▁Mur iel ▁Spark ' s ▁novel ▁The ▁Abb ess ▁of ▁Cre we . ▁ ▁Plot ▁At ▁the ▁little - known ▁and ▁extremely ▁wealth y ▁Ab bey ▁of ▁Philadelphia ▁the ▁Abb ess , ▁Sister ▁H ilde g ard , ▁is ▁dying . ▁She ▁wishes ▁her ▁favorite , ▁Sister ▁Alex andra , ▁to ▁succeed ▁her ▁but ▁dies ▁moments ▁before ▁she ▁can ▁make ▁her ▁end ors ement ▁public . ▁Alex andra ▁consp ires ▁with ▁Sister s ▁Ger tr ude ▁and ▁Wal burg a ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁coming ▁election , ▁and ▁to ▁defeat ▁her ▁rival , ▁Sister ▁Fel icity , ▁who ▁is ▁open ly ▁carrying ▁on ▁an ▁affair ▁with ▁a ▁Jes uit ▁priest , ▁Father ▁Thomas . ▁Alex andra ▁orders ▁hidden ▁micro ph ones ▁and ▁cam eras ▁installed ▁throughout ▁the ▁convent , ▁and ▁even ▁h ires ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁Jes uit ▁students , ▁Gregory ▁and ▁Am bro se , ▁to ▁break ▁in ▁and ▁ste al ▁Thomas ' s ▁comprom ising ▁letters ▁from ▁Sister ▁Fel icity ' s ▁se wing ▁box . ▁The ▁break - in ▁is ▁discovered , ▁but ▁the ▁real ▁meaning ▁is ▁kept ▁hidden ▁and ▁Alex andra ▁wins ▁the ▁election ▁by ▁a ▁lands lide . ▁Once ▁she ▁is ▁made ▁Abb ess , ▁Alex andra ▁exp els ▁and ▁ex communic ates ▁Fel icity , ▁who ▁begins ▁a ▁very ▁public ▁campaign ▁to ▁to pp le ▁Alex andra . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁public ity ▁brings ▁the ▁ab bey ▁to ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁See , ▁which ▁disco vers ▁that ▁the ▁order ▁is ▁an ▁uno fficial