Publisher's Synopsis
In Gerald O'Donovan's 1921 novel, the local priests compete to acquire girls and their dowries for the church, enjoying their high status in the town. Winnie and Kitty Curtin, the two daughters of the wealthy publican, are being firmly driven towards the Sisters of Mercy by their determined mother. Winnie is in love with Father Burke, and Kitty is uselessly in love with Dr Thornton, but their mother is determined that the convent will have them both. Kitty's furious resistance to becoming a nun is thwarted by a most unattractive suitor, and Winnie's glad embrace of the veil is driven by her secret passion. But the convent does not control the girls completely, and they take charge of their futures. Chrissie Van Mierlo's Introduction explains how O'Donovan's background as a former priest, and as a fervent Irish Nationalist, formed the novel.
