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The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows
"Listen and attend with the ear of your heart." - Saint Benedict
Dolores Hart stunned Hollywood in 1963, when after ten highly successful feature films, she chose to enter a contemplative monastery. Now, fifty years later, Mother Dolores gives this fascinating account of her life, with co-author and life-long friend, Richard DeNeut.
Dolores was a bright and beautiful college student when she made her film debut with Elvis Presley in Paramount's 1957 Loving You. She acted in nine more movies with other big stars such as Montgomery Clift, Anthony Quinn and Myrna Loy. She also gave a Tony-nominated performance in the Broadway play The Pleasure of His Company and appeared in television shows, including The Virginian and Playhouse 90. An important chapter in her life occurred while playing Saint Clare in the movie Francis of Assisi, which was filmed on location in Italy.
Born Dolores Hicks to a complicated and colorful Chicago family, Mother Dolores has travelled a charmed yet challenging road in her journey toward God, serenity and, yes, love. She entered the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut, at the peak of her career, not in order to leave the glamorous world of acting she had dreamed of since childhood, but in order to answer a mysterious call she heard with the "ear of the heart". While contracted for another film and engaged to be married, she abandoned everything to become a bride of Christ.
Dolores Hart stunned Hollywood in 1963, when after ten highly successful feature films, she chose to enter a contemplative monastery. Now, fifty years later, Mother Dolores gives this fascinating account of her life, with co-author and life-long friend, Richard DeNeut.
Dolores was a bright and beautiful college student when she made her film debut with Elvis Presley in Paramount's 1957 Loving You. She acted in nine more movies with other big stars such as Montgomery Clift, Anthony Quinn and Myrna Loy. She also gave a Tony-nominated performance in the Broadway play The Pleasure of His Company and appeared in television shows, including The Virginian and Playhouse 90. An important chapter in her life occurred while playing Saint Clare in the movie Francis of Assisi, which was filmed on location in Italy.
Born Dolores Hicks to a complicated and colorful Chicago family, Mother Dolores has travelled a charmed yet challenging road in her journey toward God, serenity and, yes, love. She entered the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut, at the peak of her career, not in order to leave the glamorous world of acting she had dreamed of since childhood, but in order to answer a mysterious call she heard with the "ear of the heart". While contracted for another film and engaged to be married, she abandoned everything to become a bride of Christ.
713 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2013
114 people are currently reading
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About the author
Dolores Hart
2 books8 followersMother Dolores Hart, O.S.B., is prioress of the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut. A former actress, she remains a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
August 2, 2013
I would give this book a *4.5* found this book to be an interesting and even "educational in a way" Dolores Hart was an actress in the late 1950s early 1960s.She was in two movies with Elvis Presley, a movie called "Where the Boys Are" several tv.shows a play on Broadway etc. at 24 she left Hollywood behind to become a nun. Fifty years later Mother Dolores is still a nun.
This book reads like a very long interview. Her friend Richard DeNeut and Mother Dolores Hart spend the whole book talking to each other. Which I found a unique way to write a book. We read all the way from when she was born to teenage parents. endured a sometimes tough childhood. Her parents eventually divorced. Both remarried. Her mother was an alcoholic which made it tough growing up.Mother Dolores found solitude when after attending a Catholic school decided as a child to become a Catholic herself{ she was NOT born Catholic} her faith kept her strong during rough times. When she was about 24 she made a huge decision to become a nun. she was engaged at the time and ended the engagement. Mother Dolores joined a monastery in Connecticut. here the nuns are cloistered together in Bethlehem Connecticut.I thought i would be more interested in her life as an actress but actually found it more fascinating reading about the fifty years she has devoted to being a nun. I got the chance to be educated some about what a nuns duties are, the restrictions and the rules they follow. I also was impressed how they do almost everything on the grounds, from taking care of farm animals, the breaking ground, clearing trees and handling big machinery themselves. I was glad I got the chance to read this book. Although I am Not Catholic myself, i liked getting the chance to see the inside world of a convent. A nice interesting read.
This book reads like a very long interview. Her friend Richard DeNeut and Mother Dolores Hart spend the whole book talking to each other. Which I found a unique way to write a book. We read all the way from when she was born to teenage parents. endured a sometimes tough childhood. Her parents eventually divorced. Both remarried. Her mother was an alcoholic which made it tough growing up.Mother Dolores found solitude when after attending a Catholic school decided as a child to become a Catholic herself{ she was NOT born Catholic} her faith kept her strong during rough times. When she was about 24 she made a huge decision to become a nun. she was engaged at the time and ended the engagement. Mother Dolores joined a monastery in Connecticut. here the nuns are cloistered together in Bethlehem Connecticut.I thought i would be more interested in her life as an actress but actually found it more fascinating reading about the fifty years she has devoted to being a nun. I got the chance to be educated some about what a nuns duties are, the restrictions and the rules they follow. I also was impressed how they do almost everything on the grounds, from taking care of farm animals, the breaking ground, clearing trees and handling big machinery themselves. I was glad I got the chance to read this book. Although I am Not Catholic myself, i liked getting the chance to see the inside world of a convent. A nice interesting read.
