This was such an unexpected surprise! I enjoyed the writing style a lot and felt a kindred connection with Sister Monica Clare. Her story is a difficult one, but inspiring and so full of hope. The beginning was a little slow to get through, but I'm so glad I stuck with it because hearing her journey was absolutely worth it.

An engaging premise—a former photo editor leaving behind her marriage and career to join a convent—paired with an approachable, often funny tone. The memoir shines most in the small, lived-in moments: awkward silences that become friendship, the joy of changing a long-standing policy, a rogue turkey in the garden.

Still, the narrative sometimes slips into neat resolutions where more complexity could have deepened the story. As a reader drawn to accounts of radical life shifts, I wanted more interrogation of faith, power, and community beyond the anecdotes. That said, Sister Monica’s reflections on resisting capitalism and finding meaning in connection offer moments of warmth that will resonate with many.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The description of this book is misleading. While some lead up is needed, the actual time in the convent is half the book, with the exploration of her childhood and her working to raise enough money to pay off debts and enter the convent takes up just as much time. The various issues she had to work through to get there were interesting and I commend her for following her calling but this was also described as hilarious and as someone who had been in improv and worked as a writer, I was disappointed to find this was a dry retelling of her life; there was barely any emotion other than the self-esteem issues that she had but even those were just mentioned with no further exploration. The convent she joined discouraged speaking of feelings and it shows through in this work. I wanted to be able to connect but it wasn’t there for me.

Oh my goodness, I loved this book so much. Not only did it come along at the perfect time for me to read it, but Sister Monica Clare is now one of my favorite people that I don't personally know -- because she's a content creator on social media. And she's one of my favorite accounts that I follow. Her story resonated so much with me. I'm so glad she chose to share it with the world. If you've ever struggled to slough off the world's influence to become who you know you really are, and struggled with the strength to do what you know you want to do with your life, you've GOT to read this. You won't regret it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

My interview with Sister Monica Clare on Meg’s Reading Room podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/megs-reading-room/id1761060886?i=1000705515373

We meet Claudette as a young kid in the South, with one abusive parent and one who gets abused. She has one older sister, and eventually one younger one. The oldest does the lion’s share of protecting the younger ones, but Claudette has to help with the youngest as well. Sometimes they get split up and sent to stay with grandparents or aunts.

It is with one set of grandparents that Claudette gets her first real taste of spirituality. Her family is technically Baptist, but non-practicing. (Throughout her school years and early adulthood, she’ll visit and try on many religions, including Mormonism!)

Finally, their mom and dad separate. They still fear their dad coming back, but they get a step-dad who’s not an abuser. It does rub her the wrong way that he’s trying to act like her dad, because she feels like she’s never had one, but still… he and their mom work hard to send the girls to college and give them opportunities they seek out.

For Claudette, that means moving to NYC to attend drama school! A big change, and in the wild eighties no less. To make ends meet while there, she becomes a nanny for a wealthy family who has connections in the entertainment business. When they move to L.A., she moves with them.

As she grows into adulthood, she performs with The Groundlings. But she always feels a little behind, as she sees friends like Cheri Oteri get cast on SNL, while she’s still not even in the Groundlings’ main company.

Since she was a young girl, she’s been fascinated by nuns. But, she’s never been super keen on becoming Catholic. When she learns that Episcopalians also have nuns, she decides to learn more.

She works in marketing. She even gets married, albeit to a person she has no real physical connection with. His mom, convinced she’s after his money, continues trying to set him up with other women – AFTER HE’S MARRIED. Yikes.

Claudette has some debts to pay off before she can join a convent, but she still feels called. This woman works HARD, and spends literally years getting her debt down to zero, so she can follow her calling. She is nervous that people will think she’s crazy… but both her mom and her boss are excited for her. Even her gay bestie from her school days is willing to help her drive her stuff across the country to stash it at her mom’s. This is possibly one of my favorite parts – the idea that everyone is on board to help her achieve this dream.

The last portion of the book details her life in the convent, in the many different levels of becoming a life-professed nun. I loved this part just as much as the rest, but it may not be for everyone. Suffice it to say, her anxieties and thoughts about her own self-worth don’t change overnight just because she joins the convent. She doesn’t always get along perfectly with every sister. But she loves it, and still feels it’s where she needs to be.

(Also, in case you don’t know… nuns often pick a Saint’s name when they take their vows. Which is why the author’s name is our main character’s new name.)

This book has everything! I mean… show biz, comedy, and spirituality. A woman getting out from her rough childhood and following her dreams… several of them, since the first ones didn’t turn out as planned. It’s a great read, if you’re interested in any of these topics.

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!!

I'm not a religious person but I find myself drawn to non-fiction stories like this that are so different from my own lived experience they almost feel fictional. The story was surprisingly delightful and deeply human. Sister Monica Clare tells her story with humor, honesty, and a reverence that never veers into preachiness. This isn’t just a story about becoming a nun—it’s about choosing purpose, finding unexpected joy, and holding space for complexity. A gentle, hopeful book for these weird times.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this memoir by Sister Monica Clare. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Claudette Powell's childhood was tough, filled with abuse, addiction, and neglect by those charged with caring for her. But even from an early age, she felt a religious calling to be a nun. She went out into the secular world, was married and divorced, worked in advertising and comedy, and still felt that pull. She found the Episcopalian church and a group of nuns living in a religious order that she longed to join. It took much perseverance to clear all her debts and be accepted, and still her childhood issues and low self-esteem threatened.

This is a powerful and inspiring book of a strong woman who stuck to her calling and found the perfect home. She even pushed to get training to become a priest as well as mother superior in her order. It's a fascinating look into both religious life and personal fortitude. Loved the pictures as well.

