Five for Sorrow Ten for Joy: A Virago Modern Classic

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BY THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BLACK NARCISSUS AND THE RIVER

'One of our best and most captivating novelists' PHILIP HENSHER

'Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy is about growth, choice, struggle, and the freedom of the soul' JOAN CHITTISTER

'[Godden's] distinctive, poised and unsentimental books have never lost a shred of their almost hypnotic appeal' ROSIE THOMAS, GUARDIAN

The Sisters of Bethanie, a French order of Dominican nuns, dedicate themselves to caring for the outcasts of society - criminals, prostitutes and drug addicts. Lise, an English girl who after the liberation of Paris was employed in one of the city's smartest brothels and rose to become a successful madame, finds herself joining the sisters. An inspiring and entirely convincing conversion story that shows how the mercy of God extends to the darkest human places.

Master storyteller, Rumer Godden, weaves a deeply moving tale of Lise's prison sentence, her conversion and the agonising work among women whose traumatic experiences often outstrip even her own.

Reviews

[Godden's] distinctive, poised and unsentimental books have never lost a shred of their almost hypnotic appeal -- Rosie Thomas * Guardian *
One of our best and most captivating novelists -- Philip Hensher
[Godden has] a genius for storytelling * Evening Standard *
Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy is about growth, choice, struggle, and the freedom of the soul that transcends the license of the body. It is about finding sin where we least expect it -- Joan Chittister
Godden reaffirms her own faith in the convent joys: the beloved demands of the religious calendar; the simplicity and hard work of the day-to-day regimens * Kirkus Reviews *
All [Godden's novels] have one important thing in common: They are beautifully and simply wrought by a woman of depth and sensitivity * Los Angeles Times *

Author Bio

Rumer Godden (1907-1998) was the acclaimed author of over sixty works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Born in England, she and her siblings grew up in Narayanganj, India, and she later spent many years living in Kolkata and Kashmir. Several of her novels were made into films, including Black Narcissus, The Greengage Summer and The River, which was filmed by Jean Renoir. She was appointed OBE in 1993.