Reviewed by Heather Curran for Reader Views (11/08/2025)
“Growing up in southern Germany, I frequently saw nuns when my family and I visited local churches and cathedrals. In my trips to Rome, when I toured the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica, nuns were likewise admiring the artwork or praying. Each time I noticed them, I was impressed by their selfless austerity and commitment to service. Elizabeth Upton’s book Secrets of a Nun: My Own Story both echoed my original perceptions while giving me a glimpse into a very nuanced life.
Secrets of a Nun spans the decades Upton lived and served as a nun. From an early age, she was called into service, entering the convent before her twenties. During her time in the ministry, she worked within different localities, striving to improve the quality of life while combating societal and political ills.
Secrets of a Nun humanizes women called into service. In poignant scenes, Upton narrates her experiences at university alongside other nuns. As they spent time together, they recognized their value and significance as intelligent, educated women. Too often, unfair stereotypes are identified and then dismissed; it’s easy to pigeonhole women in religious orders and service as emotionless, one-dimensional, and almost unfeeling. Upton turns that notion on its head and gives the reader a private, intimate understanding of the emotional and intellectual complexity that characterizes her and her religious sisters.
Upton’s beautiful writing leads the reader through her experiences. Conversations leap from the page and show the difficulties that Upton navigated as she entered neighborhoods that, at times, resented her presence. With care and an observant eye, she recognizes the politics within any religious organization and how, sadly, these political wranglings can negatively affect even the most devout and compassionate groups.
Elizabeth Upton’s Secrets of a Nun will appeal to memoir readers who want to learn about complex subjects and people undergoing a psychological and personal journey. Upton’s book is reminiscent of Memoirs of a Geisha in how it explores a woman’s emotional and intellectual growth within a society that frequently tries to diminish her, as it shares her powerful, intimate story of faith, identity, and resilience, revealing the emotional depth behind a life of devotion and quiet rebellion.
I highly recommend this book to all young women…
“Secrets Of A Nun: My Own Story” Is Available From Amazon
“Secrets of a Nun is a revealing, uncompromisingly honest, and deeply moving look into one woman’s soul. Now Celebrating 2025, the 40th Anniversary of this publication ‘Secrets of a Nun’…
Father Callahan is forced back into dangerous filth, corruption, and crime. Can he remain a celibate priest, or will he abandon the life of faith for more sensual pleasures? Will he stay a good man or return to the dark criminal life he once knew so well?”
At Home Among Sinners The John Callahan Series Book 1 by Elizabeth Upton Genre: Romantic Mystery Thriller
John Callahan is a good man with a bad past — and his past will not let him live in peace. Against the odds, he matures from a teenage Belfast street thug and an IRA killer to a happily married man and expectant father. Then fate snatches away his wife, his unborn child—and his world—in the flash of a tragic accident for which he feels responsible.
Years later, just as he begins to find peace and serenity again as a monk in a rural Irish monastery, a vindictive superior banishes the handsome young priest to a derelict parish in New York City. Ripped away from his quiet, cloistered life, Father Callahan is plunged back into a dangerous cacophony of filth, corruption, and crime.
Will he remain a celibate priest or will he abandon the life of faith for more sensual pleasures? Will he remain a good man or return to the dark criminal life he once knew so well?
In this exciting, insightful novel, Elizabeth Upton puts readers inside the mind of a passionate, wounded, and angry young priest as he struggles to live in a state of grace among new friends and enemies in a foreign land.
The Web of Darkness and Light The John Callahan Series Book 2
Demons never tire. Like the banshees of Irish legend, they cling to John Callahan and fill his heart with wails of despair.
No matter how John tries to live an exemplary life, the former IRA killer is haunted by the memories of the horrors he has suffered — and those he has inflicted in return. Not the monastic life, not the vows of the priesthood, not the move from Ireland to New York City has brought him peace.
In this second gripping novel in the series by Elizabeth Upton, John Callahan has resigned from the priesthood in the hope of living a simpler life as a professor at New York University. However, his promise to a distraught colleague — who soon turns up dead — plunges him into another mystery alongside his friend Ronald Casey, a detective with the NYPD. Who would want to kill a professor of neuroscience? What could be contained in the briefcase she has guarded, quite literally, with her life?
It begins to be clear that Dr. Shannon Grey Feather has discovered a cure for addiction and several complex brain disorders. That is a medical breakthrough worth millions — and one worth killing over. Once again confronted by murder’s cruelty and life’s injustices, Callahan must find a killer while coming to terms with his criminal past. He longs for true peace and genuine love, but before he can hope for a bright future, he must revisit his dark past — where the looming demons dwell.
Lovers’ Secrets and Revenge The John Callahan Series Book 3
How much does family matter? And what if there are unknown details about them?
John Callahan visits his beloved grandmother, Annabelle, at her 500-acre estate in Ireland. The peaceful countryside is beautiful, with lush hills that overlook the coastline, so different from Callahan’s home in New York City. After Annabelle dies, Callahan discovers that she’s left everything to him. However, there are some challenges with the staff, where secrets abound, including murder and heightened security on the estate that can’t seem to control the chaos that is happening.
Callahan is perplexed, wanting to solve the murder, understand the workings of the estate, and also longing for a relationship that would create a happy home. He meets Sara, the woman in charge of the horses at the estate, and longs to be with her. Throughout the busy days of work, travel, and wondering if he’s in love, John remembers Annabelle’s words. “Whenever you need my help, rub this precious jewel for consolation, wisdom, and protection. Call me when needed, dearest Johnnie, and I shall come to you.”
Learn how Callahan meets the challenges of revenge, murder, and love to discover the true meaning of friends and family.
Elizabeth Upton is a best-selling author and influential writer of gripping romantic thrillers and inspiring self-help motivational nonfiction books.
Her best-selling books, ‘Secrets of a Nun: My Own Story,’ ‘The Silver Woman of Fire’ and ‘The Healing Swords of Love and Innocence’ helped set her firmly within the world’s literary map. With many novels to her credit, like her newest fiction book, released in June 2022, titled ‘Lovers’ Secrets and Revenge,’ a gripping romantic thriller, and her new nonfiction release in Feb. 2024, titled ‘You Are a Sovereign Woman of Strength, Love, and Grace: Embrace Your Journey.’
The Author’s favorite book she enjoyed writing was ‘The Shaman and The Mafia,’ as she shares, “The creation of this story has been an exciting journey. I would love to meet all of the characters in this book in real life.” Elizabeth’s nonfiction books and novels are available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle and are featured on fine literary book sites and magazines.
Elizabeth was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA., until the age of sixteen, when she entered a New York State Convent and became a nun for twenty years, but she yearned for a more authentic spiritual life. Elizabeth left the convent and chose to attend and receive her B.A. from Syracuse University.
Returning to her native state of California, she attended and received her M.A. in psychology from Chapman University. The Author began working for over thirty years in family counseling as a social worker and probation officer working with troubled teens and abused children. She is a speaker, spiritual mentor, and advisor.
Elizabeth is happily married and enjoys writing books for her reader fans around the world. When the Author is not writing, she works out with a personal trainer to stay fit and healthy; she loves long walks on the beach with her husband and dog. She enjoys reading good books by some of her favorite authors like Geraldine Brooks, Hanh, Jerry Archer, Joseph Murphy, and Michael Connelly.
Elizabeth and her husband reside in Santa Barbara, California.
"CAT'S BOOK LIBRARY 4 READERS" 