Las Vegas, NV -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/11/2018 --A young Catholic woman lacking confidence in herself abandons her dreams of becoming an actress or a writer, instead Maggie Walsh embraces Church teaching that says the convent is the path to perfection. Everyone in her family is shocked when she's decided to enter the convent, even the nuns who are her teachers seem a little surprised at her decision. Maggie decides she will need to work hard to prove herself worthy of their admiration.

PERFECTION is a blend of local and national history and a coming-of-age romance novel set in the 1960s. America in the sixties were turbulent times: race riots, a Church turned on its head by Pope John XXIII's call for change and renewal, an explosive political homefront, punctuated by civil-rights marches, anti-Vietnam war demonstrations, and assassinations that rock the nation. Church reform is a few years away, but when it comes, radical changes unfold swiftly. Seeking perfection seemed simple when Maggie graduated from high school; now, ten years later, it is anything but. Is perfection worth the sacrifice? Is Maggie's faith strong enough? Is this God's calling? Will she stay?

Maggie Walsh has entered the convent. Her brother thinks she's wasting her life. Her sister doubts she has what it takes. Her mother is heartbroken; her father is happy. Her boyfriend pledges to wait until she "gets it out of her system."

Her older brother, Jack, who disapproves of her choice and tries at every turn to get Maggie to come to her senses, involves Maggie in civil-rights and anti-war activities – forcing her into conflict with her superiors.

A charismatic fellow teacher named Will arrives and captures her time and attention. Then her first love, Stan, returns from a Navy tour, determined to win her back. Some of her closest friends decide the convent is no longer the right life for them. But what about her? Maggie must make the choice of a lifetime – will she choose the earthly love of a man, or the devotional love to God?

"Honest and searching, PERFECTION is one young woman's surprising spiritual adventure into her life's true work. Wade's richly observed characters and intelligent storytelling charm and inspire." ~ Karen Novak, Author of Innocence

When asked why she wrote this book, Kathleen explains that people are curious about the mysterious life behind convent walls ~ why enter a convent, what was it like, how long did you stay, why did you leave? To answer, Kathleen started writing and the more she wrote the more other characters began speaking out making her realize, this is not just her story. PERFECTION is based on some of Kathleen's experiences, but now she says it's the property of her characters.

About Kathleen Wade
Kathleen Wade has enjoyed a thirty-year teaching career, receiving the Ohio Teacher Achievement Award in 1995. She taught English, drama, journalism and writing on the high-school and college levels. She served for ten years as Writer, Teacher, Facilitator and Executive Director of Women Writing for (a) Change, a writing community for women, girls and men in Cincinnati. Most recently she served as Director of leadership-development programs for women religious and their associates.

Her poems and essays have appeared in many anthologies, and her full-length, non-fiction book, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives, features the lives of lay people who are associates of religious communities. She was a member of a religious community of sisters for over a decade. She continues to consult with religious communities and lives with her husband in Cincinnati.