When in Rome: A Novel

by Liam Callanan

From nationally bestselling, award-winning author Liam Callanan, the story of an opportunity to start over at midlife, a chance to save a struggling convent in the Eternal City, and the dramatic re-emergence of an old flame . . .



Meet Claire: fifty-two, desperate to do something new and get a fresh start.

Enter the chance to go to Rome: Home to a struggling convent facing a precipitous end, the city beckons Claire, who's long had a complicated relationship with religion, including a "missed connection" with convent life in her teens. Once in Rome, she finds a group of funny, fearless nuns in a gorgeous villa, beautiful runs throughout a color-saturated city, and a chance to reflect. It all leads her to an unexpected question--should she join the convent?--and an answer that startles her as much as it does those closest to her.

It also startles Marcus, a once-buzzy actor, devastatingly handsome, who is eternally in love with Claire. Marcus has come and gone from Claire's life since college but now reappears in Rome just as she's about to decide what's next.

As Claire searches for her higher calling, she finds the key to her future may lay in her past--and involves an actual key. The nuns swear it unlocks nothing, but on a night when choices and voices swirl, Claire finds a long-hidden lock.

A look at faith, in oneself as much as a higher power, and love, romantic and familial, lost and found, this is the thoroughly charming story of one woman who sets out to rewrite her past and future, only to be surprised by the plot twists life plants . . . when in Rome.

Genres: Fiction, Italy, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Travel

336 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2023

About the author

Liam is the author of The Cloud Atlas (Delacorte, 2004; Dial, 2005), All Saints (Delacorte, 2007; Dial, 2008), Listen (Four Way, 2015) and the upcoming Paris by the Book (Dutton, 2018). He serves in the English department of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and was previously its chair, as well as coordinator of its Ph.D. program in creative writing. He has regularly contributed to local and national public radio, and is possibly the only person now living (but consult your own Venn diagram) who has written for all of the following: the Wall Street Journal (on zeppelins, jetpacks, and touring Paris and Greece with children's books), The Awl, Medium, Commonweal, Esquire.com (on swimming and flying), Slate, the New York Times Book Review, the Times op-ed page, the Washington Post Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes FYI, Good Housekeeping, Parents, Milwaukee Magazine and elsewhere.

His short fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in a variety of literary journals, including Gulf Coast, the New Haven Review, Tinge (where his story was named one of the Millions Writers Award Notable Stories of 2011 by storySouth), the Writers Chronicle, Blackbird, Crab Orchard Review, Southern Indiana Review, Caketrain, failbetter and Phoebe. Liam is also the creator and co-executive producer of the Poetry Everywhere animated film series.

And yep, he knows all about the other novel that goes by the name Cloud Atlas. To hear him tell it, it's been a fun ride: http://bit.ly/on-another-cloud

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 51% Very repetitive about will she or won’t she join the convent. I was very bored reading this and didn’t have the will to finish.

[Susan Tunis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire is 52, and reevaluating her life. On a business trip to Rome, and working with an endangered order of nuns, she revisits the most pivotal choice of her life. Throughout her college years, she was preparing to become a nun. She had a calling. But then some stuff happened and... she didn't go down that path.

Now, decades later, she's a successful businesswoman, the single mother of an adult daughter, and she's unfulfilled. The calling is back. And throughout the novel Claire wrestles with the choices of her past, and how she wants to spend the latter portion of her life. But none of us live in a vacuum, and how her choices will impact those closest to her is a big part of the equation.

As a secular Jew, I couldn't relate to Claire's struggle with her faith at all. But that's why we read fiction, right, to inhabit other lives. And visit other places. Rome is a character in this book, and Liam's depictions of it were a huge part of the novel's appeal. The nuns were pretty winning, too.

Without any spoilers, Claire's ultimate choice seemed pretty obvious from the start, and I was right in my thinking. Despite this lack of suspense, the way things actually unfolded in the novel's denouement was deeply satisfying and enjoyable.

