Hardcover. NY, powerHouse Books, 1st, 2006, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover, 127 pages. Lili Almog's color photos taken at three Carmelite monasteries (of nuns) are revealing of their faith.. The sisters showing their distinctive profession crucifixes (normally worn hidden under their scapulars, and pinned to their beds when they go to sleep) are revealing their personal symbols of "perfect intimacy." And the statues and/or holy cards of our holy mother St. Teresa, our holy father St. John of the Cross, St. Therese, and St. Joseph make Carmelites feel right at home. The monasteries are also significant: they are on Mt. Carmel (Haifa) and in Bethlehem--founded by Sister Miriam, "the little Arab"; and in Port Tobacco, Maryland, whose community is the oldest and first Discalced Carmelite convent founded in the US. The spartan surroundings emphasize the importance of the nuns' relationship with God. The photos of the sisters revealing their profession crucifixes, which they wear near their hearts and pin to their beds when going to sleep, I found especially moving. Almog's photos are neither stilted nor rigid, but reminiscent of the photos that St. Therese's sister Celine took of her! The quotations from Blessed Teresa of the Andes are very apt comments on the photos.
