by Mary Ann Weakley
Ready to become the speaker you’ve strived to be? Step into a realm where you command the stage, leaving an unforgettable mark on every listener. information in this book applies to presenters in every venue — whether a local club president, a corporate CEO, or a keynote speaker at a national conference.
This Guide Will Take Any Presenter From “Butterflies” to Applause.
Faith Unshaken
by Mary Ann Weakley
Read this heartwarming novel by Mary Ann Weakley.
“Once again, Mary Ann Weakley draws us in with her powerful storytelling as we join Rose Beecher, the orphan raised in a convent school in the late 1800’s, on her compelling journey from the quiet Mississippi river town to the frozen tundra of Canada in desperate pursuit of her dream. Rose’s journey of romance, tragedy, conflict, loyalty and survival is historical fiction at its best. A great read.”
Monastery to Matrimony
by Mary Ann Weakley
Read this dazzling novel by Mary Ann Weakley.
“Mary Ann Weakley’s memoir has the authenticity of twenty years lived as a nun. Her stories of convent life are sometimes humorous and sometimes tragic, but always revealing. Those faced with making life-changing decisions will find inspiration.”
—Lisa Patton, bestselling author of Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’Easter and Southern as a Second Language
About the Author
Mary Ann Weakley was born and raised in rural Central Illinois. The small-town country girl sought a life of adventure by entering a convent at seventeen. Though not the adventure she expected, she adjusted to the austerity and stayed twenty years. An unexpected conflict within the community resulted in a reassessment of her life’s path; she left the convent at age thirty-seven.
Once outside the convent walls, with no severance pay, a minimum wardrobe, and no job, she faced the challenge of survival in a changed society where she had no adult history. Though she had no interest in marrying, she ventured into the dating scene with sometimes awkward and amusing results.
Weakley’s first book, a memoir, Monastery to Matrimony, A Woman’s Journey, won second place in the Royal Palm Literary Awards, Florida Writers Association.
A widow now, she lives with her cat, Nala, writing from her home in Central Florida.
I entered a convent at the age of seventeen, right out of boarding school, which I also thought would be an adventure.
In the convent I adjusted to strict customs and a world of silence away from the temptations of the world. I experienced contentment and spiritual growth in the peaceful harmonious environment. After twenty years, when confronted with a conflict, I made the wrenching decision to leave.
Outside the convent walls I faced the challenge of survival. Convent life is devoid of worries about food, shelter, and income. Monastery to Matrimony provides an ex-nuns’s view through humorous situations incurred when dropped into a changed society, where I had no adult history. I was an oddity to the world with a unique resume, a minimum wardrobe, and no household goods. I received strange looks when I could not relate to music, movies, or TV sitcoms of the fifties and sixties.
My Memoir
Anyone faced with a painful life change, whether domestic, religious, or occupational will find encouragement in my story as I overcame my fear of an unknown future.
ORDER BOOKS
Also
Available
A portion of the proceeds will benefit COPE, Children of Pokot Education, a Christian mission in Kenya that educates and feeds over 650 children. Donate to COPE by purchasing a copy of Monastery to Matrimony or directly to COPE at COPE, P.O. Box 903, Lincoln, IL 62656 For more information visit www.childrenofpokot.org
Book Reviews
