Life in the key of G

Teacher and writer Quinn's (The Night Child, 2018) evocative second novel follows fledgling nun Angeline, who hesitantly journeys to the Pacific Northwest when her Chicago convent closes. Accustomed to secluded life in a walled cloister, she struggles to adapt her perceived calling to silent prayer in the progressive Light of the Sea convent on Beckett Island and clings to familiar conventions (wearing a habit, using "Sister"). Despite welcoming overtures from the other nuns, Angeline is tormented by haunting memories of her family and miscarried child, all killed in a car accident. As she grapples with her own losses, she recognizes others in her community who are similarly bereaved and begins to minister to them. Angeline's new sisters encourage and challenge her as she contends with doubt and self-punishment while overcoming the effects of childhood bullying. Together, they face increasingly sinister threats to the convent that could derail their efforts. This immersive tale will resonate with fans of Alice Sebold and readers who appreciate compelling characters and lyrical writing.

Quinn follows up The Night Child with a melodramatic account of a miracle-worker nun who must adjust to a new convent. In 2015, after 24-year-old Sister Angeline's cloistered Chicago convent shuts down, she finds a place at the Light of the Sea, on an island off the coast of Washington State. There, the radical sisters run their own services in defiance of the local parish. Angeline, who hopes her monastic life will atone for the guilt she harbors over an accident that killed her parents, younger brother, and unborn child, struggles to fit in with the motley group. Among them are a Muslim woman hiding from death threats by the Iraqi government, a free-spirited artist, and a woman who took a vow of silence after her son was killed. Angeline has a history of having her prayers miraculously answered, but she runs into resistance after she reports suspicions of a neighboring young girl's abuse by her father. She then hears a voice from a statue of St. Francis, encouraging her not to fear her rage as troubling discoveries are made at the convent, such as a dead squirrel left in the mailbox. Though Angeline's interior struggles are nicely portrayed, most of the crises she faces are too quickly resolved and her healing powers remain too mysterious. This one disappoints. Agent: Gordon Wamock, Fuse Literary Agency. (Mar.)