“[A] rich tapestry of cultural life, religious history, and gender politics that puts Whoopi Goldberg’s shenanigans in Sister Act to shame. . . . Monson has rescued Vizzana and her colleagues from obscurity. Read Divas in the Convent as a reminder of music’s power to uplift, to challenge, and to transform.”

James McAuley | Washington Post

“If the mark of a good book is that it opens up a new universe, then this book certainly qualifies. Monson kicks open the cloistered doors of Santa Cristina and tells a story of unparalleled talent among the inhabitants, who desire to create and sing music worthy of their high calling but pay a price in doing so. Meticulously researched, it is the story of nuns’ love for music and the struggle against those who tell them to ‘resign themselves with good cheer to God’s ordering of things, as made manifest through their superiors.’ The world of 17th-century convent life can seem foreign to modern-day church folks, and then again by simply changing the word ‘music’ to any one of the issues faced by similar religious communities today, perhaps it isn’t so much different 300 years later. The maneuverings recorded in letters and documents now held in various Italian archives make this book a model to those who want to see history come alive.”

Brad Short | Off the Shelf

“This is a substantial work of scholarship that brings tremendous insights into the inner workings, politics, and musical culture of Bolognese convents of the early seicento. . . . The book’s lively prose is enhanced by a good variety of illustrations and musical examples. Also included are a helpful glossary of terms and short biographical sketches of individuals mentioned in the text. Recommended.”

W. E. Grim, Strayer University | Choice

“This book provides readers with a thoroughly researched study of the reckless resistance of the Santa Cristina nuns, doomed to failure in the increasingly patriarchal post-Tridentine church. Included are excellent supplementary materials, including genealogies, glossaries, convent photographs, scores, etc. It is a must for those interested in women’s history. It is also of great value to musical experts and performers. It is erudite, lively, and full of fascinating information that will surely repay additional readings.”

Sixteenth Century Journal

“Craig A. Monson’s updated account of how the seventeenth-century Bolognese nun Lucrezia Vizzana was able to reflect the ecclesiastical, spiritual, and musical concerns of her day is bound to appeal to a wide audience both in and beyond academe. He delves into rivalry, betrayal, and madness in such lucid and elegant prose, so free from jargon, that it is almost a guilty pleasure to read. Especially satisfying is the ‘codetta’ to the book that allows it to come triumphantly full circle, with Vizzana’s voice echoing from beyond the grave.”

Colleen Reardon, University of California, Irvine