Sister Teresa

I just finished Sister Teresa by Barbara Mujica. And before I return this worthwhile read to my local librarians with an apology letter and a box of chocolates for being heinously late, let me share a line or two that gripped me. Here, Sister Angelica, through whom the author shares Teresa's story, writes about music:

"I loved the harmonies, the voices raised in exaltation, not because they made me feel one with God, but simply because they were beautiful. But who knows, maybe that was God's way of calling me to Him. He made me love music. And because I loved music, I sang. And because I sang, I prayed. And praying, I felt his presence."

Mujica displays such literary mastery throughout this rich biopic of one of the 16th Century's leading Mystics and Saints. At times I teetered on closing the book for good when Mujica's depiction of certain religious' human failings threatened to wander into sensationalism. I trudged on, however, and am happy to report that all such scenarios were in line with the needs of the narrative. I give it a B; B for beautiful; B for boring; B for beautiful beyond boring.