I Leap Over the Wall

First published in 1949, one woman's memoir of nearly three decades in a convent, and her readjustment to the contemporary world

At the age of 21, Monica Baldwin entered one of the oldest and most strictly enclosed contemplative orders of the Roman Catholic Church. At the age of 48, and after struggling with her vocation for many years, she obtained a special rescript from Rome and left the convent. But the world Monica had known and forsaken in 1914 was very different to the world into which she emerged at the height of World War II. This is the fascinating account of one woman’s two very different lives, with revealing descriptions of the world of a novice, the duties of a nun’s day, and the spiritual aspects of convent life. Interwoven with these are the trials and tribulations of coping with a new and alien world, as the author is confronted with fashions, interventions, politics, and art totally unfamiliar to her. Written in the post-war years, this reissue is as fresh and engaging today as it ever was. Humour, intelligence, an endearing humility, and a searing honesty all characterize this remarkable classic, giving readers both a glimpse into a hidden world and a unique view on one more familiar.

Monica Baldwin (1893—1975) was the niece of former UK Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin who lived as a nun for 28 years before deciding to return to a normal life. She is the author ofThe Called and the Chosen and Goose in the Jungle: A Flight Round the World with Digressions.