Reviews from

The Tor

Viewing comments for Chapter 21 "Wearing White"
Adventures around & upon a hill

8 total reviews 
Comment from rockinm76233
Excellent
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enjoyed the read and finding some information I'm sure from your convent days. Was that an interesting life or did you find it boring? I often wondered about that. Good job.

 Comment Written 01-Apr-2022


reply by the author on 01-Apr-2022
    Thank you for you involved review.
    In the early days in the Noviate we were under strict Monastic rule, like my story. We didn't have to be watch as we slept. But with the exception of primitive eating ware, and a solid 7 hours sleep, most everything else was the same. We had all kinds of penances &humiliations. I think I was trying to change things from within and our set or group did tell our'mistress' that kneeling & asking for prayer meant nothing to us. She eventually dropped that & begging for food &kneeling with broken items. We just thought it was all funny & would tease each other.
    Then as thing for everyone, even my friend whojust passed at 103. Imagine how many horrid years she had to do that stuff from age 17 to 1966...you do the math. She always grieved her dear friend that she could only secretly have. We couldn't have friends. Her friend passed before the 70's when friends we acceptable. I taught but was supposed to return to the convent. Monks & Nuns (female monks) could not leave. They had no reason to. After a while, it was about teaching & getting along with people. I ask myself why 28 years? I have no idea. I've kept friends with one of my 'nun-mates' & she has totally blocked the hard years. She says she doesn't reember anything. It's just as well. So ,most of what I'm writing in my book is being therapeutic for me. I had my best secret friend (if they entered before us we could not be friends. but nun-mates could. Well of course you'd want to be friends with some of the older one. There should have been no reason why not. But it was forgiven & subject to a penance. Any way, the story I wrote about Zachary, happened with my friend. Just gone. She had told me she couldn't talk to me anymore at all. That broke my heart, then shortly later, she was gone. Oooof, I just realized I wrote at least a chapter's worth for your answer. I'm not a writer for nothing. I do thois all of the time when someone asks me a question.
reply by rockinm76233 on 01-Apr-2022
    how interesting and thanks for sharing. Personally, I don't see how you did it. It has to be a very hard life to live. Humm many questions as to how that could benefit anyone.
reply by the author on 01-Apr-2022
    Good question. It leads back to the belief of living a hard life earned so special place with God, though I never bought into that. There were probably more issues related to doing penance. Remember I was brought up Catholic the champion of guilt producing. I was molested by many as a child, so I think I felt I would get on God's good side if I dedicated my life to His work.
    I fortunately found out later, I had done nothing wrong. I was a child. Also we could do the same good work out of the convent. So here I am doing good works in my own home. I'm still sad that my mother was at meeting in a room right next to me, but couldn't speak to me, even wave...pretty f'd up
reply by rockinm76233 on 01-Apr-2022
    I'd say so. Bless your heart. Thanks for sharing.
Comment from Katherine M. (k-11)
Excellent
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Your novel has definitely entered a new dimension now, moving into a disturbing past time, where even earlier times are evoked. Cleverly done.
Potential SPAG for your consideration:
arranged it, so there are three > arranged it so there are three

 Comment Written 28-Mar-2022


reply by the author on 28-Mar-2022
    Thank you for your involved review. I'm glad to know how it is coming across.
Comment from Melodie Michelle
Excellent
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Excellent piece my friend! The storyline is captivating and held my attention throughout the piece and the characters interact nicely together;-)
Thank you so much for sharing this well written piece with us and may God bless you!

 Comment Written 28-Mar-2022


reply by the author on 28-Mar-2022
    Thank you for your delightful review. So nice to know how it's coming across.
Comment from lyenochka
Excellent
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I had to laugh at the meanings of "prostate" - great comedic effect to start us off while then having to relate to the suffering of that extremely strict Benedictine setting! I liked how you bolded the thoughts to differentiate from the normal narration.

 Comment Written 26-Mar-2022


reply by the author on 26-Mar-2022
    Thank you for your delightful review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the gallows humor. There will be, have to be, more. It's rough writing it. What horrid times we've all lived through, especially in England, but probably anywhere.
Comment from aryr
Excellent
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What a fantastic continuation chapter, Liz. I can only imagine what Madeline must have felt as she became Brother Samuel. It truly was with great adaption that she/he had to adjust. Brother Samuel has learned a lot to learn about monastery life. Very well done, greatly enjoyed.

 Comment Written 25-Mar-2022


reply by the author on 25-Mar-2022
    Thank you for your enthusiastic review.
    How are my ladies doing...still resting?
reply by aryr on 26-Mar-2022
    You are so very welcome, Liz. Ladies???
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2022
    Ooof..I was thinking of Helen's book about the older ladies. I told her I'd tease her about continuing the chapters. I got carried away. Wrong message.
reply by aryr on 26-Mar-2022
    Whew, I thought I was going crazy.
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2022
    I do have that effect on people...lol
Comment from jessizero
Excellent
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I have no idea where you are going with this, and that's a good thing. What you're writing is captivating and not at all predictable. Congratulations on that. Keep up the good work.

 Comment Written 25-Mar-2022


reply by the author on 25-Mar-2022
    Thank you for your involved review, I am so glad to know how it is coming across.
Comment from Judy Lawless
Excellent
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This is a very strange chapter, Liz. Cordelia was turned into a man, a monk, from the 15th Century, because she was was late for prayers? I really don't understand why. How long must she remain there? Where are the others? I feel like I missed something.

 Comment Written 25-Mar-2022


reply by the author on 25-Mar-2022
    She went into the Monastery through a vortex. Both she & Cordelia had creepy feelings about the place. Madeline went back from this time to the horrid 15th century. In that lifetime they were all males. She's going to work on recognizing her friends in there. It's weird, whoever they were back then, they will have no idea about their future. It will be lonely for her, recognizing them, but they not knowing her. I hope this makes it clearer. I'm glad you asked
reply by Judy Lawless on 26-Mar-2022
    Thanks, Liz. So it?s Madeline who went back, not Cordelia? I?m going to have to read it again, I guess.
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2022
    Yuh, Cordelia recognized they'd been there before, which was why all of the weird chills for both & some of the others. But Madeline is the only one who knows what's going on. The others are just hanging around outside. But she is sure they all went there because they needed healing from the terrible era. So I'm going to have her figure out who her friends were back then. We carry traits, talents, characteristics from one lifetime to another. I've got to do some thinking on that.
    Have you ever thought about how these kids that can just sit down & play an instrument at the age of 3 must be carrying that knowledge from another lifetime. I love watching the you tube segments where kids remember stuff & the parents find just who or where, or what event the kid is remembering at 3-4 years old. I have a couple of favorites I've watched.
reply by Judy Lawless on 26-Mar-2022
    Thanks again for this further explanation. I understand now. No, I never really considered before that those gifted children might have learned to play in a previous life. Something to think about. :)
reply by the author on 26-Mar-2022
    Tell me these kids didn't play violin in a past life.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LGiZf_M9Pc
Comment from lancellot
Excellent
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Hmm, interesting. She... he seems content to remain, without knowing anything. Very docile. Lots of introspection and speculation in this chapter.
I assume this is the calm before the storm and thing get moving.

Well written.

 Comment Written 25-Mar-2022


reply by the author on 25-Mar-2022
    Thank you for your involved review. That does seem to be the contagious mindset or brainwash procedure.