Books like Changing Habits

I do not know where to start this review. I already know I am probably going to get some negative feedback, but I really don't care. I am a 65 year old Catholic. I was raised in the church during the time this book is written about. This explains why this religion is almost a thing of the past. The actions of the church is why I stopped going to church and do not believe anything they preached and pounded into our heads. I firmly believe in God, but not the God that they say condemns anyone who does not live strictly according to words that were written eons ago. The Bible can be translated 10 different ways by 10 different people. The way nuns were treated was just cruel. They were not allowed to speak for the first year (and, yes, I know it depended on the order they joined). They were not allowed to have a meal with anyone, including family, because they were forced to eat in the convent and again in silence. They lived in cells, not rooms. They were forced to admit to the Mother Superior, in front of every other nun, what the Catholic church told them was wrong. These were things that are totally stupid such as if they got upset with another nun REALLY, who can live with others and not get ticked off. Especially when you could only speak for 1 hour a day. They had no freedom. They were not allowed to make any decisions of their own. They were forced to wear clothes that hid their entire bodies and veils that hid what hair they were not forced to cut off. Their hands were to be folded and kept in their sleeves when not being useful. I went to Catholic school and witnessed this for myself. I know it had to do with impure thoughts, but the human body was created by God and I really don't think He meant for it to be hidden away as if it were sinful. Nuns automatically were made to feel as if they were not equal to, but less than a priest. OMG, talk about sexism. What made a priest more important or better? We all know what has happened, and is still happening, with priests. Actions that the Catholic church chose to overlook and allowed these priests to continue with their behavior. This happened in the parish I grew up in. Understand, I am not Condeming all priests. If nuns had done these things you can believe they would have been punished and kicked out in the blink of an eye. Eventually, the Church realized how out of touch they were with reality when the number of women entering the convent dropped dramatically. They were allowed to come out from under the wraps of their clothing to shorter skirts, shorter sleeves, shorter veils and for the first time were allowed to wear their hair in the fashion they choseSome women were so unhappy with this treatment that they left the convent and lived normal lives. They got married and had families. I truly believe that if nuns and priests were allowed to live as everyone else then maybe this religion would not be hurting for new recruits. I know there are probably some points I have forgotten to make, but this book touched me to my soul. I became emotionally attached to the characters because they reminded me so much of the nuns and priests from my school days.Debbie Macomber truly got this story right and I say "Great job".