June 11, 2013
"Listen and attend with the ear of your heart." ~ Saint Benedict
Growing up in the 40's and 50's, Dolores dreamed of becoming an actress. She tells us that it is the only thing she ever wanted to be. Yet, at the peak of a promising acting career, she abandoned her childhood dream and left Hollywood to enter a cloistered monastery.
In her memoir, The Ear of the Heart, Benedictine nun Mother Dolores Hart, Prioress of Regina Laudis Abbey in Bethlehem, Connecticut, shares the remarkable account of her calling to the monastic life and the reasons why she has remained steadfast in her vocation for half a century. Her lifelong friend, publicist Dick De Neut assists in disclosing the details, providing a second voice to the narrative. There is a question and answer format that runs through the story, which makes one feel as if they are listening in on the conversation of two friends, as they reminisce over the good old days of Hollywood when Anthony Quinn, Gary Cooper, and Elvis Presley were all the rage. In fact, it was Dolores Hart who gave Elvis his first onscreen kiss in her first film entitled Loving You. And, the answer is, yes, Mother Dolores does tell us what it was like to kiss Elvis. She also describes what it was like to work with Anthony Quinn and to interact with Gary Cooper.
The Ear of the Heart provides so many insights and depth into Dolores Hart’s life on a variety of levels-- spiritual, physical, emotional, and psychological. The memoir is the brilliant account of a beautiful young woman growing up in a colorful and complex family in Chicago, who answers the call of conversion to Catholicism at the tender age of 10 and finds herself transformed into a Hollywood starlet overnight, but who continually listens with “the ear of the heart” to the call of God’s will for her life.
The Ear of the Heart captured my interest from the beginning and held it to the end, despite the fact that this book was longer than the books I usually read. Mother Dolores tells her fascinating story with wit and charm and with complete candor. In fact, I was surprised by all that Mother revealed about the inner workings of the monastery, as there is generally considerable privacy and secrecy associated with what goes on in monasteries. However, I believe that Mother wants to tell the truth – to bring everything to light – to show us that cloistered religious are just as human as anyone outside the monastery and face similar conflicts and challenges, which can all be resolved through the grace of God. This disclosure is also an integral part of her story, as her actions greatly impacted and changed the way the community was run, just as she herself was transformed and entered into a deeper conversion via these experiences. Her humility and obedience are evident in the way she responded to serving the Lord.
The story of Mother Dolores Hart's spiritual journey is one of great courage and sacrifice. It is the story of a woman responding to the call of Love in her life and finding that One True Love, which brings her great peace and joy. I highly recommend it.
~ copyright Jean M. Heimann June 2013.
Growing up in the 40's and 50's, Dolores dreamed of becoming an actress. She tells us that it is the only thing she ever wanted to be. Yet, at the peak of a promising acting career, she abandoned her childhood dream and left Hollywood to enter a cloistered monastery.
In her memoir, The Ear of the Heart, Benedictine nun Mother Dolores Hart, Prioress of Regina Laudis Abbey in Bethlehem, Connecticut, shares the remarkable account of her calling to the monastic life and the reasons why she has remained steadfast in her vocation for half a century. Her lifelong friend, publicist Dick De Neut assists in disclosing the details, providing a second voice to the narrative. There is a question and answer format that runs through the story, which makes one feel as if they are listening in on the conversation of two friends, as they reminisce over the good old days of Hollywood when Anthony Quinn, Gary Cooper, and Elvis Presley were all the rage. In fact, it was Dolores Hart who gave Elvis his first onscreen kiss in her first film entitled Loving You. And, the answer is, yes, Mother Dolores does tell us what it was like to kiss Elvis. She also describes what it was like to work with Anthony Quinn and to interact with Gary Cooper.
The Ear of the Heart provides so many insights and depth into Dolores Hart’s life on a variety of levels-- spiritual, physical, emotional, and psychological. The memoir is the brilliant account of a beautiful young woman growing up in a colorful and complex family in Chicago, who answers the call of conversion to Catholicism at the tender age of 10 and finds herself transformed into a Hollywood starlet overnight, but who continually listens with “the ear of the heart” to the call of God’s will for her life.
The Ear of the Heart captured my interest from the beginning and held it to the end, despite the fact that this book was longer than the books I usually read. Mother Dolores tells her fascinating story with wit and charm and with complete candor. In fact, I was surprised by all that Mother revealed about the inner workings of the monastery, as there is generally considerable privacy and secrecy associated with what goes on in monasteries. However, I believe that Mother wants to tell the truth – to bring everything to light – to show us that cloistered religious are just as human as anyone outside the monastery and face similar conflicts and challenges, which can all be resolved through the grace of God. This disclosure is also an integral part of her story, as her actions greatly impacted and changed the way the community was run, just as she herself was transformed and entered into a deeper conversion via these experiences. Her humility and obedience are evident in the way she responded to serving the Lord.
