This novel, In This House of Brede, written by the English novelist and Catholic convert, Rumer Godden, published in 1969, is set in a Benedictine Abbey (Brede) in northern England. A widow and successful career woman, Philippa Talbot, decides to quit her secular job and become a Benedictine nun at Brede Abbey. Let me provide chapter by chapter summaries, but spoiler alert: don’t read this if you don’t want to know before a first read. After the summaries I will provide thoughts on the novel’s structure and themes.
Chapter Summaries:
Preface:
1953. Philippa’s last day at her job and the background of her career as a “controller.” She’s 42 years old. Enters Abbey on Jan 1, 1954.
Chapter
1:
1957, Oct. History and nature of Brede Abbey. Four years after Philippa entered, now 46. Abbess Hester stricken. Backstory of Abbess Hester and Sister Julian. Philippa and Julian compared. Both are in the fourth year of their novitiate. Money motif; missionary motif; modernity motif. Julian’s brother John. Backstory of Julian not taking solemn vows, leads to Abbess Hester’s stroke. Dame Veronica as cellar.
Chapter
2:
1957, Oct. Abbess Hester dies. Dame Veronica’s paralysis over her sin and guilt. Abbess Hester’s funeral. Discussion of the coming election. Sister Cecily backstory. Other postulants. Central theme stated: Not what thou art but what thou wouldst be (Loc 1192); When you become God’s in the measure He wants, He, Himself, will know how to bestow you on others (Loc 1266). Dame Emily to hospital.
Chapter
3:
1957, Nov. Dame Emily sick. Dom Gervase backstory – beaten by a gang of boys. Sister Julian leaves, Dame Perpetua as Prioress; expected Abbess. Chaos without Abbess. Central theme expressed by Pilippa: “I wasn’t a full person” (Loc 1457). Philippa sleepless and in turmoil, longing for Keith. Can she remain and become fully professed? Struggle. Dame Catherine consoles her. Vote for Abbess is held. Dame Catherine selected.
Chapter
4:
1957, Nov. More history of Brede, thru the 13 Abbesses. Movement from England to France and back to England thru the storms of history, Protestant Reformation, French Revolution. The values and norms of the Benedictine Order thru Novitiate formation: Enclosure, Self-Effacement, Poverty, Chastity, Stability, Obedience; paradox of giving completely leads one to finding. Dame Catherine takes on responsibility as Abbess; struggles emotionally. Catherine’s backstory of religious conversion, of her brother Mark who is now a bishop.
Chapter
5:
1957, Dec. Life at monastery thru the seasons, beautifully written section. Abbess Catherine finding her voice. Philippa’s backstory to being received for temporary promise; learning to sing with Dame Maura and Cecily, highlighting Cecily’s musical abilities; Learning Latin under Dame Agnes; hostility from Agnes. More backstory to Philippa’s life; connections to outside world. Christmas at the Abbey; Cecily and her mother; Cecily and Dame Maura at the organ. Catherine’s formal enthronement as Abbess.
Chapter
6
1958, Jan. Novitiates at work and talk. Sister Cecily considered, special or weak? Abbess Catherine reviews account books; finds great negative balance due to Abbess Hester’s “stone disease.” Dame Veronica failure as Cellarer; the note of a “sinking fund” comes out. Money box missing 100 pounds; Dame Veronica lies about it; refuses to explain. Philippa going through mail finds a letter from famous sculptor, Duranksi, of plans with Abbess Hester for Apse and Altar. Contrast: Dame Veronica writing light poetry with Dame Agnes writing scholarly book on Holy Cross. Dame Agnes 15 years of scholarship. Dame Veronica tells about Abbess Hester’s commission of sculptures. Backstory on commission. But now they can’t pay for it because Sister Julian left the monastery. Dame Veronica overdoses and nearly dies. When she recovers admits she had stolen from the money box for her criminal brother. Backstory to Veronica’s life.
Chapter
7
1958, Jan. Abbess Catherine methodically looks for solutions to financial crises. She holds distribution of new offices. Theme mentioned of changing outside world (Loc 3372). Abbess Catherine finds outlet for Dame Veronica to make satisfaction and pay debt. Abbess Catherine holds Chapter of Faults. Philippa analyzes accounts and suggests only solution is to sell monastery lands to pay off debt. Rejected by Dame Agnes, the only no vote. Dame Agnes insists it would violate the stability and enclosure of the monastery. But the vote is to sell. Later at a visit, McTurk agrees with Dame Agnes. Philippa feels terrible and contrite over her suggestion.
