Altar Music: A Novel

The Story

Christin Lore Weber, a former nun, explores the nature and power of sexual, religious, and artistic passion in an exquisitely written tale of three generations of women and their inner battles to reconcile personal longings and the moral dictates of the Catholic church. Set in the wild region of northern Minnesota, Altar Music begins with the story of Meghan, who believes that a family tragedy is God's punishment for her sexual indulgence. Her daughter, Kate, is so fearful of God's power that she steels herself against any deep emotion or attachment. A musical prodigy and fervent Catholic, Kate's daughter Elise forsakes her music for the religious life. During her sojourn in a convent, Elise discovers both the transcendental beauty of the church and the harsh costs its repression exacts.In a lyrical, unflinching portrayal, Weber takes readers into the mysterious, cloistered world she experienced for fourteen years as a nun.