The life of a cloistered nun is mysterious to us. They take vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, and they also to vow to live enclosed. For the nuns at the Colettine Poor Clare Monastery in Rockford, this means they’ll spend the rest of their lives in a monastery. Their only physical contact with the world is through a metal grille. Author Abbie Reese spent the past nine years visiting the Poor Clares and conducting interviews. The Oxford University Press recently published her book, Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns, and she’s working on a documentary film. Reese’s work offers us a rare glimpse into the world of a cloistered nun.