- Paperback: 1 pages
- Publisher: Riverhead (TRD) (Jan 11 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1573227226
- ISBN-13: 978-1573227223
- Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 2.3 x 20 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #569,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
A man intrudes on an all but extinct order of pastoral nuns in this intriguing but heavy-handed parable from Australian crime-novelist Day. Sisters Iphigenia, Margarita and Carla live in a ruined monastery on a remote Australian island, tending their only flock: the Agnes sisters, sheep named for nuns who have died. The rhythm of life is seasonal and canonical: washing day, shearing day, Christmas, Lent. It's hard to say what year it is... until Father Ignatius arrives with a cellular phone to assess what he thought was abandoned property. A career churchman, Ignatius wants to turn a profit by transforming the forgotten nunnery into a luxury retreat for businessmen. The story takes a Stephen King turn when the nuns realize that the priest's plans threaten them. Ignatius is drugged with herbal tea, stripped, shaved and plastered up to the waist in a cast. Still, the priest's presence provokes different reactions from each nun, stirring up long-dormant secrets that threaten to tear apart their community. Ignatius himself undergoes something more than a physical transformation as he is forced to reassess the meaning of his mission in the church. Although Day has undeniable storytelling gifts and weaves together an impressive number of storytelling traditions (classical, biblical, Celtic and fairy tale), the novel's rather kitschy setup and often gruesomely graphic feminist symbolism may force even sympathetic readers to share Ignatius's feeling that "There were parts of the story that even he was having trouble swallowing." BOMC, One Spirit Book Club and Quality Paperback Club featured alternate selections; foreign rights sold in the U.K. (Anchor), Australia (Allen & Unwin), Germany (Piper) and the Netherlands (Vassalecci). (Apr.) FYI: Lambs of God has been optioned by Fox 2000, with Winona Ryder as producer and costar.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Within the walls of their remote island monastery, three nuns lead a simple life centered around their flock of sheep. The Catholic church seems to have forgotten their existence. The women shave their heads, wear rough woolen clothes they have knitted themselves, and dine on nettles. One of the nuns, Iphigenia, has a keen sense of smell, and one day her nose tells her a man has arrived on their island. Within a few days, the nuns have taken him captive. He is a priest, yet he is an enemy with big plans to turn their island into a posh resort. Sister Carla, the youngest, has never seen a man before. She becomes fascinated with Father Ignatius, providing some of the book's funniest scenes. After one attempt at running away, the poor man finds his legs encased in plaster. Suspense builds admirably to a somewhat pat yet satisfying ending. Australian author Day has written a quirky spiritual thriller with wide appeal. The film rights have been optioned, with Winona Ryder as producer and costar.?Keddy Ann Outlaw, Harris Cty. P.L., Houston
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ho! Ho! Ho! What a wild ride!,
By
This review is from: Lambs Of God (Paperback)
I loved this quirky novel because it kept surprising me. Like the mysterious convent buried in brambles, the secret lives of these nuns kept unfolding in ways that astonished me and made me laugh out loud. Magical-realism is a tricky genre, but Day certainly managed to dance along quite nicely within its bounds. I couldn't believe the relationship that developed between the nuns & the sheep or between the nuns and the priest. It was wonderfully bizarre and yet somehow very touching. The way Day explores the motif of being exiled from the world, and the way she contrasts this a natural lust to explore, deftly provides much to think about. It's a far-out book that people might not pull in people who want an ordinary plot, but for those readers who enjoy having their minds stretched and their funny bones tickled, this is a memorable book!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful & Unique,
By TXBookLover (San Marcos, TX United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lambs Of God (Paperback)
This is really one of the most wonderful books I've read in the past 5 years. Very original, moving & entertaining. I would recommend it those who are looking for something different, or people who just appreciate good writing. I haven't been impressed with her crime fiction, however.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Getting To Know Ewe,
By Linda Engel (Dundas, MN USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lambs Of God (Paperback)
A delight, smiply put an adult fairytale of the best kind. Rich in folklore and fairytales, but each with a tweak to fit the abby life. The plot was well hidden amongst the tales told. Each character was a gem to be loved for all the grossness they projected. Nuns turned into the images of hags and witches goes against the grain, yet opens a portal that lets us see how a fairytale grows. Ovine life has been captured with briars and nettles and a big dose of humor. Loved it!
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