Authors: Power, Eileen, 1889-1940

In Legendary Tales

By Barbara Laurent

Okay, forget everything you think you know about medieval nuns. Eileen Power's classic book isn't about quiet prayer and serene isolation. It's about real women—often from wealthy families—who ran surprisingly complex, and sometimes shockingly messy, businesses. Think of it as a detective story set behind convent walls. Power pulls back the curtain on financial scandals, property disputes, and the constant struggle to maintain discipline. The central mystery isn't a crime, but a question: What was life really like for these women who were supposed to be cut off from the world, yet were deeply entangled in it? Using actual account books, visitation records, and letters, Power shows us nuns as landlords, litigants, and occasionally, rebels. If you've ever wondered about the human stories lost in the grand sweep of history, this is your book. It turns dusty archives into a gripping narrative about power, piety, and the daily grind in a medieval nunnery.