Lying awake

Sister John of the Cross lives in a Carmelite monastery outside present-day Los Angeles, where daily life has changed little in centuries. She has spent years there in the service of God. She alone experiences visions of remarkable power and insight, and because of them the community regards her as a spiritual master.

Her visions come with severe headaches, and a doctor tells her they may be dangerous. She now faces a painful decision. If her spiritual gifts are symptoms of an illness rather than signs of grace, a cure could end the visions and leave her soul dry and searching again.

Lying Awake is a novel by Mark Salzman, whose other books include the memoir Iron & Silk. It explores faith, doubt and the relationship between illness and spiritual experience.