I really wanted to like this memoir of a woman finding her life calling as an episcopal nun, but I just didn't connect with the main character. I think one of the things that I was most interested in is the part of the description on the cover of the book that she gave up her marriage to pursue this calling when the way she tells the story the marriage would have ended either way it wasn't even the last obstacle to her joining the convent. I found some parts of the book moved at a good pace, but some parts were really too slow and bogged me down. I was interested to see some of the inner workings of the convent that she joins and the later part of the book was definitely most enjoyable, but I wouldn't return to this.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a good and really interesting memoir of a woman who gave up everything to become an Episcopalian Nun [a calling she'd had since childhood; a childhood fraught with pain, abuse, and poverty], and how that commitment changed her and ultimately, everyone around her.

Filled with straight-forward storytelling and littered with twisted humor [the Sister is very funny, and often is self-deprecating, in the "Chandler Bing" sort of style. The humor was very welcome especially after some of the tear-filled parts], this was a really great read and really encouraged me overall. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sister Monica Clare, and Crown Publishing/Crown for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sister Monica Clare's heartfelt memoir about becoming a nun really speaks to you. The book manages to talk about faith and God in a relatable manner that manages not to be preachy at all. She doesn't try to sway anyone to choose her faith or preach as to how it is better than others. Her writing voice is fresh and engaging and kudos to those who realized her potential as a writer.

As someone who isn’t deeply religious, I wasn’t sure what to expect from A Change of Habit—but what I found was a compelling and deeply human story that transcends any one faith or lifestyle. Sister Monica Clare’s journey toward becoming an Episcopal nun is not only fascinating, it’s a moving testament to the universal search for purpose, meaning, and ultimately, happiness.

What makes this memoir resonate is how honestly and openly Sister Monica shares her path. Her voice is both accessible and grounded, making it easy to connect with her as she navigates questions of identity, career, love, and faith. Even for those unfamiliar with religious life, her story offers insight into what it means to truly listen to one’s inner calling—whatever form that might take.

Reading this book reminded me of why I read in the first place: to expand my understanding, deepen my empathy, and engage with lives that are different from my own. A Change of Habit does all of that, while gently challenging assumptions and offering a unique window into a life rooted in service and reflection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

What an interesting read! I loved looking into the life of the nunnery, with its spoken and unspoken rules. It was interesting how one courageous and late blooming nin was able to make such positive and life altering positive changes

It is always so interesting to read about the life and faith journeys of others. This one is especially interesting as the author finds herself going from comedy to a convent. It is a slowly moving character focussed story that is written in a very straight forward way and so if you need flowery, emotional prose you may find it a little bit lacking but if you are looking for a love story of a different kind you may enjoy it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts

3.5 stars rounded up! This was an interesting peek into the life of a nun. I definitely found the second half and even the last quarter most interesting. The pacing was a bit choppy, but there was enough good that I’m glad I read this one!

Thank you so much to the author, Crown and Net Galley for the eARC!

This is a powerful memior following Sister Monica Clare through her traumatic childhood, difficult young adult life, and to her reaching her true life's purpose by entering the sisterhood. It is an inspiring tale even reading as someone who has left religion. This is a vulnerable tale and doesn't hold back on the situations, feelings, and reflections being told. The audiobook is easy to follow and understand. Overall, I feel like I don't have much to say, but just to highly encourage readers to pick this up! Look at the trigger warnings just in case.

An engaging thoughtful memoir. Sister Monica Clare has lived an interesting life-and not an easy one but she's determined, resilient, and committed to her faith. We don't often read about Episcopal nuns so this was also enlightening, This is imbued with humor and good vibes, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

A beautiful, vulnerable read. Coming from the most unlikely circumstances for becoming a nun, Sister Monica Clare tells her story of God’s call for her to become a nun. A beautiful story of faith and obedience.

This memoir is so unique and heartfelt. For me, I was so fascinated I couldn't put this book down ! Sister Monica came from such a sad , poor, and violent background. Even unexpectedly learning compassion for Clyde, whom she could never call Dad. I don't blame her. Instead, I am impressed and inspired by Sister Monica's life story. I love how God kept finding a way into her heart and calling her to Himself, but slowly and gently. Her triumphs over poverty, lack of religious guidance, lack of responsible parents, and lack of support, just make this an astonishing story.

Her life of becoming an Episcopalian nun was interesting for me since I am Roman Catholic, from the cradle. I didn't agree with some things , especially when she and another sister wanted to be able to go to church on Sundays, and were refused the priviledge for years. In my Catholic church, I am a daily communicant as much as I can. We have Mass available every day of our lives if we want it, with Communion ! The real presence of Christ , every day. So I was sad for her.

I was fascinated to read all about Sister Monica's life ministering in New York City to poor and homeless people at St Mary's. She lived a challenging life there similar to Mother Theresa, for awhile. Particularly poignant was the story she told of her struggles to accept all the homeless and her occassional fears for her safety, until one day, the Lord opened her heart in a unique way. Suddenly she saw them all as the small children they once were, needing her help. Her heart bloomed with love and compassion for them. Her response invigorated me. It was in these years that the Lord broke open her heart to forgive and have new found compassion for the struggles of Clyde. She realized his humanity. That was really powerful.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. God works in mysterious ways. This book uplifted me and made me feel more hopeful about God's actions in my own life. I went on a vocation retreat to Cullman, AL to a beautiful Benedictine convent when I was 22. I realized my desire to be a mother was much stronger. God did call me to become a teacher, and mother. I am now retired after a 35 year career in public schools. This book will encourage people to pray more for God's will to be made known in their life.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC before publication in exchange for an honest review.