This thoughtful, inspiring, often humorous, and intensely spiritual collection of pieces brings together for the first time the most searching writings about an extraordinary other world. They reveal and explore the mystique of lives given totally to God, from the first stirrings of vocation to arduous novitiates, solemn professions, and works of prayer, education, and mercy. The writings shine with a spirit of selfless commitment that from the time of medieval monasteries and convents has fascinated people of every era. Among the contributors are Thomas Merton, Malcolm Muggeridge, Kathryn Hulme, Rumer Godden, Richard Selzer, Paul Horgan, Brian Moore, and Jim Bishop. The cast includes Benedictines, Cistercians, Carmelites, Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, Passionists, and other unforgettable groups and personalities. The settings are those of the perpetually vowed—through all corners of convents and monasteries, or amid slums and suffering. This unusual collection offers a distinctive and rewarding perspective on the spiritual life.