Habits and Other Hazards: memoir/commentary

At seven years old, Carolyn Catesby was recruited into a Catholic Juniorate and placed on a path toward religious life long before she was old enough to understand the consequences. What follows is not a tale of saints and sinners, but a vivid cast of unforgettable characters: Venezia, a mother who never seemed comfortable in the role; Mother Attila, the formidable Provincial recruiter; Mother Katrina, whose warmth coexisted with unquestioning loyalty to Lucian rules; La Salette, feared by many but understood by few; Sister Verona, the persuasive aunt with an eye for vocations; and a colorful family determined to shape Carolyn's future. Set against the backdrop of postwar America and the dramatic changes of Vatican II, Habits and Other Hazards chronicles a world of convent politics, family expectations, childhood faith, unintended comedy, and institutional contradictions. By turns funny, heartbreaking, and sharply observed, this memoir explores what happens when a child grows up inside a system that expects obedience but cannot extinguish curiosity. Filled with humor, memorable personalities, and surprising tenderness, Habits and Other Hazards is ultimately the story of five girls, the women they became, and the lives they reclaimed. -Carolyn Catesby, Habits and Other Hazards