This beautifully produced book is based upon the doctoral thesis of June Mecham – after whose death in 2009 it was lovingly completed by three close friends, in what at times must have been a heartbreaking exercise. It tells the story of six communities of rich and noble nuns in the convents of Lower Saxony (more specifically the Lüneberg Heath) on the eve of the Lutheran Reformation. In seven tightly-written chapters, it describes in great detail the history of these communities, their approach to performative devotion and liturgical ritual, the art that accompanied their devotions, their attitudes to wealth and poverty and how the abbess, Katharina von Hoya, created her monastic space. The final two chapters discuss the impact of Observant reform (specifically, how newly appointed abbesses acted as patrons in spiritual renewal and artistic revival) and the increasing emphasis that nuns placed upon the brutal details of the Passion. Throughout the book Mecham emphasises the cross-influences between monastic and lay piety and the agency of women in both groups in shaping a shared religious culture. It has sometimes seemed unfashionable to point out the strengths and vibrancy of pre-Reformation religious institutions, but Mecham rightly makes the case for it, convincingly and with style. The forty-eight black-and-white illustrations which appear throughout the book are a welcome addition to the text and the editors should be congratulated for having persuaded the publisher to include them as part of the work. On the basis of this book, June Mecham's death seems a tragic loss to scholars of late medieval religion everywhere. It is to be hoped, however, that others will be able to advance this subject further on the basis of the rich material that she has uncovered and the ideas that she has presented.