Quiet as a Nun

Quiet as a Nun

Company type	Novel
Industry	Literature
Founded	1977
Founder	Antonia Fraser
Products	Thriller novel

Quiet as a Nun is a thriller novel authored by Antonia Fraser, originally released in 1977. The narrative centers on Fraser's investigative protagonist, Jemima Shore, who revisits her old convent school following the enigmatic demise of a nun. In 1978, the novel was transformed into a six-episode television drama scripted by Julia Jones for the ITV series Armchair Thriller.

Plot summary

The plot begins with the death of Sister Miriam, who appears to have perished from self-imposed starvation within the 'Tower of Ivory,' a dilapidated tower attached to the Convent of the Blessed Eleanor, which serves as both a girls' school and a nunnery.

This tower is historically important as the original convent structure, described in the Treasury of the Blessed Eleanor, a manuscript frequently cited throughout the story. The figure of Blessed Eleanor is believed to be Eleanor of Aquitaine, once Queen of England.

Jemima Shore, a television journalist and former acquaintance of Sister Miriam—also known by her birth name Rosabelle Powerstock and heiress to one of Britain's wealthiest estates—is summoned back by Reverend Mother Ancilla. During her investigation, Jemima uncovers various enigmas, including the potential existence of a second will that could transfer ownership of the convent's lands from the religious Order to an alternative charity.

Suspense heightens when students at the convent report sightings of the Black Nun, an ethereal figure without a face said to appear before fatalities on the premises; this apparition was observed both prior to and following Sister Miriam's death.

External links

• New York Times critique of the ITV adaptation of Quiet as a Nun
• Conversation with Julia Jones, screenwriter for the ITV version of Quiet as a Nun