After much discussion and back-and-forth, we agreed to sell them on behalf of the monastery. We realized that they would all need bindery work, followed by photography and a clear, specific description, so somehow the books would need to be at our shop, rather than remain with the Cistercians.
One day, I emailed Sister and told her that I thought we would have to rent a very large truck to bring the books to Cape Cod. She responded by telling us that they would rather bring the books themselves, and I immediately understood that not only did they want to check out our shop, but they saw an opportunity to leave the monastery and come to the Cape for the day. She said it would be the opportunity of a lifetime.
We decided to drop everything we were doing to help them. We arranged with a chef who lives across the street to put together a vegetarian lunch, and mapped out an itinerary for them. And we made sure that our granddaughter, Rosie Jack, who is 2 1/2, and who was in our care for the summer, was out of pre-school that day. That was a special request from Sister.
On a sunny morning, around 10 AM, three cars rolled into our driveway with the Abbess of the monastery, four other Cistercian nuns (including our main contact), and a lay sister. There was a heavy-duty pickup truck, a station wagon and a sedan, all carrying some two tons of 35-lb. choir books, standing up like little soldiers. Instead of their customary perfect black-and-white starched habits, the sisters wore denim clothes and veils. After off-loading the books and giving them a tour of our shop and living quarters, we went across the street for lunch.
In the yard, before we sat down, I had the privilege of being with the sisters as they prayed.
After lunch we went to Fort Hill, part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. This is a glorious location, with almost 360° views of the salt marshes, much as the Native Americans must have seen them. Rosie Jack took off like a shot on the 2-mile trail, a line of nuns following her, in a scene strikingly reminiscent of one of the Madeleine books. Rosie had 6 extra babysitters when we went from there to the National Seashore Museum, downtown Chatham, and finally to Red River Beach at the foot of our street.
Some of the sisters took off their shoes and waded into the water; one climbed up the abandoned lifeguard station. When they spread out along the almost deserted beach, Rosie Jack ran up and down, entirely safe, from one to the other. The day was entirely special and very wonderful. Rosie Jack stills talks about "the nuns" when she lists the names of her friends.
We still had the task of researching the books; in order to properly describe and sell them, we had to understand both their printing history and the history of chant. We enlisted the sisters and other monastics from the Order, both in the United States and in Belgium, in researching the history of the books and we were not disappointed by what we uncovered. The Cistercians fortunately have a long memory and centuries of detailed records.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a74d9ff-42dd-46a1-8bb2-b636c4cec796.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.")
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