Chapter
8
1958, Jan – Apr. Stefan Duranski arrives. Dame Emily returns from hospital. Abbess Catherine is nearly 50 years old. (Phillipa is around 47, both nearly same age.) Exposition on the artwork and placement. First part of the work will take up to Easter, displacing the church; second part after Easter. Duranski and his men work while Nuns carry on. Duranski carves Lady of Peace from an old trough. Work has an act of “creating” coordinating with theme of “becoming” (Loc 3727). The statue seemed to “emerge naturally from the stone (Loc 3749). “Like us” says Sister Constance (Loc 3759). Discussion of clothing of sisters Hilary and Cecily. More backstory to Cecily; flashback to decision to join monastic life. Discussion on monastic life. Hilary’s clothing; flashback to Philippa’s clothing and first profession. Sister Cecily bursts onto Abbess to plead to be clothed; Abbess allows it; Cecily clothed. Modernity theme again.
Chapter
9
1958, April. Duranski is back carving the sculptures. The monastery pairs down expenses to save money to pay for the sculptures. Abbess becomes friends with Duranski. Grows in her responsibility as Abbess. Larry comes to visit Cecily to persuade her to marry him; more of Cecily’s backstory. Abbess Catherine at her work. The transfer of the cross piece to Abbess’ room. Cracks and hidden jewel pops out, solving their money problem. Philippa presents her dowry, also pays for the altar piece.
Chapter
10
1958, June. Monastery finds itself richer. Philippa makes solemn profession; theme of becoming: “simply grow” (Loc 4634). Penny Stevens visits Philippa with her crises. Bird imagery, motif: lark in the sky. Penny to have a baby but won’t tell Donald since he doesn’t want children; says she wants to abort; Philippa dissuades her. Donald comes to see Philippa; Penny had the abortion but is bleeding and needs emergency surgery. Philippa has monastery pray for Penny. “You can do nothing yourself, but you can make yourself an instrument through which strength can flow,” Abbess Catherine says. Kate farren becomes a postulant; her mother was Philippa’s nanny for Keith. Philippa needs to avoid Kate who is now Sr. Pollycarp.
Chapter
11
1958, Oct. Death of Pope Pius XII. Motif of modernism vs, tradition. Pope John XXIII selected. A sense of the modern is felt. Japanese Mr. Konishi wants to send Japanese young women to become nuns with the hope of returning to Japan to start a Benedictine monastery. Five postulants will be coming. Backstory on Mr. Konishi. Philippa as sacristan; exposition on duties of sacristan. Theme of becoming: “I am advancing” (Loc 5192). Nuns trying to learn about Japan. Backstory on five Japanese postulants. Philippa knows Japanese. Exposition on self-mortification “discipline.”
Chapter
12
1959, Lent (March?). Abbess summons Philippa, desires that Philippa be appointed zelatrix for Japanese postulants. Philippa begs no because she would then also have to zelatrix to Sr. Pollycarp. Backstory on Sr. Pollycarp’s personality and her clothing and on her family. Philippa has to tell story of Keith’s death; started with a small nugget of gold (possible connection between ruby an nugget?). Philippa working in Washington went to California with Keith & Mrs. Farren (Sr. Polly’s mother) as Keith’s nanny. Backstory of Keith’s playing and running into a cave where he fell into a hole and of his horrible, tragic death. Backstory of Philippa’s career relocations: Washington, Tokyo, London.
Chapter
13
1959, Holy Week (Apr?). Holy week events & liturgies; holiest part of the novel. Larry sends Sr. Cecily and Easter card and visits monastery. Abbess learns Japanese postulants won’t be coming for another year. Mr. Konishi expected Philippa to assist with the Japanese postulants. Sr. Polly gets chicken pox and gives it to Philippa. Sr. Polly and Philippa bond in infirmary. After Philippa is over chicken pox, goes to Abbess and volunteers to be zelatrix.
Chapter
14
1961, Jan. Backstory to Japanese postulants. Arriving in May, 1960. Mariko, Sumi, Yoko, Yuri, Kazuko. In Dec Abbess asked them if they wanted to be clothed. Backstory of Yoko: widow. Backstory of Mariko: Konishi’s daughter. Backstory of Sumi: daughter of Konihi’s servants, friends with Mariko. Backstory of Yuri: orphan, nurse. Backstory of Kazuko: sullen, withdrawn, and insecure. Exposition of Japanese postulants living monastery life. Interactions and exchange of customs. Bird metaphor again (Loc 5838). Yuri gave up, not clothed, goes to Japan. Clothing ceremony of postulants. Dame Philippa acknowledged as excellent influence. “The strength of the monastery is that it keeps its traditions,” Abbess Catherine.
