Super Short Summary

The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott centers around Sister St. Saviour, an aging nun who assists a struggling widow, Annie, and her infant daughter Sally after Annie's husband, Jimmy, commits suicide by setting fire to their Brooklyn tenement. Set in the early twentieth century, the story follows the lives of women in a convent and beyond, as they navigate grief, seek better lives, and find their place in the world. Topics include suicide and grief.