Overview

An infectiously edifying, not-so-saintly self-help book that dives into the wild, wise, and unconventional lives of 16th- and 17th-century nuns, offering advice for our modern age and proving one thing: no matter the century, nuns know best. When most of us think of nuns, we picture hands clasped in prayer, solemn shuffles down cloistered halls, and that iconic habit silhouette. But what about the nuns who ate spiderwebs, erupted into jealous fights over makeup, or chain-produced manuscripts for extra cash? In reality, these women were no one-dimensional martyrs. 16th- and 17th-century nuns were resourceful, rebellious, and refreshingly relatable--and their lives hold surprising lessons for us today. Convent Wisdom is your guide to navigating everything from patriarchal bureaucracy to an all-consuming friend crush with help from history's most fascinating nuns. Struggling with money? Saint Teresa and her fellow Carmelites have recession-proof advice. Scrolling social media and drowning in FOMO? Mary of Jesus of Ágreda's miraculous ability to engage in bilocation might help you cope. Confounded by a lesbian situationship? The yearnings of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz contain unexpected insights. Blending rigorous research with tongue-in-cheek takeaways and weaving pop culture and personal anecdotes throughout, Brown University scholars and best friends Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita spill the juicy inside scoop on monastic life so you can better conquer today's anxiety-ridden, hyper-connected world. Be it work woes, unholy diets, or crises of the soul, the nuns of Convent Wisdom are here to guide you--with a wink and a prayer.

Full Product Details

9781668065518

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Incendiary stuff. . . . Convent Wisdom is a wormhole into the elaborate, interior museum, sex club, library, bakery, community space and diaspora the convent always was. Carmen and Ana, I thank you mightily for this profoundly useful and pleasure seeking book."" --Eileen Myles, author of Afterglow and Chelsea Girls ""A wonderfully entertaining book which shows us that monasticism is not an anachronism, but rather a deep well from which we can draw guidance and comfort. The lives of the sisters and saints in Convent Wisdom are as relevant today as they were in their own time."" --Sister Monica Clare, author of A Change of Habit ""Cheeky and insightful. . . brimming with fascinating historical details."" --Melissa Febos, nationally bestselling author of The Dry Season and Girlhood, for Marie Claire ""An invitation to sit at the cool nuns' table, Convent Wisdom is for anyone who longs for more sisterhood, solitude, or sapphic drama (who doesn't?). It's at once juicy and funny and meticulously researched, an educational deep dive that's also a fizzy joy to read. I'm already planning to gift it to several of my honorary sisters this year. I loved it!"" --Betsy Cornwell, New York Times bestselling author of Ring of Salt ""Playful and inventive, Convent Wisdom is a delight for the intellectually curious reader. Through some alchemy, a pair of witty scholar-storytellers transform what could have been a survey course in historical religious figures into a treasure chest of revelations and nuggets of self-help. (A favorite: 'How the Mystical Visions of a Franciscan Nun Explain Your Obsession with Recipe Videos')."" --Anonymous, author of Becoming Duchess Goldblatt ""When it comes to advice on life and love, where else would you turn besides sixteenth century nuns? Convent Wisdom is here to help us get in the habit of learning from the past."" --Nicole Tersigni, bestselling author of Men to Avoid in Art and Life ""Pick up Convent Wisdom for the clever cover art and intriguing title, stay for the fascinating stories and nun-ly wisdom. . . With impressive research and writerly aplomb. . . . the duo enthusiastically populate seven sections--Girlfriends, Work, Body, Love, Money, Soul and Fame--with richly detailed, entertaining stories of indomitable, inspiring nuns. . . . Garriga and Urbita clearly regard the nuns as galvanizing influences and treasured friends; perhaps we should, too."" --BookPage ""With no shortage of comical but also keenly observed comparisons between past and future, [Convent Wisdom] charms."" --Publishers Weekly ""Popular religious history from a millennial perspective, served with a tongue-in-cheek slice of self-help. . . . Pithy comparisons catapulting the medieval into the modern abound, with comparisons of ecstatic religious choreography to Dua Lupa's moves or postmortem incorruptibility as superior to Botox."" --Library Journal

""Cheeky and insightful. . . brimming with fascinating historical details."" --Marie Claire

""Cheeky and insightful. . . brimming with fascinating historical details."" --Melissa Febos for Marie Claire

""Incendiary stuff. . . . Convent Wisdom is a wormhole into the elaborate, interior museum, sex club, library, bakery, community space and diaspora the convent always was. Carmen and Ana, I thank you mightily for this profoundly useful and pleasure seeking book."" --Eileen Myles, author of Afterglow and Chelsea Girls ""A wonderfully entertaining book which shows us that monasticism is not an anachronism, but rather a deep well from which we can draw guidance and comfort. The lives of the sisters and saints in Convent Wisdom are as relevant today as they were in their own time."" --Sister Monica Clare, author of A Change of Habit ""Cheeky and insightful. . . brimming with fascinating historical details."" --Melissa Febos, nationally bestselling author of The Dry Season and Girlhood, for Marie Claire ""An invitation to sit at the cool nuns' table, Convent Wisdom is for anyone who longs for more sisterhood, solitude, or sapphic drama (who doesn't?). It's at once juicy and funny and meticulously researched, an educational deep dive that's also a fizzy joy to read. I'm already planning to gift it to several of my honorary sisters this year. I loved it!"" --Betsy Cornwell, New York Times bestselling author of Ring of Salt ""Playful and inventive, Convent Wisdom is a delight for the intellectually curious reader. Through some alchemy, a pair of witty scholar-storytellers transform what could have been a survey course in historical religious figures into a treasure chest of revelations and nuggets of self-help. (A favorite: 'How the Mystical Visions of a Franciscan Nun Explain Your Obsession with Recipe Videos')."" --Anonymous, author of Becoming Duchess Goldblatt ""When it comes to advice on life and love, where else would you turn besides sixteenth century nuns? Convent Wisdom is here to help us get in the habit of learning from the past."" --Nicole Tersigni, bestselling author of Men to Avoid in Art and Life ""With no shortage of comical but also keenly observed comparisons between past and future, [Convent Wisdom] charms."" --Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Ana Garriga is a scholar of early modern Spain and Latin America. She earned her PhD from Brown University in 2024. Prior to joining the Department of Hispanic Studies at Brown, she completed a PhD at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid with a dissertation on the letters of the nun Teresa of Ávila (1515-82), for which she received the extraordinary PhD award. In 2014, she earned a prestigious Fulbright scholarship. She launched Las hijas de Felipe with Carmen Urbita in 2020. Carmen Urbita earned her PhD from Brown University in 2025. Prior to joining the Department of Hispanic Studies at Brown, she completed her BA in comparative literature at King's College London (University of London). She was granted a scholarship to pursue a Master of Studies in modern languages at the University of Oxford, where she completed her dissertation on the writings of the nun Jeanne des Anges (1602-1665), earning Distinction. She launched Las hijas de Felipe with Ana Garriga in 2020. With over sixty episodes published, Las hijas de Felipe is one of the most popular podcasts in the Spanish-speaking world.

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