200,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Black Friday Sale on Now! Save up to 25% off Books, Toys, Board Games, & Puzzles! ✨

Five for Sorrow Ten for Joy

A Virago Modern Classic
By Rumer Godden
Series: Virago Modern Classics
0.0 (0 reviews)
Brief Description
By the bestselling author of Black Narcissus and The River 'One of our best and most captivating novelists' - Philip Hensher Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy is about growth, choice, struggle, and the freedom of the soul - Joan Chittister '[Godden's] distinctive, poised and unsentimental... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

A gripping novel about convent life from master storyteller Rumer Godden, now part of a sumptuous new reissue collection from Virago Modern Classics.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
By the bestselling author of Black Narcissus and The River 'One of our best and most captivating novelists' - Philip Hensher Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy is about growth, choice, struggle, and the freedom of the soul - Joan Chittister '[Godden's] distinctive, poised and unsentimental books have never lost a shred of their almost hypnotic appeal' - Rosie Thomas, Guardian

The Sisters of Bethanie, a French order of Dominican nuns, dedicate themselves to caring for the outcasts of society - criminals, prostitutes, and drug addicts. Lise, an English girl who, after the liberation of Paris, was employed in one of the city's smartest brothels and rose to become a successful madame, finds herself joining the sisters. An inspiring and entirely convincing conversion story that shows how the mercy of God extends to the darkest human places.

Master storyteller, Rumer Godden, weaves a deeply moving tale of Lise's prison sentence, her conversion, and the agonising work among women whose traumatic experiences often outstrip even her own.

Series: Virago Modern Classics

View all
  • Rebecca
    "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..." In Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier weaves a suspenseful and atmospheric tale that captures the reader from its very first line. As a young and inexperienced lady's companion, the unnamed heroine's life is marked by yearning and meekness. Her mundane existence takes an unexpected turn on a trip to the South of...
    By Daphne Du Maurier
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • An Angel At My Table
    An Angel at My Table by Janet Frame is a poignant and compelling autobiography that traces the extraordinary journey of one of New Zealand's most acclaimed authors. The narrative begins with her enchanting childhood, unfolding the wonders and curiosities of her early years. As Frame grows, she faces the dark and harrowing experiences of being misdiagnosed with schizophrenia, resulting in...
    By Janet Frame
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    Backorder
    Ships late November
  • Valley Of The Dolls
    Before Jackie Collins, Candace Bushnell and Lena Dunham, Jacqueline Susann held the world rapt with her tales of the private passions of Hollywood starlets, high-powered industrialists and the jet-set. Valley of the Dolls took the world by storm when it was first published, fifty years ago. Never had a book been so frank about sex, drugs and show business. It...
    By Jacqueline Susann
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God
    ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL NOVELS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 'This novel is a packet of surprises as we have no idea what's going to happen next' GUARDIAN 'One of the greatest writers of our time' TONI MORRISON 'Devilishly funny and academically solid: delicious mixture' MAYA ANGELOU 'There is no novel I love more' ZADIE SMITH She was stretched on...
    By Zora Neale Hurston
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    27% off
    Heartburn
    A BESTSELLING NOVEL AND MAJOR FILM STARRING MERYL STREEP AND JACK NICHOLSON 'I have bought more copies of this book to give to people, in a frenzy of enthusiasm, than any other . . . Heartburn is the perfect, bittersweet, sobbingly funny, all-too-true confessional novel' - NIGELLA LAWSON 'A perfect example of Ephron's gift for turning tragedy into comedy' -...
    By Nora Ephron
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    29% off
    An Episode of Sparrows
    Someone has dug up the private garden in the Square and taken buckets of dirt, and Miss Angela Chesney of the Garden Committee is sure that a gang of boys from Catford Street must be to blame. Angela's sister, Olivia, isn't so sure. She wonders why the neighbourhood children—the 'sparrows' she sometimes watches from her window—have to be locked out...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $1700
    Usually:
    $2399
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Dark Horse
    By the author of Black Narcissus and The River '[Godden's] distinctive, poised and unsentimental books have never lost a shred of their almost hypnotic appeal' — ROSIE THOMAS, GUARDIAN 'One of our best and most captivating novelists' — PHILIP HENSHER '[Godden has] a genius for storytelling' — EVENING STANDARD 'All horses can walk - some badly, some well, but to...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Carrie's War
    One of the most loved and enduring wartime novels, Carrie's War is a modern classic. WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY MICHAEL MORPURGO AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALAN MARKS 'A touching, utterly convincing book' JACQUELINE WILSON 'Poignant and realistic... Carrie's War captures the true reality of war for a child, and it doesn't sentimentalise war' SHIRLEY HUGHES, GUARDIAN 'I did a dreadful...
    By Nina Bawden
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Emily of New Moon
    Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery tells the story of Emily Starr, who has never known what it is to be unloved. But when her father dies, she is left in the care of her mother's family. Emily is a stranger to the proud Murrays, none of whom think they can cope with such a heartbroken, headstrong girl....
    By L. M. Montgomery
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Jane of Lantern Hill
    For as long as she could remember, Jane Stuart and her mother lived with her grandmother in a dreary mansion in Toronto. Jane always believed her father was dead—until she accidentally learned he was alive and well and living on Prince Edward Island. When Jane spends the summer at his cottage on Lantern Hill, doing all the wonderful things Grandmother...
    By L. M. Montgomery
    Paperback
    $2199
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • In this House of Brede
    INTRODUCED BY LAUREN GROFF 'Rumer Godden's novels have a timeless shimmer' GUARDIAN 'One hundred years after her birth, Rumer Godden's novels still pulse with life' MATTHEW DENNISON, TELEGRAPH 'Her craftsmanship is always sure' NEW YORK TIMES 'The motto was Pax but the word was set in a circle of thorns. Peace, but what a strange peace, made of unremitting toil...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Rebecca
    NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX FILM starring Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily Collins. 'The moment I finished this story, I turned to page one and started it over again' Malorie Blackman 'Excellent entertainment . . . du Maurier created a scale by which modern women can measure their feelings' Stephen King Rebecca is a masterpiece in which...
    By Daphne Du Maurier and Daphne du Maurier
    Hardback
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349017549