[Kremena Koleva · Rating 3 out of 5]

" Но открих, както много от вас, че на петдесет и две години не ни остава вечност – само цял живот, който е едновременно по-кратък и по-дълъг, отколкото изглежда."
/ When in Rome
Liam Callanan

В центъра на When in Rome е голямото душевно, духовно и емоционално лутане на една жена. Когато петдесет и две годишната Клер се опитва да намери подходящото място, където да се отдаде на тишина, на жадуваната радост на ежедневието и да намери общност, нейните идеи всяват смут у най - близките й хора. И всяко едно залитане, търсене, колебаене са много познати на читателя.
Liam Callanan съвсем достоверно и реалистично описва образа на Клеър - самотна майка, чиято дъщеря вече е пораснала и е взела живота си в ръце. Самотността на дните изискват сякаш нови намерения. Нова цел. Нова посока. За да не се чувства всяка следваща година като обратно броене. На какво?
Клеър е прекарала целия си живот в близост до религията, църковни служители, следвала е религиозни канони. Но така и не намира мястото си зад стените на манастир. Като брокер на църковни имоти / има и такава професия?/, тя вижда преобразяването на свети обители в не чак толкова свети места за развлечение, в мистични хотели, изискани ресторанти или , поради най - жестоки поражения на времето, в пълното им разрушаване. И отглеждайки дъщеря си, тичайки между различни сделки, Клеър остава приятелка с Маркъс, който 35 години владее мислите и сърцето й , но така и не стига до там да влезе в живота й. Поради едно обещание, дадено на четири очи между нея и иконата на Исус, Клеър смята, че да държи Маркъс на приятелско разстояние е за негово добро. Бог е изпълнил жарката й молба, когато е била на 20 години. Чула е шума на вятъра, но го е взела за одобрение свише. Така сделката е била скрепена. И Клер се държи за собствената си част от нея.
Религиозността, вярата и търсенето на смисъл и духовен комфорт в принадлежността към църквата тук , в When in Rome отразява нашето захващане за сламка в реалния живот. Всеки търси отдушник, търси общност и цел, за да не е сам. Да се чувства нужен, полезен, все още можещ. Все още не толкова самотен.
Клер ми беше много близка. Не само заради възрастта. Не само заради силната връзка с порасналата си дъщеря . А и заради многото колебания и несигурност. Постоянното търсене на себе си когато вече съм оставена на себе си. Когато след години съобразяване с нуждите и отговорността за живота на едно дете, свободата не се счита непременно за благословия. Изгубен е хоризонтът и е променен фокуса на цялото съществуване. Започване сякаш от нулата. Учене на самостоятелно вземане на решения само за себе си. И какво, за бога, да правя с цялото това време без задължения и графици?
Дали Клер да се обърне отново към религията? Да остане ли зад стените на стария католически манастир? И то не в родната Америка, а в Рим? Да се поддаде ли на чара и притегателната щедрост на древния град? И как да накара най - близките си хора да повярват, че като одобрят решенето й да стане монахиня, те не я губят. Просто й позволяват да намери себе си. А какво има да каже по въпроса Маркъс?

* " Провалът е част от процеса: това със сигурност е вярно, но също така трябва да е нещо, от което сте се поучили. "
* „Не е ли смешно? Най-лошите избори, които правим, са най-трудните за отказ от тях.”

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine, touching story with memorable characters and a lovely Roman summer setting. I wished for more of a spiritual depth in Claire's life. Perhaps it is the bias of being married to a Marcus myself, but I found no suspense in Claire's choice between taking religious vows vs. wedding vows. I think a deeper exploration of Claire's prayer life through scenes in Mass and spiritual direction, and a better sense of the Gertrudan's Rule and lifestyle, would have gone a long way to providing suspense.

I liked it, but I wanted more for the whole reading of the book. Alas. Might try another Callanan at some point because I do like the religiosity and Wisconsin ties. (Which reminds me, I have long had his All Saints on my shelves, which I picked up at the incomparable and unmissable Renaissance Books at the Milwaukee airport. You don't have to go through TSA to reach it and it's the remnant of the OG Renaissance Books which a vindictive bureaucrat condemned once upon a time. I didn't realize Callanan was a Wisconsin author at the time but I might finally get around to All Saints in time for All Saints' Day.)