The story of Mother Dolores Hart's spiritual journey is one of great courage and sacrifice. It is the story of a woman responding to the call of Love in her life and finding that One True Love, which brings her great peace and joy. I highly recommend it.
~ copyright Jean M. Heimann June 2013.
March 16, 2023
A beautiful memoir, definitely worth reading. Dolores Hart was the "girl who kissed Elvis" in her first movie, and is now a Benedictine of the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, CT. How did she make that leap? The story told in her memoir is a wonderful story of vocation.
The writing style is a bit odd, because it's almost a dialogue between Mother and her collaborator (and close friend), and there are times where bits of their dialogue are sort of hard to follow, but overall, definitely a well done work.
The writing style is a bit odd, because it's almost a dialogue between Mother and her collaborator (and close friend), and there are times where bits of their dialogue are sort of hard to follow, but overall, definitely a well done work.
July 27, 2013
I had to drag myself through this book. It started ok but i hated the writing style between two voices. I also found that , as she progressed in her life at Regina Laudis, I liked her less and less. I found her criticisms of people, including Church authorities and fellow nuns, jarring. Her penchant for innovations meant hat this abbey is a hybrid of new with some of the contemplative life. i am not sure St.Benedict would approve. Then there is lots of new agey stuff, including yoga, and even environmentalism. Her desire to drop Hollywood is deceptive. Yes, she physically left it to some extent. But it has followed her into the and out of the abbey, in her implementations and her adaptations of Benedictine practices.
October 15, 2022
Dolores Hart was a successful movie actress with a promising career when she jettisoned the fame, the fortune, the glamor, the professional acclaim to enter a cloister Benedictine convent in 1963 at the age of 25. This is her autobiography dictated to a longtime friend. This covers her childhood, her years in Hollywood, her growing sense of a vocation to a cloistered life, her adjustment to the monastery and her role in reforms of the community in response to the Second Vatican Council. For those with an interest in the spiritual memoir, this is a worthwhile read. The writing is mediocre, but I found the story compelling.
October 28, 2013
A young woman was the brink of superstardom as a film actress. In her short career, she'd made movies with Elvis Presley, Anthony Quinn, Tony Franciosa, Myrna Loy.
On Broadway she won a Theater World Award and was nominated for a Tony award for her work in "The Pleasure of His Company."
She was even engaged to be married.
And then, mysteriously, she left it all behind--the fame, the wealth and the fiancé--and entered a cloistered Benedictine monastery in Connecticut.
How and why this happened is the subject of Dolores Hart's autobiography, "The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows."
A remarkable story by a remarkable woman, Mother Hart, OSB explains how she had initially been led to this decision from a very early age by a series of events, beginning with her conversion to Catholicism at age 10, her regular retreats to the Regina Laudis monastery whenever she was in New York as a part of her career, and finally ending when she made her final vows in 1970. She's been allowed out of the monastery only three times since final vows for activities of benefit to the community at large. She's been personally responsible for bringing other young women to pursue vocations to religious life.
She is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The nominated movies are send to her at the monastery for private screenings. She is the only voting member who is a nun.
A remarkable story by a remarkable woman. I highly recommend it.
On Broadway she won a Theater World Award and was nominated for a Tony award for her work in "The Pleasure of His Company."
She was even engaged to be married.
And then, mysteriously, she left it all behind--the fame, the wealth and the fiancé--and entered a cloistered Benedictine monastery in Connecticut.
How and why this happened is the subject of Dolores Hart's autobiography, "The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows."
A remarkable story by a remarkable woman, Mother Hart, OSB explains how she had initially been led to this decision from a very early age by a series of events, beginning with her conversion to Catholicism at age 10, her regular retreats to the Regina Laudis monastery whenever she was in New York as a part of her career, and finally ending when she made her final vows in 1970. She's been allowed out of the monastery only three times since final vows for activities of benefit to the community at large. She's been personally responsible for bringing other young women to pursue vocations to religious life.
She is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The nominated movies are send to her at the monastery for private screenings. She is the only voting member who is a nun.
A remarkable story by a remarkable woman. I highly recommend it.
October 3, 2013
Dolores Hart was an actress whose main claim to fame is that in her first movie, she got to kiss Elvis Presley.
Born in to a Presbyterian family, Dolores converted to Catholicism while in grammar school. Although she had a strong desire to become an actress, she also had another deeper drawing to God. After a successful acting career, she gave it all up and enter the convent. Not just any convent but a cloistered Benedictine Abbey.
The book tells of her growing up, getting started in Hollywood with a stop on Broadway. Half the book then picks up when she enters into her religious life and her time in the Abbey.
