Mona Castelazo

Under the Skyflower Tree: Reflections of a Nun-entity Mona Castelazo

A memoir told with candor and humor, Under the Skyflower Tree follows one woman's spiritual journey in the Catholic faith. Author Mona Castelazo shares the humorous stories of growing up Catholic in Fresno, California. Her calling to the religious life, her subsequent formation in the convent, and her early teaching career occur at a time of sweeping changes in the Catholic Church-Vatican II. Castelazo embraces change as a person determined not to be a non-entity, but instead, a "nun-entity." Her narrative begins in her days as an inquisitive and precocious young girl and continues until she becomes a critically thinking, mature adult, rejecting the "regurgitation of answers" as unacceptable for herself and her students. The English teacher shares a bit of her own poetry throughout this captivating memoir. Under the Skyflower Tree speaks to those interested in spiritual growth, human development, insightful literature, the wisdom of personal experience, and the beauty of remaining open to where life takes you.