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

When in Rome is a delightful story about new beginnings, second chances and searching for one's calling. At the age of 52 Claire is at a crossroads and her wish to start over leads her to Rome. As a real estate agent her passion is old buildings. But she has more than one reason to visit a lovely convent. As a teenager becoming a nun was her dream and calling but she hadn't pursued it. Is the answer now obvious?

Claire's best friend and daughter encourage her to take time for herself in Rome. And she does. She immerses herself in the culture and attempts to learn more Italian language by conversing with locals. She enjoys her surroundings, slow pace of life and the food. Quirky nuns at the convent become friends and wise mentors. When Marcus arrives she is flooded with emotions and snippets of her past. He has always loved her since the day he first saw her in college. They explore their friendship in their middle age in the Eternal City.

Rome is one of my favourite cities in the world to visit and as an expat can relate to often humorous language issues and cultural differences. Food, street and site descriptions tugged at my heart and transported me to Rome in a nanosecond. I like that the slow-paced story is written with originality. A middle-aged protagonist is refreshing. However, the characters are not convincing to me and the frequent switching of timelines became a wee bit burdensome.

Those intrigued by glimpses into romance, Rome and The Vatican particularly have much to look forward to with reading this slow burn.

My sincere thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this charming novel.

[Lucy Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just noooooot my type of book. The writing style is super confusing. Main character Claire is way too indecisive and whiny- everyone attends to her in not a cute way. Did NOT like and took me forever to get through. I was truly dragging myself to finish.

[Caitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright. Started strong, but after a while I found the back-and-forth to be tedious. Cute enough, maybe I’ll appreciate it more when I have my midlife crisis.

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire is at a crossroads in her life, she feels like her life needs to be readjusted and she thinks that Rome holds the key. While in Rome she meets a group of nuns and she thinks that she may join a convent. A past love reappears in her life and throws her trajectory off. Will love change her plans? A cozy romance with delightful characters.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Karen Szyszko · Rating 1 out of 5]

So much was promised; so little was delivered. I really, really wanted to love this book. Its premise is so enticing. But . . . . I'll start with what I liked about the book. The setting is undeniably gorgeous (especially if one can relate to the area or been there/saw that). The three Gertrudan nuns are what keep the book interesting. But . . . . Claire is so wishy-washy. Over 300 pages of "do I or don't I?" got old around page 60 - I honestly thought I had read more only to discover I wasn't even halfway thru the book. I still can't figure out why there were three parts to the book when it was all just repetition. Around Chapter 2 I stopped trying to figure out what the chapter titles meant and how they were relevant. I really, really wanted to love this book but it didn't offer me any reason to do so.

[Laura Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were many things I enjoyed about this book. I appreciated that the main character, Clare, has lived in Wisconsin and the references to UW Madison. The bulk of the book is set in Rome. The descriptions of the churches, food, drink and fountains are all well written. The book highlights many different relationships between various types of women which is an interesting aspect to the story. Clare’s efforts at age 52 to determine whether to pursue religious life, love or something else is an interesting premise for a story. That said, I did not enjoy how long the will she or won’t she theme lasted. I found myself becoming frustrated by Clare’s lack of clarity on what she wanted most to pursue. I had to resist the urge to just skip a few weeks pages to see how things were going to work out.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! The writing was descriptive and beautiful, the plot was thought provoking and fun, the characters were quirky, and the setting was absolutely gorgeous. It’s light without being frivolous, and smart without being a chore. And it’s about nuns, in Rome! Five stars, and I already want to read it again.

[Paige Greene · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest….The worst book I have ever read. Brutally painful to get through. Forced myself to finish it in hopes the ending would be good….It was not.

[Benita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book club pick and based on the summary, I had initially decided I would skip this one as it's not something I normally like to read, but ultimately decided to keep an open mind about it. After all, book clubs are all about expanding your reading palate. 