Being a famous actress didn't hurt her cause as she had many friends in Hollywood and New York who remained in touch. They supported her both as a nun and as the spokesperson for the National Neuropathy Foundation as she was afflicted by this painful condition.
My only problem with the book was that the narrative, written by Richard DeNert was printed in a normal font but Mother Hart's narrative was printed in italics. I found this to be disconcerting but who am I?
The book is slow is some places but all in all, well worth reading.
Born in to a Presbyterian family, Dolores converted to Catholicism while in grammar school. Although she had a strong desire to become an actress, she also had another deeper drawing to God. After a successful acting career, she gave it all up and enter the convent. Not just any convent but a cloistered Benedictine Abbey.
The book tells of her growing up, getting started in Hollywood with a stop on Broadway. Half the book then picks up when she enters into her religious life and her time in the Abbey.
Being a famous actress didn't hurt her cause as she had many friends in Hollywood and New York who remained in touch. They supported her both as a nun and as the spokesperson for the National Neuropathy Foundation as she was afflicted by this painful condition.
My only problem with the book was that the narrative, written by Richard DeNert was printed in a normal font but Mother Hart's narrative was printed in italics. I found this to be disconcerting but who am I?
The book is slow is some places but all in all, well worth reading.
July 30, 2013
One of my favorite celebrity memoirs is As I Am by Patricia Neal. In her book she writes about the abbey at Regina Laudis in CT - a place she was encouraged to visit by the daughter of actor Gary Cooper (with whom Neal had a very passionate, very public affair back in the day). The abbey became a place of healing for Neal and when she died in 2010 she was buried there.
So, when this book came out, written by former starlet Mother Dolores Hart of Regina Laudis and friend of Neal, I was intrigued. Further, I was intrigued by Hart's story and why she would give up a promising career in films and stage to become a cloistered nun.
The book attempts to address this, but I felt that while the first half of the book about her childhood, her blossoming acting career, and this inner calling she had was somewhat interesting, the second half, after she enters the abbey, just drags. While I believe Mother Dolores truly had a calling, her book didn't do a good job of making me understand what made her decide to chuck it all and become a nun. And perhaps that's because a calling such as this is so mysterious unless you've experienced it, it CAN'T be explained.
So, when this book came out, written by former starlet Mother Dolores Hart of Regina Laudis and friend of Neal, I was intrigued. Further, I was intrigued by Hart's story and why she would give up a promising career in films and stage to become a cloistered nun.
The book attempts to address this, but I felt that while the first half of the book about her childhood, her blossoming acting career, and this inner calling she had was somewhat interesting, the second half, after she enters the abbey, just drags. While I believe Mother Dolores truly had a calling, her book didn't do a good job of making me understand what made her decide to chuck it all and become a nun. And perhaps that's because a calling such as this is so mysterious unless you've experienced it, it CAN'T be explained.
December 31, 2023
ENGLISH: Dolores Hart had a vocation to be an actress and after a meteoric career discovered she also had a vocation to be a nun. However, she did not renounce completely her first vocation, as proved by her influence on the monastery, where she created a theater that gave many performances by lay actors.
This book mentions many actors, actresses, directors, and other people related to show business, apart from lots of movies and theatre plays, many of which I have watched and are are well-known.
The book is written in a style somewhat difficult to follow, as the two authors alternate sometime very short paragraphs and at the same time jump in time to include present-time interviews about the things they are talking about.
ESPAÑOL: Dolores Hart tenía vocación de actriz y después de una carrera bastante meteórica descubrió que también tenía vocación de monja. Sin embargo, no renunció completamente a su primera vocación, como demuestra su influencia en el monasterio, en el que creó un teatro que ofreció numerosas representaciones realizadas por actores laicos.
Este libro menciona a muchos actores, actrices, directores y otras personas relacionadas con el mundo del espectáculo, además de películas y obras de teatro, muchas de las cuales he visto y son muy conocidas.
El libro está escrito en un estilo algo difícil de seguir, ya que los dos autores alternan párrafos a veces muy cortos y al mismo tiempo saltan en el tiempo para incluir entrevistas actuales sobre las cosas de las que están hablando.
This book mentions many actors, actresses, directors, and other people related to show business, apart from lots of movies and theatre plays, many of which I have watched and are are well-known.
The book is written in a style somewhat difficult to follow, as the two authors alternate sometime very short paragraphs and at the same time jump in time to include present-time interviews about the things they are talking about.
ESPAÑOL: Dolores Hart tenía vocación de actriz y después de una carrera bastante meteórica descubrió que también tenía vocación de monja. Sin embargo, no renunció completamente a su primera vocación, como demuestra su influencia en el monasterio, en el que creó un teatro que ofreció numerosas representaciones realizadas por actores laicos.
Este libro menciona a muchos actores, actrices, directores y otras personas relacionadas con el mundo del espectáculo, además de películas y obras de teatro, muchas de las cuales he visto y son muy conocidas.
