''The Nun's Story'' is a 1956 novel by

Kathryn Hulme Kathryn Cavarly Hulme (January 6, 1900 – August 25, 1981) was an American novelist and memoirist. Writing Hulme is known for her best-selling 1956 novel ''The Nun's Story'', which was adapted into an Academy Awards, award-winning The Nun ...

. It was a

Book of the Month Book of the Month (founded 1926) is a United States subscription-based e-commerce service that offers a selection of five to seven new hardcover books each month to its members. Books are selected and endorsed by a panel of judges, and members ch ...

selection and reached No. 1 on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list.

Premise

The lead character of the book, Sister Luke (pre-convent name Gabrielle Van Der Mal), finds her faith tested in Africa where she finds herself at odds with headstrong Dr. Fortunati, operator of a remote hospital in the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

, with whom she gradually builds respect, and again during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, when she is ordered not to take sides. Ultimately, Sister Luke is forced to decide whether to remain in the convent or return to the outside world. Gabrielle/Sister Luke is stretched between her desire to be faithful to the rule of her congregation and her desire to be a nurse. As a nun, she must remove all vestiges of "Gabrielle Van Der Mal" and sublimate herself into the devoted bride of Christ. As a nun, there is no room for her personal desires and aspirations. Ultimately, the conflict between her devotion to the Church and the nursing profession, juxtaposed with her passionate Belgian patriotism and her love of her father (killed by Nazi fighter planes while treating wounded) bring her to an impasse, which serves as the dénouement of the novel.

Development

The book was inspired by the experiences of her friend,

Marie Louise Habets Marie Louise Habets (January 1905 – May 1986) was a Belgian nurse and former religious sister whose life was fictionalised as Sister Luke (Gabrielle van der Mal) in ''The Nun's Story'', a bestselling 1956 book by American author Kathryn Hulme ...

of the

Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary is a Roman Catholic religious institute founded in Ghent, Belgium. An enclosed religious order, its main apostolate is helping the needy and the sick, inspired by the work of Saint Vincen ...

, a Belgian nurse and an ex-nun whom she met while working with refugees in post-war Europe. The author sponsored the former nun's emigration to the United States, and later converted to Catholicism.

Film adaptation

In 1959, the book was adapted into a film by screenwriter Robert Anderson and director

Fred Zinnemann Alfred Zinnemann (April 29, 1907 – March 14, 1997) was an American film director and producer. He won four Academy Awards for directing and producing films in various genres, including thriller film, thrillers, western (genre), westerns, film ...

. ''

The Nun's Story ''The Nun's Story'' is a 1956 novel by Kathryn Hulme. It was a Book of the Month selection and reached No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list, ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. Premise The lead character of the book, Sister Luk ...

'' starred

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Kathleen Hepburn ( Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress. Recognised as a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Classical Holly ...

as Sister Luke. It was a critical and box-office success, and was nominated for eight

oscars The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence i ...

at the

32nd Academy Awards The 32nd Academy Awards ceremony was held on April 4, 1960, at the RKO Pantages Theatre, to honor the 1959 in film, films of 1959. William Wyler's Bible epic ''Ben-Hur (1959 film), Ben-Hur'' won 11 Oscars, breaking the record of nine set the 3 ...

, including

Best Picture The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...

and Hepburn's third nomination for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress award ...

. Hepburn met Marie-Louise Habets while preparing for the role, and Habets later helped nurse Hepburn back to health following her near-fatal horse-riding accident on the set of the 1960 film '' The Unforgiven.'' The relationship between Hulme, Habets and Hepburn is explored in

Zoe Fairbairns Zoe or variants may refer to: People * Zoe (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** Zoë (British singer) (Zoë Pollock, born 1969) ** Zoë (Austrian singer) (Zoë Straub, born 1996) Arts and entertainment F ...

' radio play ''The Belgian Nurse'', first broadcast on

BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at B ...

in January 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nuns Story, The 1956 American novels American novels adapted into films Books featuring nurses Little, Brown and Company books Novels about Catholicism Novels about nuns Novels set in Belgian Congo Novels set in hospitals Novels set in the 1930s Novels set in the 1940s