This story is about a young woman who is put into a convent by her
father, and the relationship between her, the nuns in charge, and
another woman who regularly visits her...

This is all I know.

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Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 22 Oct 2004 23:48 PDT

Could you be thinking of "The Portrait of a Lady"?

In that book, a girl named Pansy in placed in a convent by her father. 

From a Spark Notes summary:
 
"A week later, Pansy shocks Isabel by saying that her father is
sending her back to the convent; the nuns will arrive for her that
very evening. Osmond tells Isabel that there is something he wants to
give Pansy the space to think about "in the right way."
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/portraitlady/section13.rhtml

In Chapter 52 of the book, Pansy is visited at the convent by another
woman, Isabel.
http://www.online-literature.com/henry_james/portrait_lady/52/


Is this the book that you had in mind?


I'm hesitant to post this as the official answer without your
confirmation, as Pansy is not really the main character in this novel.
 Also, Pansy is only in the convent for the latter part of the book. 
As such, most of the novel does not take place in a convent.

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Clarification of Question by timespacette-ga on 23 Oct 2004 08:49 PDT

yes, that's the one . . . go ahead and post it as an answer, thanks.

Okay, thanks!

"The Portrait of a Lady" is available free online at:
http://www.online-literature.com/henry_james/portrait_lady/

Various print editions are available at Amazon.com, such as:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393966461/

There are also several movie versions.  See the Internet Movie Database:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117364/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249087/

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search strategy:
"henry james" "her father" convent

Thanks!

Thank you for the tip.
-juggler