El libro está escrito en un estilo algo difícil de seguir, ya que los dos autores alternan párrafos a veces muy cortos y al mismo tiempo saltan en el tiempo para incluir entrevistas actuales sobre las cosas de las que están hablando.
July 11, 2025
Disclaimer: The rating I gave this book is not reflective of the quality of the writing or the contents, but my personal feelings about it.
July 31, 2013
Uplifting book about finding your purpose on planet earth and not letting others dissuade you from it. Non-preachy and thought provoking.
August 14, 2020
I knew Dolores Hart mostly from the two films she made with Elvis Presley (she gave him his first screen kiss,) and I knew she had entered a convent. Over the years, I had read anecdotes about her religious life. But it was only when I read her autobiography The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ [sic] Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows (written by Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B. and Richard DeNeut) that I knew the whole story. The book is a strange hybrid of writing that works beautifully. Based on conversations between the two authors plus research and interviews with those who know and worked with Mother Dolores, her story comes alive. Her words are in italics, while DeNeut’s contributions and observations are in plain font. And from time to time, there are additional comments from Mother Dolores, as if the two authors were going over the final draft and she felt compelled to add to it a more up-to-date observation. That style, while I expected it to be off-putting, is quite compelling. But what is truly compelling is Hart’s story. About half the book is the narrative of Dolores Hart, the actress, and the fifteen movies she made. She was poised to be a genuine Hollywood star, having garnered some great reviews in several films that were quite prestigious. Yes, she did appear in two Presley films that were early in his career before his manager Colonel Parker locked him into the formulaic drivel his films eventually became. Hart also worked with such stars as Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani, Karl Malden, Bradford Dillman, and others who were among the professional elite of Hollywood. She also had been nominated for a Tony Award for the Broadway production of The Pleasure of His Company. But we find that Dolores heard a call from God. And she gave up her Hollywood career—one that she treasured—for a convent in Connecticut. There she has lived for over fifty years, attaining the title of Mother Dolores Hart. She is beloved among her fellow nuns and beloved still by her friends and colleagues of the entertainment industry. And the book shows she has never lost her zest, never lost her tendency to be outspoken, and never lost her take-charge persona. She approaches religious life like she approached her film career: zestfully. The Ear of the Heart is a beautiful portrait of a beautiful woman, one that shows us that people don’t enter religious life to hide away but rather to extend their love for living and for others.
January 1, 2024
Excellent and very lively!
Both the Holywood first part and the Abbey second part of the book were page turners.
The change in the abbey’s ways is dynamic and very interesting to follow.
Both the Holywood first part and the Abbey second part of the book were page turners.
The change in the abbey’s ways is dynamic and very interesting to follow.
May 23, 2014
For many biographies I've read, its been the rags to riches kind of track....start off as an unknown, work their way up through the ranks, and make it big....this book starts that way but with a twist....instead of staying in the limelight, Dolores Hart has another calling...to that of a cloistered convent where she begins a life as a contemplative Benedictine nun. The surprising thing is that instead of her leaving her show business life behind, it lingers and she uses what shes learned and even goes back to revisit it from time to time as it helps her with her present day position.
Mother Dolores Hart as she is now called, was recognized in the 1950s and 60s as a genuine Hollywood Star, even co-starring with Elvis in his early movies....but it was that calling and the peace she so desired that led her to Regina Laudis, a Benedictine cloister near Bethlehem, Connecticut. It was not easy, but Mother Hart found peace she wanted even helping and strengthening her group in the ensuing years.
An excellent read on someone who has made and continues to make a difference in her vocation in both the secular and religious worlds.
Mother Dolores Hart as she is now called, was recognized in the 1950s and 60s as a genuine Hollywood Star, even co-starring with Elvis in his early movies....but it was that calling and the peace she so desired that led her to Regina Laudis, a Benedictine cloister near Bethlehem, Connecticut. It was not easy, but Mother Hart found peace she wanted even helping and strengthening her group in the ensuing years.
An excellent read on someone who has made and continues to make a difference in her vocation in both the secular and religious worlds.
August 1, 2013
I am really enjoying this book. Not only is it an interesting biography of Dolores Hart, but it's really also a biography of her abbey, Regina Laudis.
A Benedictine abbey is traditionally a self-supporting community whose members combine prayer and work. In this case, the abbey's land incorporates gardens and orchards from which the nuns feed themselves (and climb up into, to prune with a chain-saw), herds of cattle whose milk is made into a distinctive Camembert-like cheese called Bethlehem cheese, and a theater where plays are put on to raise funds for the community.
Mother Dolores touches on the interior life of the Abbey, recounting some of the changes made in the Congregation's way of life during the transitional years before and after Vatican II. It was inspiring to see how, without abandoning the traditions of the Benedictine Order, and without diluting their work of prayer, they've found many different ways for the nuns to form deeper relationships with one another, and make maximum use of their talents.
