Trappist: Living in the Land of Desire

In the 50 years since Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, Trappist monasteries and Trappist monastic life in the U.S. have been the subject of considerable curiosity and attention. Downey's book is a welcome and beautifully written introduction to both Trappist Benedictine spirituality and to life in one particular Trappist community, Our Lady of Mepkin, about 35 miles north of Charleston, S.C. Downey divides his book into two parts. Part One addresses the history of Our Lady of Mepkin and its monks as well as general questions about monasticism. Part Two, called ""The Heart of a Monk,"" explores the everyday life and work of a monastic community. Mauney's 60 color and black-and-white photographs of life at Mepkin make the book a pleasure to peruse and lead the reader into the text itself. While Downey's discussion of Trappist life and spirituality sidesteps the temptation to romanticize Trappist monastic life, he could have placed more emphasis on how mundane everyday life in a monastery can be. A list of men's and women's Trappist communities and a list of recommended sources for further reading round out this beautiful book. (Dec.) FYI: Trappist is the companion volume to a PBS-TV documentary on monasticism scheduled to air December 17.