. Read this book a good narration.

Thank God/Goddess for people like Thích Nhất Hạnh and their trusty sidekicks like Sister Annabel. Hard working, humble, committed, dedicated, caring for others, but still vulnerable, aware of their "failings" and out-there making fascinating stories of their lives. My hope is that by reading books like Annabel's some of their good karma might rub off on me - a lazy, self centred bumble-brain (relatively speaking). I mean, who wouldn't like to have someone inspiring to follow, rules to abide by, privation and discomfort?
So, if you're like me, and love the idea of the monastic life (except for all of the above) then read Annabel's book and live it vicariously. A tale simply told in chronological order, fun and interesting to read. Could have been edited down by about a quarter, and I would have liked a few more miracles or amazing visions or something, but no doubt that's just my failing, looking for a bit more Hollywood on the way to enlightenment.

True Virtue is a interesting story of the life of Sister Annabel Laity and becoming a Buddhist. A very interesting life and some great stories.