A Benedictine abbey is traditionally a self-supporting community whose members combine prayer and work. In this case, the abbey's land incorporates gardens and orchards from which the nuns feed themselves (and climb up into, to prune with a chain-saw), herds of cattle whose milk is made into a distinctive Camembert-like cheese called Bethlehem cheese, and a theater where plays are put on to raise funds for the community.
Mother Dolores touches on the interior life of the Abbey, recounting some of the changes made in the Congregation's way of life during the transitional years before and after Vatican II. It was inspiring to see how, without abandoning the traditions of the Benedictine Order, and without diluting their work of prayer, they've found many different ways for the nuns to form deeper relationships with one another, and make maximum use of their talents.
June 14, 2013
I always find books about people who make great changes in their lives interesting. There maybe no bigger change then going from a up and coming young actress in Hollywood to being a contemplative Benedictine Nun in a monastery. This is a story of such a journey. How little events and conversations lead step by step down a certain unexpected road. I enjoyed this book and learning about how a fairly new monastery works and how it evolves and yet still remains grounded in its traditions. was interesting. I really wanted to give it 3 1/2 stars but couldn't figure out how.
February 17, 2020
I remember seeing the movie, Where the Boys Are, when I was a teenager....it was on television one Friday night. It introduced me to some of the heart throbs from the 60s. George Hamilton was so cute in this movie. But a pretty young actress I had never heard of played Merritt, his love interest. Later on in life I found out why I had not heard of her, she had become a nun. That was very interesting to me. A beautiful young woman who had fame, fortune and a rocketing career, gave it up to serve God. This book is about Dolores Hart and how God led her from a young girl who heard His Call to the movie studios of Hollywood, the stages of Broadway and ultimately to the Abbey of Regina Laudis. I really enjoyed reading Mother Dolores faith journey. My only criticism of the book is that it is LONG! It could have probably been written as two books, one of her journey to the abbey and the other of her life after becoming a nun. I think many people thought Dolores was entering the abbey for publicity purposes. It had been done by another young actress who became a nun but did not stay the course. Dolores has stayed the course, enduring chronic pain due to neuropathy but still stands as a witness for Christ.
August 3, 2015
This was twice the book I thought it would be. I had expected to read the story of how Hollywood starlet Dolores Hart came to become a cloistered Benedictine nun, and this was indeed told compellingly. What I had not expected was that there would be so much about her life after she entered the monastery, and how vivid and honest a portrayal of cloistered contemplative life it would be.
How is it that a beautiful, young and successful actress would leave the career and the people she loved (including a fiance) to enter a life and a world she had next to no knowledge about? What strange grace was it that sustained her in the hardships that greeted her choice? The story of Dolores Hart's life is one of mystery, courage, beauty, strength and divine grace. From her conversion to the Catholic faith (which came about because of a happy misunderstanding in her childhood), broken family life, early career success, romances, to the central love story of how God led this free-spirited young woman into relationship with the Benedictine sisters of Regina Laudis, The Ear of the Heart is an engaging read.
What moved me most, however, was the depiction of her struggle to adapt to monastic life and her often challenging relationships with the other 40 nuns. Mother Dolores Hart doesn't sugar coat over the formidable obstacles she faced, but neither does she sensationalise anything. In true contemplative fashion, this autobiography provides a "long, loving look at the real." I was struck and touched by the way these women - many of whom were accomplished professionals before they entered the monastery - grew in holiness together through the rigours of solitude, prayer, community life and work. It reminded me also that even though I am not in a cloistered community, that I too am invited by Christ to be as surrendered and open to being refined in the Holy Spirit's fire to become pure gold.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who are interested in finding out more about religious life or those who are themselves struggling to adapt to life in a new community (especially religious community). It is written in a conversational style and very easy to read in spite of its length. There is much in this autobiography to inspire and encourage!
How is it that a beautiful, young and successful actress would leave the career and the people she loved (including a fiance) to enter a life and a world she had next to no knowledge about? What strange grace was it that sustained her in the hardships that greeted her choice? The story of Dolores Hart's life is one of mystery, courage, beauty, strength and divine grace. From her conversion to the Catholic faith (which came about because of a happy misunderstanding in her childhood), broken family life, early career success, romances, to the central love story of how God led this free-spirited young woman into relationship with the Benedictine sisters of Regina Laudis, The Ear of the Heart is an engaging read.
What moved me most, however, was the depiction of her struggle to adapt to monastic life and her often challenging relationships with the other 40 nuns. Mother Dolores Hart doesn't sugar coat over the formidable obstacles she faced, but neither does she sensationalise anything. In true contemplative fashion, this autobiography provides a "long, loving look at the real." I was struck and touched by the way these women - many of whom were accomplished professionals before they entered the monastery - grew in holiness together through the rigours of solitude, prayer, community life and work. It reminded me also that even though I am not in a cloistered community, that I too am invited by Christ to be as surrendered and open to being refined in the Holy Spirit's fire to become pure gold.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to those who are interested in finding out more about religious life or those who are themselves struggling to adapt to life in a new community (especially religious community). It is written in a conversational style and very easy to read in spite of its length. There is much in this autobiography to inspire and encourage!
