This is a love story. Girl meets boy. Boy joins a monastic order. Their relationship sets a young woman on a much different path than she ever imagined. Woven together in Karen Sloan"s Flirting with Monasticism are two stories of love and commitment: her exploration of monastic spirituality set against the yearlong journey of a novice class of men preparing to join the Dominican order. Each breathlessly confusing but ultimately fulfilling step leads to unexpected treasures: new ways to pray, a deeper experience of Christian community, and closer communion with God.