The Turning
4.9/5
Critic Rating
Thousands of women gave up everything to follow Mother Teresa, joining her storied Catholic order, the Missionaries of Charity. But some found that life inside this fiercely private religious order was not what they’d imagined. Former sisters who worked closely with Mother Teresa describe her bold vision and devotion to charity and prayer. But they also share stories of suffering and forbidden love, abuse and betrayal. If you make a lifelong vow, what does it mean to break it? What is the line between devotion and brainwashing? Can you truly give yourself to God?
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Hollie Richardson • The Guardian • Jan 19, 2023
"(Season: Room of Mirrors) those who know the real cost of working with the New York City Ballet…"
Score: 5
humanistfreedoms • Humanist Freedoms • Jul 20, 2021
"(Season: The Sisters Who Left) ...deserving of recognition for their own type of courage and their own humanist character, inevitably linked to their times and social conditions..."
Score: 4.5
Miranda Sawyer • The Guardian • May 22, 2021
"(Season: The Sisters Who Left) There are moments that remind you of Gilead, and a lot that recalls a cult."
Score: 4.8
Nicholas Quah • Vulture • May 22, 2021
"(Season: The Sisters Who Left) The Turning is rich with enough curious, compelling details to warrant interest. The series is also much less sordid and melodramatic than the title initially suggests it to be. Between host Erika Lantz’s careful handling of the narration and the sensitivity of the script, the production approaches its tricky subject matter with admirable care."
Score: 5
Michelle Goldberg • New York Times • May 21, 2021
"(Season: The Sisters Who Left) Indeed, there have been so many recent podcasts about cults... In many ways the compelling new podcast “The Turning: The Sisters Who Left,” which debuted on Tuesday, unfolds like one of these shows. What makes “The Turning” unique is its focus on the internal life of the Missionaries of Charity. The former sisters describe an obsession with chastity so intense that any physical human contact or friendship was prohibited..."
Score: 5
Ashlie D. Stevens • Salon • May 19, 2021
"(Season: The Sisters Who Left) One of the most striking things about the new podcast "The Turning: The Sisters Who Left" is how some of the former nuns describe their experiences with life behind the walls of Mother Teresa's world-famous order, the Missionaries of Charity: in language reminiscent of the way we talk about cults."