Land of Spices Author:Kate O'Brien Bright, sensitive Anna Murphy is the youngest-ever boarder at the Compagnie de la Sainte Famille, and her poetic nature captivates Helen, the Mother Superior. No longer content with convent life, Helen recalls her happy childhood, her brilliant agnostic father and the betrayal she met with a subtle treachery. She watches her young charge suffer ... more »her own family dramas, and her heart softens as Anna tastes the first fruits of experience. A luminous novel that explores the nature of love and forgiveness within the austere, haunting beauty of an Irish convent.« less