Chapter
15
1961, Summer, Christmas, 1962, Lent, Pentecost, Sept, Oct, Nov. Seasons of prayer. McTurk brings two Buddhist monks to monastery. Exposition of Christmas feast days. Exposition on Lenten practices. Dame Maura attracted to Cecily’s face. Exposition on feasts, Pentecost. Dame Veronica’s mother & brother Paul visit. Dame Veronica prideful as published poet. Dame Agnes unable to publish her book, humbled. Philippa advices Penny who is expecting another baby but Donald has lost his job. Bird imagery: Sept swallows. Feast of Christ the King. Dame Thecla’s brother, an Ethiopian priest celebrates Christ the King Mass. All Saints and Souls Days practices. Dame Maura’s praise of Cecliy’s voice. Kazuko finds her charism weaving silk. Backstory to Sr, Kazuko, becomes attached to Dame Colette.
Chapter
16
1962, March/Spring, May. Sr, Cecily asks Abbess to stop her from music, but won’t tell her why. Abbess needs to talk with Dame Maura. Sr. Hilary asks Abbess to look after Cecily. Dame Maura confesses to Abbess about her attraction to Sr. Cecily; tells of kissing Cecily’s scratched arms. Abbess will send Dame Maura to Canada, tells Cecily to be more “bereft.” Battle of the cats; cats have over produced. Need to be brought back to balance. Dame Veronica prideful in her poetry; Abbess needs to bring her down. Backstory to Dame Veronica’s issues. Abbess will not publish her books. Backstory to Dame Agnes not able to publish her book. Sr. Cecily asks to go to another monastery; rejected; Cecily was missing Maura. Penny brings her two children to show Philippa. Philippa has Cecily meet the children; Cecily attracted to baby; now she is unsure if she wants to profess. Backstory to Cecily and Larry. Philippa asks college in Illinois to look at Dame Agnes’ book. College decides to publish it; Dame Agnes is jubilant. Dame Veronica tells Agnes that Philippa was responsible for getting book to the publisher. Agnes thanks Philippa with all her heart. Dame Veronica reprimanded. Dame Emily dying.
Chapter
17
1962, Spring. Mrs. Bannerman comes to monastery to persuade Cecily to leave just before her final profession. Abbess asks Cecily if she would like to return to secular life. Cecily refuses and rejects Mrs. Bannerman. She is sure she wants to profess.
Chapter
18
1962, Oct – 1963, June. Vatican II Council on TV. Modernist motif. Nuns react. Pope John XXIII dies. Nuns form camps of modernist versus traditional. Argument over vernacular versus Latin. Abbess Catherine tries to take middle course. The stability of the monastery is threatened.
Chapter
19
1964 (?)-1968. Japanese novice’s solemn profession. Relatives from Japan flown in. Mr. Konishi bought a site in Japan for a monastery where in a few years they would move to. Cecily and Dame Maura exchange letters. News arrives that Larry Bannerman has married Cecily’s cousin, Jean. Dame Maura returns during Advent. Finds Cecily singing. Dame Cecily now thirty-four years old and settled in.
Chapter
20
1969, June. The monastery in Japan is ready, now five years after Japanese nun’s solemn profession. Dame Colette will be the Abbess there; a contingent of Brede nuns and sisters to go, but not Philippa. Departure set for June 27th. Philippa breathes sigh of relief to return to her own life. Had been selected infirmarian two years now. In those two years Dame Emily underwent her illness; was not dying. Feast of Corpus Christi. Bird (martlet) imagery (Loc 7188); two martlets when Dame Emily dies; Dame Colette suddenly dies as well. Now they will need another Abbess for Japan monastery. Only Philippa is the logical choice, but Dame Philippa needs to freely choose. She struggles with anguishing decision. Dames Agnes and Philippa sit and discuss history of Brede – the gift from Elinor Hartshorn, needed to gift all. Philippa runs to Abbess Catherine.
Envoi
1969,
June. At the airport Penny, Donald, and
McTurk looking for Philippa to pass.
Philippa has chosen to go to Japan and be Abbess. She realizes she may never see the other nuns
again. Sir Richard also shows up at the
airport. They all see each other. Philippa enters the plane and the plane takes
off.
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