July 23, 2013
This is written as a conversation between Mother Delores and her good friend Richard DeNeut, and the structure results in a relaxed and interesting read. I knew nothing about Mother Delores when she was Delores Hart the movie star, so I wasn't sure if I would be interested or not, but I was still drawn in. I thought the first half of the book--her stories of her younger years, movie career, and developing vocation-- was the most tightly written and compelling. I would have liked to hear more about the role of Catholics in the entertainment industry at the time since it seemed there were many and it was a time when the moral compass about broadcasting decisions was changing. I would also have liked to hear more about her early years as a nun because I thought there seemed to be a gap from the time she entered to the time she became more involved in a leadership role in her community. There was a change in philosophy in the community as well, it seemed, and I would have liked to hear more about that transition. The first half seemed much more personal, while the second half read more like a chronological unfolding of the events of the community. It also ended sort of abruptly with some allusions to the connection between an actor's calling and a cloistered religious vocation. I thought this could have been developed further. But overall I did really like reading the book. It offers a look into the Benedictine spirituality and a really neat example of how a vocation develops over time. And of course a reflection on a really interesting career and individual life journey.
June 8, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. I agree with the reviewer who said the writing was a little odd -- it's basically a record of a conversation. But Mother Dolores is a fascinating person, and some of her anecdotes will really stay with you.
There are few non fiction accounts of modern life in an enclosed abbey -- off the top of my head, I can only think of Nancy Klein Maguire's An Infinity of Little Hours: The Trial of Faith of Five Young Men in the Western World's Most Austere Monastic Order. (Which is also a fun read , BTW. A kind of monastic mystery, where you know from the outset that the author ends up marrying one of the young men. But I digress). For anyone who enjoys the genre at all, I definitely recommend it.
Will it answer your questions about religious vocation? Probably not. But it is an engrossing read, nonetheless. Mother Dolores leaves you with a few questions -- but that, I think, is what a book of this nature should do. She paints a vivid and engaging picture of her life, her choices, and her abbey. Anyone with an interest in religious life in general, or Mother Dolores in particular, will certainly enjoy this book.
There are few non fiction accounts of modern life in an enclosed abbey -- off the top of my head, I can only think of Nancy Klein Maguire's An Infinity of Little Hours: The Trial of Faith of Five Young Men in the Western World's Most Austere Monastic Order. (Which is also a fun read , BTW. A kind of monastic mystery, where you know from the outset that the author ends up marrying one of the young men. But I digress). For anyone who enjoys the genre at all, I definitely recommend it.
Will it answer your questions about religious vocation? Probably not. But it is an engrossing read, nonetheless. Mother Dolores leaves you with a few questions -- but that, I think, is what a book of this nature should do. She paints a vivid and engaging picture of her life, her choices, and her abbey. Anyone with an interest in religious life in general, or Mother Dolores in particular, will certainly enjoy this book.
March 17, 2014
Dolores Hart was a young actress with a promising career--she was the love interest in two Elvis movies, did a turn on Broadway, and starred in "Where the Boys Are," one of the first movies that presaged the youth culture explosion to come. But after a spiritual awakening, she shocked Hollywood by leaving it all behind to become a Benedictine nun.
I recently watched "God is the Bigger Elvis," the HBO documentary about Hart's life, and my sister scored me a signed copy of this book at a recent convention. I think I could have stuck with the movie and been fine. Aside from a few minor editing flubs, it isn't a bad book; it's written as a conversation between Hart and her longtime friend Richard De Neut. The childhood/Hollywood parts are pretty standard issue for a B-level star, and the description of Hart's adjustment to a life of seclusion are informative for an outsider. I also enjoyed the passages outlining the influx of hippies, who were attracted by the back-to-nature farming and peaceful atmosphere of the abbey. But overall, there's not a lot of excitement here. Pleasant but dull. I look forward to switching to a novel, and maybe getting some real page-turning going on.
I recently watched "God is the Bigger Elvis," the HBO documentary about Hart's life, and my sister scored me a signed copy of this book at a recent convention. I think I could have stuck with the movie and been fine. Aside from a few minor editing flubs, it isn't a bad book; it's written as a conversation between Hart and her longtime friend Richard De Neut. The childhood/Hollywood parts are pretty standard issue for a B-level star, and the description of Hart's adjustment to a life of seclusion are informative for an outsider. I also enjoyed the passages outlining the influx of hippies, who were attracted by the back-to-nature farming and peaceful atmosphere of the abbey. But overall, there's not a lot of excitement here. Pleasant but dull. I look forward to switching to a novel, and maybe getting some real page-turning going on.