This is a story about a 52-year-old woman who's struggling with identity and what she wants in life now that her daughter is an adult and her job isn't fulfilling. She goes to Rome for work (real estate, mainly religious buildings), and befriends some unconventional nuns. She considers joining the convent. She's wishy-washy about everything and it becomes tiresome. I found her character to be pretty dull, her best friend to be annoying and her longtime unrequited love to have no personality aside from being in love with her. 


Despite all the dithering and dialogue, no one ever has any real conversations or serious discussions, rather a lot of assuming and internal monologues about feelings. It's very frustrating and kind of boring. 


I did, however, love the descriptions of Rome and the people and food. I even liked the nuns! The writing is pretty good despite the characters falling flat for me. Rome as a character comes to life in a way I wish the people did. The main character becomes insufferable with her constant indecisiveness.


The author's brother is in my virtual book club so with the connection, the author joined a meeting to speak to us about the book. He had some interesting things to say about the research behind it, and I can tell he loves Rome in the writing. Honestly, his talk probably increased my enjoyment of the book. But the faith-based plot just wasn't for me. Maybe it's for you.

[Lisa]

DNF. Gave it 49 min but it was weird. The chapters just end, maybe it’s a snippet type book, I don’t know but did not care for the style of it. A bunch of unfinished thoughts.

[Mary Lourdes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this title. I loved this story about a woman entering her 50s, and trying to discern what she is going to do with the rest of her life. Claire is a real estate agent who specializes in selling old religious buildings. She has a grown daughter, a fabulous best friend/business partner, and a complicated friendship with Marcus whom she met at Yale. Deep in the recesses of Claire's mind is her desire to become a religious sister that compelled her as a teenager. When Claire is dispatched to Rome to sell a convent, her desires become rushing back; but what desires are they. This story takes Claire through Rome, and the story of her life that will ultimately help her decide on her act II.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style of this book was confusing. It felt like ADHD writing where the thoughts and writing jumped from subject to subject and not in any way that made sense to me. Add to that a very predictable love story that takes WAY to long to tell.

[Karla Osorno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.25 stars.

“And so, at this reunion, a new project with a new prompt, less question, Claire thought, than curse:

What next?

So much that question assumed: that one had the freedom to choose what came next, that one had a clue what to choose if one did, that someone would tell the truth when they answered.”

Claire makes a vow in college after kissing Marcus. 30+ years later she is in Rome and ready to make a decision related to that vow and making vows to be a nun. Daughter Dorothy and best friend Monica along with Sisters Felicity, Therese, and Georgia provide family (and hijinks) and community as Claire considers her options.

Liam Callahan has clearly spent much time in Rome and convents. He writes with detail about the city and it’s landmarks, as well as Catholic and religions order customs. It was easy to believe in the accuracy of his research and experience.

I liked reading about the nuns and their quiet life and connection to the locals. I also liked the portrayal of them as women with true pasts, presents, and humanity. I did get frustrated with Claire’s indecision and miscommunication with Marcus. Mostly I read for Rome and the voices of the Sisters. This is a story about love, friendship, “divine deals”, fear, prayer, and peace. The title is perfect.

“All the sisters, who taught her how to pray, that not only was it just like breathing, steady and constant, but that done right, it was breathing itself.”

[Katie Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this because I was intrigued by the setting--I have a lot of fond memories of Rome--and because the premise of Claire hanging out with three nuns in a convent to figure out her relationship to religion feels unique. While the descriptions of Rome's food, culture, and beauty are compelling and lush, unfortunately, I disliked the characters. (Well, all the characters except the nuns. The nuns are hilarious, and I would love to hang out with them.)

Claire is so wishy-washy in her priorities that I became disinterested in her journey. This might have been affected by Liam Callanan's narrative drive; while the framework is there, the plot meanders so much that it becomes tough to follow. The second-chance romance blossoming between Claire and Marcus is mildly interesting but, again, Marcus doesn't have much going for him besides the fact that he's a successful actor and has loved Claire for decades. While she doesn't feature heavily in the story, Claire's daughter Dorothy behaves more like a nineteen-year-old than a twenty-nine-year-old, inserting at least one abbreviation in each of her texts (think "G2G" or similar) and bemoaning how "old people" think.

