Customer Reviews

Music From the Soul: The Singing Nun Story

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Author stayed faithful and was diligent about getting the truth out, not tabloid fodder. Hopefully others will write more biographies in the future, with in depth evaluations, from the perspectives of historical, psychological and religious communities. Pictures were included. Wish there was at least one of Jeannine and/or Annie as a child. I can't help but think it's too bad they didn't hang on a few more years: they would have had the internet for a forum. I wonder if the tax department would have left her alone if the convent had called off the dogs. Another pity is that they didn't muster up their courage and immigrate to Canada before the situation seemed so out of control.

I am quite sure that Jeannine Deckers wished that her life was the ever cheery, whimsical life of the Flying Nun, but reality isn't always such a bang. I found the story very detailed, insightful and told me more about the real Singing Nun than any other source I have ever found. Music from the Soul is the only biography I found in English at all. If anything I can understand her lyrics more now that I know something of her life.

I do not often read nonfiction, but I felt compelled to examine this biography. It presents facts not previously known and a story far removed from the glittery version of which the public is most familiar. Since I have also read the biography by Florence Delaporte I was pleased to find different information and a different focus that compliments the French biography while not taking away from it. Bravo!

This book is a rare find and a must read for anyone interested in the popularity of The Singing Nun. It will break your heart, but it will also open your heart to passions of the heart.

That's the best description I can come up with for this book. I muddled thru to the bitter end hoping against hope that it would get better, reasoning that it couldn't get any worse. Hope and reason were both jilted. I have to assume that this book was published without benefit of an editor's guidance, because there is no focus or cohesiveness to the book at all, even though it is presented in chronological order. It isn't that I don't agree with her conclusions, it's that when she makes them she contradicts herself countless times. From which, if either, of Decker's parents was the cause of her problems, to whether there was a lover's relationship between Decker and Annie, the author constantly goes back and forth on every issue. She hints at conspiracies against Decker, but never delivers the proof; for all the footnotes and references, she still doesn't present facts, just innuendo. I might have been able to tolerate the horrible writing style if I could have pieced together an overall perspective of Decker's life, but all the author offered was hit-and-miss minute details of particular days every few years. There is no overview of what was going on, just "on this day there were money problems and depression and drugs" and "on this day she was happy and then mad and there were problems". Dreadful.

I suppose there is much truth in the adage, "the truth hurts." Kind of ironic that there is "truth" in that isn't it? But, trite as it may be, it's fitting to the title of this review. Sadly, this book is an absolutely, horribly boring tale. A nun. She sings. The end. Many men of the cloth sing, yet where are the bios of them? I suppose we should be satisfied with their many cd's.

But, I found the story of the Flying Nun much more exciting and enjoyable. If you haven't yet tried that piece, I strongly encourage you to check it out. She had many exciting adventures and, when I finally saw her photo, she looked remarkably like that lady who was cavorting about with "the Bandit" and being chased by "the Smokey" in that silly car movie. But surely, if that were the case, she would have used her Flying Nun prowess to simply levitate the Trans Am away from the sheriff and brought them all to safety.

Also, since we're on the subject of singing, you should look for the Singing Cab Driver, Myrtle K. Hilo. Her cd was available, at one point in time, here on Amazon. She has a song that will simply move you to tears and joy, all the same time. Much more exciting and fun stuff than any old Singing Nun.

Lastly, you should look out for the Singing Detective. He too was far better than this so-called Singing Nun.