Christine MacKinnon

Chronicles From The Hall Christine MacKinnon

CHRONICLES FROM THE HALL is a coming of age story set in a Catholic boarding school run by the Sisters of Mercy called McAuley Hall. The Hall is set in the heart of the Roman Catholic Precinct of St. John's, Newfoundland and takes place during the fast changing late 1960's.

The author was sent there by a cruel and unfeeling stepfather and a weak, unloving mother after the death of her father.

The story will take you through the most important years of a young girl's life. The writer makes you a voyeur, titillated, if you will, by a glimpse inside this often forbidden world.

The author leaves behind her better judgement and writes brutally and honestly about her experiences during that time. She speaks of her own raw emotions, failures, and lack of judgement as she tries to navigate life through this hostile environment. The story is laced with both humour and pathos.

It conveys both the power and scope of the Roman Catholic Church during those years. The nuns had a mandate to ptotect and educate the children in their care, but often failed miserably. The story also conveys the emotions of a young teenager, cast adrift, in this strange new world and the circumstances that brought her there.