I felt myself disengaging from the book halfway through because of these feelings, and while there are a couple of exciting plot points toward the end, I wish it had worked better for me.

[Lisa Goodmurphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars A quiet, character-driven read about a woman who finds herself at a crossroads contemplating the next chapter of her life.

Claire, a 52 year-old single mom and real-estate agent who specializes in churches, finds herself at her 30 year college reunion considering the question "what's next?" and not knowing the answer. An opportunity arises for her to help a struggling convent in Rome and Claire travels there for a consultation. Claire had come close to joining a convent as a teenager and, once in Rome, finds herself drawn to the 3 remaining nuns and the beautiful, historic city. She starts to consider taking vows and joining the convent but neither her best friend nor her daughter understand her reasoning and the appearance in Rome of her close friend, Marcus, complicates her thought process as it opens the door to the possibility of a middle-age love as well.

This is a very reflective novel about starting over in mid-life with Claire taking several months living in Rome, trying to save the convent and enjoying marathon-training runs around the city while going back and forth on whether she wants to take vows. It's a look at faith and at all forms of love - romantic, familial and between friends - enjoyable and beautifully written.

[Cheryl Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a 52-year-old woman's midlife crisis, in which she finds herself torn--much as she was in her early 20s--between the convent and the love of her life. She chose neither when she was young, and this quandary redux arises as she goes to Rome on business in behalf of a convent of a diminished order of nuns. I've never been to Rome, but I feel like I have after reading this entertaining and charming novel. (Nor have I been to Yale, but the sense of place there is also quite strong.) The three nuns in Rome are wonderful characters, and the main character Claire is fully developed so that her indecisiveness is entirely natural, though nonetheless maddening. It was great to read a novel with so many strong women with beautiful spirit.

[Kristine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some Books have a Really Intriguing Idea. A woman who had planned to be a Nun after she finishes Yale decides not to go. Now she is in her 50’s, and decides to go to Rome and stay in a Monastery. The Imagery is Beautiful. Claire must decide if she really has a calling to be a Nun or if a long lost Love is for her. So, this sound great, but in execution it just doesn’t go anywhere. Claire feels comfortable with the Nuns and they are kind to her. The Plot and Pacing is incredibly slow and it just isn’t engaging. Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me.

[Mary Northrup · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman goes to Rome to decide if she wants to enter a convent, something she almost did thirty years ago. But that was before she had her daughter and her career. While the story sometimes drags (the will she/won't she situation with her long-time friend Marcus gets to be a little much), the beautiful setting of Rome is well-described, as is shorter turns in Manhattan and Madison, Wisconsin.

[Darcy Bahensky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roughly 11 hours of a middle-aged woman deciding if she wants to become a nun... but generally pleasant.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having visited Trastevere, I enjoyed the setting.

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non avevo capito la trama del libro dalla copertina.
Carini i personaggi, bella l’ambientazione.
Forse un filo troppe le descrizioni delle chiese.
Molto piacevole.

[Brandee · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 40%

[Peggy Riker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t believe it has taken me almost 2 months to finish the book. It just dragged on forever. I just did t like it at all.

[Angie Schlater]

This is about a 52 year old woman who moves to Rome to help sell a convent and then spends a summer discerning whether or not to join. Rome is another character in the story. Throughout it’s unclear what the woman will choose to do. I kept reading to find out. I didn’t find the ending entirely satisfying.

[Brian Callanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant work!

A heartwarming and wonderfully researched novel of faith, love, belief, and forgiveness. A treasure of a book, couldn't put it down!

[Melodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I loved the descriptions of Rome, I loved following a solo traveller, half way through her life, on her journey to discover if she can/should change her life at such an age.

The writing style was a bit weird and hard for me to follow, so I had to pick up the audiobook.

I am definitely not this book's intended audience, but I enjoyed it none the less!