In this House of Brede

[large quote] 'People think we renounce the world. We don't. We renounce its ways but we are still very much in it and it is very much in us'

Pax is the motto of Brede Abbey - but it is not an easy peace. Into this enclosed order of Benedictine nuns arrives independent, sophisticated Philippa Talbot, who has left behind a successful career for a new calling. In this small community of fewer than one hundred women, she soon discovers all the human frailties: jealousy, love, despair. But each crisis of heart and conscience is guided by the compassion of the Abbess, and by the Sisters' shared bond of faith and ritual. Away from the world, and yet at one with it, Philippa must master her ambition and make peace with the terrible tragedy in her past.

'Rumer Godden's novels have a timeless shimmer' GUARDIAN

'Godden's novels still pulse with life' TELEGRAPH

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