The Scent of Holiness: Lessons from a Women's Monastery

By: Constantina R. Palmer

Narrated by: Constantina R. Palmer

Every monastery exudes the scent of holiness, but women's monasteries have their own special flavor. Join Constantina Palmer as she makes frequent pilgrimages to a women's monastery in Greece and absorbs the nuns' particular approach to their spiritual life. If you're a woman who's read of Mount Athos and longed to partake of its grace-filled atmosphere, this book is for you. Men who wish to understand how women's spirituality differs from their own will find it a fascinating listen as well.

©2012 Constantina R. Palmer (P)2018 Constantina R. Palmer

I never wanted this to be over!

Truly a wonderful book! every orthodox woman should read this. These stories warmed my heart so much.

Couldn't put it down!

Engaging narration and thought provoking personal stories from the author! This book is a treasure. Enjoyed it thoroughly!

Beautiful and peaceful

Absolutely loved it! The stories touched my heart and her voice is so nice to listen to.

A beautiful experience

I was moved many times while listening to Christina Palmer’s experiences working among the nuns and sharing the many stories of the lives of the nuns. The narrator’s humility and gentle quietness resonated wonderfully with the lives of the nuns themselves. I am grateful that she took the time to record her experiences.

Wonderful witness to the beauty that is Orthodoxy

I began this just before visiting the Greek women's monastery near me and helped me get into the mind set of visiting a monastery. Such a beautiful witness to the life of the church and all the blessings in the struggle of life.

WOW! I loved this book! So enjoyable!

Another reviewer stated they were disappointed when this ended. That is how I felt too. Listening to this was like being swept off to a far away land and I looked forward to hearing the next adventure. The narration was excellent as well. I learned much from this book and have just ordered her next book as well in hopes of more of the same.

The perfect piece of love and joy

I listed to this book while making Christmas baskets at a monastery that I myself have been going to since I was 11.
Each story that Constantina wrote brought a smile to my face because it reminded me of those little moments and lessons I myself learned at a place surrounded by holiness and nuns. The book itself will make you want to visit a monastery if you already haven't. Listening to the honest stories of Constantina and her experiences and relationships with the monastics, offers honesty, joy, and Orthodoxy in its simplistic and purest form.
Not only does the book offer peace to one's soul, it truly humbles a person and reminds us who we need to be.

Constantina wrote the book in 33 chapters or knots so that together the book would be a prayer rope and that is exactly what it is. Each story urges you to keep listening on and makes you realize how often we take our faith for granted. Each knot of the book reminds a person exactly just how close God is to us and how much He cares and loves us. To put it simplistically, the book is a piece of joy and love in our busy world today.

With simplicity and an open heart..

The author, Constantina Palmer, reads with warmth and naturalness. There were no problems with the audio. After listening I did go over a paperback version I own (without having read) to highlight and reread relevant sections (it was that good!).

This book is a delightful surprise. Constantina Palmer documents her experiences in an unnamed Greek monastery through a series of stories about the nuns, her encounters with them, and their stories (as recounted to her). These stories describe the ordinariness of the nuns lives--filled with work and prayer--and yet reveal the struggle for virtue through watchfulness and prayerful engagement with the tasks at hand. These aren't grand stories of spiritual adventure overseas. Palmer does introduce holy elders with spiritual gifts, but most of the wisdom is gleaned while doing rote chores, or getting a sobering word from those same elders. In this way, the book is wonderful. It is completely down to earth, open, and heartfelt. The charming simplicity with which these stories are told serve to highlight that great Christian virtue--humility.

I gained a great deal of inspiration from this book. There are many lessons to apply to ones own life inside, and many examples to follow. It goes without saying that this is not a theological book. It's a book for everyone. The audible format worked particularly well for listening to while running across town--often a chapter or section would last just long enough to get to a destination. Highly, highly recommended.

incredible humbling stories

this is a great book to listen to if you want to learn more about Greek monasticism and if you want to deepen your love for the Orthodox Church

Interesting and thought provoking

There is a lot in this that gave me thought and more that I found informative and interesting.