Ingenuity, hard work and prayer have kept the little convent of St Winifreda-in-the-Fen going for centuries, but now the roof leaks, the bell tower is crumbling, and rats have moved in. The cost-conscious Bishop wants to rationalise, send the retired sisters to a home, shut the place down, and sell the land for a car park.

Sister Boniface, convent correspondent, minibus driver and beginner shopkeeper, charts the rise and fall of their struggle, as, with the help of an unlikely team of ex-offenders, migrant workers and mullitracial nuns, the convent's sisterhood decides to tackle the realities of the 21st century and keep going.

A warm, gentle adventure in which kindness and community spirit confront the harsh climate of modern corporate life - and refuse to be flattened.