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 February 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Virago Press Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 272

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Rumer Godden Series: Virago Modern Classics

About the Author

Rumer Godden (1907-1998) was the acclaimed author of over sixty works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Born in England, she and her siblings grew up in Narayanganj, India, and she later spent many years living in Kolkata and Kashmir. Several of her novels were made into films, including Black Narcissus, The Greengage Summer and The River, which was filmed by Jean Renoir. She was appointed OBE in 1993.

Also by Rumer Godden

View all
  • The Dark Horse
    By the author of Black Narcissus and The River '[Godden's] distinctive, poised and unsentimental books have never lost a shred of their almost hypnotic appeal' — ROSIE THOMAS, GUARDIAN 'One of our best and most captivating novelists' — PHILIP HENSHER '[Godden has] a genius for storytelling' — EVENING STANDARD 'All horses can walk - some badly, some well, but to...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    29% off
    An Episode of Sparrows
    Someone has dug up the private garden in the Square and taken buckets of dirt, and Miss Angela Chesney of the Garden Committee is sure that a gang of boys from Catford Street must be to blame. Angela's sister, Olivia, isn't so sure. She wonders why the neighbourhood children—the 'sparrows' she sometimes watches from her window—have to be locked out...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $1700
    Usually:
    $2399
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Black Narcissus
    Rumer Godden's stunning classic novel of devotion, faith and madness You have to be very strong to live close to God or a mountain, or you'll turn a little mad . . . High in the Himalayas, the mountaintop palace shines like a jewel. Built for the General's harem, laughter and music once floated out over the gorge. Now it...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Diddakoi
    The Diddakoi
    Everyone in Kizzy's town hates her because she's half-gypsy—a diddakoi. But Kizzy doesn't care. All she needs is Gran and her horse, Joe. But when Gran dies and their wagon burns down, Kizzy is all alone. No one wants to look after her, and her beloved Joe might get sent to the knacker's yard. Can Kizzy survive in a hostile...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2399
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • In this House of Brede
    INTRODUCED BY LAUREN GROFF 'Rumer Godden's novels have a timeless shimmer' GUARDIAN 'One hundred years after her birth, Rumer Godden's novels still pulse with life' MATTHEW DENNISON, TELEGRAPH 'Her craftsmanship is always sure' NEW YORK TIMES 'The motto was Pax but the word was set in a circle of thorns. Peace, but what a strange peace, made of unremitting toil...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Greengage Summer
    The Greengage Summer
    A tense, evocative portrait of love and deceit set during one long hot summer in France, The Greengage Summer is a hauntingly beautiful coming-of-age story by Rumer Godden, the author of Black Narcissus, a major BBC drama series. When their mother is suddenly taken ill on holiday, five siblings are left to fend for themselves at the elegant, faded hotel,...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Black Narcissus
    NOW A HAUNTING BBC DRAMA, STARRING GEMMA ARTERTON AND DIANA RIGG 'A remarkable and beautiful book' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'I envy anyone reading it for the first time' AMANDA COE '[Godden has] a genius for storytelling' EVENING STANDARD High in the Himalayas, the mountaintop palace shines like a jewel. Built for the General's harem, laughter and music once floated out over...
    By Rumer Godden
    Hardback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
    FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BLACK NARCISSUS AND THE RIVER 'One of our best and most captivating novelists' PHILIP HENSHER '[Godden has] a genius for storytelling' EVENING STANDARD 'Her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty' NEW YORK TIMES 'Descriptions of the Italian setting are gorgeous but the real strength is the childlike perspective' DAILY MAIL When their mother leaves...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Fugue in Time
    A Fugue in Time
    Ghosts past, present, and future haunt an old London house in this masterful work of fiction from a New York Times Bestselling author. 'A genius for storytelling' EVENING STANDARD 'One of our best and most original novelists' PHILIP HENSHER 'Her craftsmanship is always sure . . . pure, delicate, and gently witty' NEW YORK TIMES Grizel Dane, a bold young...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Peacock Spring
    At fifteen and twelve, the daughters of diplomat Sir Edward Gwithiam have already seen more of the world than most girls of their age. But when Una and her younger sister, Halcyon, are summoned from their English boarding school to join their father in New Delhi, they encounter a reality unlike anything they have ever experienced. For Hal, India is...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The River
    By the bestselling author of Black Narcissus and The Greengage Summer The River will make you laugh, make you cry and, in its way, change you forever' JULIE MYERSON 'Her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty' NEW YORK TIMES 'Bold, beautiful . . . everyone’s appetites will be satisfied' ELLE The River is Rumer Godden's beautiful tribute to India...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Cromartie v. the God Shiva
    Cromartie v. the God Shiva
    BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR 'One of our best and most captivating novelists' PHILIP HENSHER '[Godden] writes with grace and a cheerfully lilting prose' KIRKUS REVIEWS 'Her craftsmanship is always sure' NEW YORK TIMES A revered effigy of the God, Shiva, is missing from the Patna Hall Hotel on south India's exquisite Coromandel coast. Was it stolen, and...
    By Rumer Godden
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Browse lists from our team

