Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purposes of review and I have received other books from Genealogical Publishing Company, also for review. However, my opinions are my own and not influenced by outside sources.

The newest book on offer from The Genealogical Publishing Company is Searching for Sisters: A Guide to Researching Catholic Nuns in the United States by Sunny Jane Morton.

The target audience is very specific – Catholic families with nuns in the family tree, but if you do, this book needs to be on your reference shelf.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Religious Life for Women: Terminology, community structure, history, the path of religious life
Chapter 2: Did She Become a Sister or Nun? Discovering whether a woman took vows
Chapter 3: What Institute Was It? Identifying the right order
Chapter 4: How to Find the Archives
Chapter 5: What’s in the Archives: Records about sisters, the institute, and others
Chapter 6: Looking for a Sister in Other Records: Civil vital records, census records, cemetery databases, newspapers, city directories, Social Security records, local histories, international resources
Chapter 7: Concluding Thoughts on Telling Their Stories

Appendices:
A: Case Study – The Mysterious Sister Mary Bertilla
B. Case Study – What Can Be Learned About a Sister’s Life?
C. Case Study – Finding the Maryknoll Sister
D. Case Study – Who Are the Sisters in Your Neighborhood?
E. Case Study – A Second Helping of Serendipity
F. Selected Archives: Collaborative, consolidated, and others

Acknowledgements and Next Steps
Index

From the introduction: An estimated 350,000 Catholic nuns and sisters have served people of all backgrounds in the United States.

Most religious served in education or health services, but their stories are often forgotten because, for the most part, they lived in small religious communities and led quiet, albeit busy, lives. Their stories can provide a unique perspective on a little known person in your family tree.

When a young woman chose to join a Catholic religious order, she often disappeared from traditional public records – city directories, social notices in the newspapers, court and land records, etc.

Searching for Sisters is an essential handbook for anyone with a Catholic nun in the family, as there are a multitude of resources and pathways available to learn many details of her religious life.

The Contents list is quite self-explanatory and summarizes the types of information to be found in the book. The case studies are helpful glimpses into discoveries made about nuns and the Selected Archives provides additional resources to be consulted.

Searching for Sisters is easy reading, well organized and a boon to anyone researching Catholic nuns and their religious orders.

Searching for Sisters: A Guide to Researching Catholic Nuns in the United States can be purchased online from The Genealogical Publishing Company for $19.95 in eBook format (Be sure to read GPC’s guidelines) and $29.95 for a paperback.