February 9, 2020
After recently watching 1960s teen cult classic “Where the Boys Are,” I wondered why I didn’t know more about the filmography of one of its most appealing stars, Dolores Hart. After doing a bit of research, I was surprised at the answer: Delores’ film career (and engagement) was cut short when she entered as a postulant in a Benedictine contemplative monastery. In this memoir, Mother Hart’s voice is interchanged with that of one of her oldest friends, Richard DeNeut, to tell the story of her troubled childhood, conversion to Catholicism, her acting career, and her challenging spiritual path. Quite a story, but at times this read was a bit of a slog, perhaps due to the inclusion of too much detail and the pervasive admiration too often expressed by DeNeut. Still, poignancy is sometimes found: Delores shares she cried herself to sleep every night for three years straight after entering the contemplative life. For more on Delores’ life in Connecticut’s Regina Laudis Abbey, watch “God Is the Bigger Elvis,” a short film that was nominated for 2012 Best Short Documentary Film.
September 23, 2013
i loved this book! it is the story of mother dolores' journey from hollywood stardom to becoming a benedictine nun. in my opinion, her journey to becoming a nun started in her childhood. when she was a child, she a non-catholic who attended catholic schools. when she was in grade school, the non catholics had to have breakfast before they came to school. the catholic students were to fast because they received communion and had cookies and hot chocolate. dolores wanted to have cookies and hot chocolate with her catholic classmates. the nuns misunderstood her and thought she wanted to receive communion. in order for her to have cookies and hot chocolate with her friends who were catholic, dolores would have to become catholic. there was a discussion between the nuns and her grandparents. dolores had instructions in catholic faith.
August 7, 2013
This was pretty interesting. Dolores Hart was an actress who gave Elvis his first on-screen kiss, starred in Where the Boys Are, and was in movies with Montgomery Cliff, Karl Malden, Earl Holliman, George Hamilton, and many others. A look alike for Grace Kelly, her career was flourishing and she was engaged to be married when she ditched it all and became a contemplative nun -- where she cried every night for the first three years, but stuck it out and found her peace. Quite a life switch overnight from Hollywood to an 8'X 5' cell. The description of monastery life was educational. I didn't know that back then nuns entering the monastic life had to bring a "dowry" with them. Dolores was one of the last nuns to have to wear a wedding dress when she took first vows. I'm going to order up one of her movies on Netflix.
June 18, 2013
I really loved this book, and reviewed it for my June column in The Catholic Post. You can read that review here:
http://readingcatholic.com/when-is-a-...
Here's just the beginning of it:
Coincidentally, my review copy of "The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows" by Mother Dolores Hart arrived the same day as inter-library loan delivered "Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead" by Sheryl Sandberg. That was interesting....
http://readingcatholic.com/when-is-a-...
Here's just the beginning of it:
Coincidentally, my review copy of "The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows" by Mother Dolores Hart arrived the same day as inter-library loan delivered "Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead" by Sheryl Sandberg. That was interesting....
October 12, 2013
The memoir of Dolores Hart an actress most well known for playing opposite Elvis Presley who walked away from the fame and fortune of Hollywood to become a nun. This is a great book about faith and having the courage to push aside all in life to become the person God wants you to be. I also liked how it gave an insight to what life is like in a convent and all the work and responsibilities that come with a monastic life. I highly recommend this one.
August 25, 2013
I loved her openness and honesty to share how conflicted she was to take her holy vows and the challenges of those first few years. The Hollywood tales were a bit boring, but they set up the foundation to show how hard the transition to Holy Vows would be.
My favorite part was learning how the Vatican II opened the door to change and how the convent has changed over the years!
My favorite part was learning how the Vatican II opened the door to change and how the convent has changed over the years!
May 20, 2013
I have been reading this book for the past week---was just published. Almost finished. Fascinating.
As a Catholic convert from evangelicalism, I enjoy reading conversion stories. This one has the added bonus of being about a Hollywood actress. Fun stuff. It uniquely weaves together the two worlds. Gripping, sobering, entertaining, encouraging.
Not just for Catholics btw. :-)
As a Catholic convert from evangelicalism, I enjoy reading conversion stories. This one has the added bonus of being about a Hollywood actress. Fun stuff. It uniquely weaves together the two worlds. Gripping, sobering, entertaining, encouraging.
Not just for Catholics btw. :-)
August 28, 2013
Incredible biography telling how Ms. Dolores Hart rose from a broken, and abusive, childhood. She found God while working as a Hollywood actress and then entered a contemplative monastery.
The trials she overcame and the good work she has done places a beautiful spotlight on the wondrous ways that God works through each of us.
This is an enjoyable book for readers regardless of faith.
The trials she overcame and the good work she has done places a beautiful spotlight on the wondrous ways that God works through each of us.
This is an enjoyable book for readers regardless of faith.
November 3, 2013
This was a loooooong book. I guess that's what happens when you live a long life. I stuck with it because it was interesting enough. I think it would be really interesting to people who actually saw her films and knew the actors and actresses she was talking about.
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