The Latest at Book Hero

View all

More from General Fiction

View all
  • On Sale
    13% off
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    By Caro Claire Burke
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    14% off
    Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    By Allen Levi
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    By Alison Espach
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    A Court of Splintered Harmony
    Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the breathtaking sixth book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.What was broken will be remade.Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he's been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories,...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    10% off
    New Release
    Threshing Day
    The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing Day contains thirteen stories starring your favorite characters and their dragons. The deluxe first edition includes sixteen beautiful original full-color illustrations by artist Joe Requeza.    Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing and In the...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Hardback
    $6300
    Usually:
    $6999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
    Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Set
    $12400
    Elsewhere:
    $15500
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Chain Reaction
    Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child. The world’s bestselling hero is back in a brand new, high-octane adventure! ‘She knew that finding Reacher would not be easy . . .’ Washington DC. General Susan Turner needs help from the only guy she knows will get...
    By Lee Child and Andrew Child
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    11% off
    Assassin’s Apprentice
    Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb marks the beginning of an extraordinary adventure in the rich and immersive world of the Six Duchies. Set against the backdrop of a kingdom teetering on the brink of civil war, this gripping tale introduces readers to FitzChivalry Farseer, a royal bastard whose existence threatens the stability of the crown. When the crown prince's secret...
    By Robin Hobb
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    20% off
    A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set (5 books)
    All five of the Court of Thorns and Roses paperbacks packaged together in a gorgeous box set. "Passionate, violent, sexy and daring." —USA TODAY on A Court of Thorns and Roses Feyre is a huntress. The skin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Set
    $8000
    Elsewhere:
    $12495
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Threshing Day
    New Release
    Threshing Day
    The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing Day, contains thirteen stories starring your favourite characters and their dragons. The deluxe first edition includes sixteen beautiful original full-colour illustrations by artist Joe Requeza and silver-gilded edges. *while stock lasts. Discover the beloved world of the record-breaking, multi-million-copy bestselling series where power always demands a price, secrets darken every hallway,...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Hardback
    $4999
    Elsewhere:
    $5500
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    19% off
    Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    John of John
    The stunning new novel from the Booker Prize-winning, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo.'John of John has the emotional range and sense of sympathy of his earlier books, but this book is special, it has an urgency, an immediacy, a brilliant sense of place, the drama of fierce emotion repressed, concealed and volcanically exposed' - Colm Tóibín'To read John of John is to move to...
    By Douglas Stuart
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    14% off
    A Court of Wings and Ruin
    The third instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, the gripping third book of the ACOTAR series, Feyre Archeron faces the ultimate battle for her world. Having returned to the Spring Court, she is determined to gather...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 200,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.