Don't Chew Jesus!: A Collection of Memorable Nun Stories

by Danielle Schaaf and Michael Prendergast

Book Overview

Filled with fond recollections and touching stories, these tales from hundreds of contributors pay tribute to nuns--those monochromatically clad monitors of the right, the wrong, and the holy. Catholic nuns are portrayed as devoted and passionate women who, armed with an arsenal of educational weaponry ranging from creative storytelling to psychological terrorism, had the massive responsibility of molding children into model citizens of God. The brief,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932100822
• ISBN13: 9781932100822
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Benbella Books
• Length: 225 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

What memories!

I ATTENDED CATHOLIC SCHOOL FOR 12 YEARS AND LAUGHED ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS BOOK! MY BEST FRIEND IS A NUN AND I WILL BE SHARING IT WITH HER!

Funny, touching book

These anecdotes -- hilarious, touching, offbeat and sometimes jaw-dropping -- are perfect for Catholic-educated kids in the pre-Vatican II generation. The stories will spark warm nostalgia and no doubt cause many readers to say to their spouses: "Honey, get this!" before reading aloud a passage or three or twelve. For this Gen-X Protestant, it's a bit like a cultural expedition: nothing I can relate to directly, but still fascinating. My favorite parts were the stories of Sisterly tenderness, and nuns turning a deliberate blind eye to really funny pranks. These tales -- of baseball-playing nuns, skinny-dipping nuns, and boxing nuns -- lend humanity and depth to these women who proved to be much more than a ruler-wielding stereotype.

An honest, humor-filled book

This book is a lighthearted accounting of what it was like to be taught by nuns. The stories are wise, clever, honest and heartwarming. They took me back to a time in my life when I thought everyone in the world would forever be larger than me, especially the nuns whose strict, stoic kindness and sometime weird teachings permeated my life. If you've ever wondered what happens at Catholic school, or just want to reflect back on simpler times, read this book. It will make you laugh, cry and nod your head in recognition as you gain a better understanding of the nuns in your past life.

Funny and poignant

Humorous and bittersweet, this is a good read for those who wish to both remember and share a vanishing era. The fact that a portion of the book's proceeds go to aid the elderly Religious made buying it all the more satisfying. Many of my friends received this book for Christmas; it's guaranteed to inspire discussion and laughter.

Fun yet respectful

I laughed aloud at several points while reading DCJ. Although I'm English there was so much I identified with from my education by nuns. The authors show us so much more than the stereotypical images of nuns. I'm still smiling at the descriptions of the tobagganing sisters.