An honest and authoritative account of the shock decision to leave her Convent by a leading religious writer and broadcaster, now available in paperback Baptised in the Birmingham Oratory by a follower of Cardinal Newman, Lavinia Byrne lived a devout and pious Catholic childhood. It brought her to the Convent, which she entered at the age of seventeen. Her writing and broadcasting have made her a popular and muchloved figure and therefore it was a huge shock when, in January 2000, she announced her decision to leave her order. This is the powerful story of one woman's struggle to keep her integrity in a Church still using techniques reminiscent of the Inquisition. Why did Lavinia Byrne join her community? Why did she stay so long? And why did she leave? How did her journey end so dramatically? This story takes a fearless look at post-Vatican II religious life at its claim to bring good news to all, both to women and to men.