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The year is 1357. The Inquisition rages throughout medieval France, searching ruthlessly for heretics. In an epic tale of passion, mystery, and unspeakable danger, one woman faces the flames...and triumphs. Mother Marie Françoise, born Sybille, is a midwife with a precocious gift for magic -- a gift that makes her a prime target for persecution at the hands of the Church. She flees her village and takes refuge in a Franciscan sisterhood. Before long, Sybille's unusual powers bring her under the scrutiny of the Inquisition. Michel, a pious and compassionate monk sent to hear her confession, finds himself drawn more intimately into Sybille's life and destiny than either of them could have imagined. Like a magician herself, Jeanne Kalogridis weaves a tale of star-crossed love, of faith and heresy, of mysticism and witchcraft, against a fascinating historical backdrop -- the Black Death, the Hundred Years' War, and the catastrophic defeat of France at the hands of the English. The result is a page-turning novel about one of the most intriguing periods in history.
In 1357 France, a midwife gifted with forbidden magic must evade the lethal reach of the Inquisition while navigating a landscape ravaged by plague and war. Sybille, known as Mother Marie Françoise, seeks sanctuary within a Franciscan convent to hide her supernatural abilities from the Church's ruthless inquisitors. Her path intersects with Michel, a monk tasked with her confession, whose internal struggle between his religious duty and his growing affection for Sybille complicates her survival. The narrative follows their precarious connection as they confront the physical dangers of the Black Death and the political instability of the Hundred Years' War.
This novel presents a narrative that emphasizes the tension between personal faith and the rigid structures of medieval authority. The historical setting serves as a catalyst for the protagonist's internal and external conflicts, grounding the mystical elements in the harsh realities of the 14th century. Readers likely encounter a story that prioritizes the atmospheric dread of the Inquisition alongside the development of a central, high-stakes relationship. The work functions as a character-driven study of survival, utilizing the backdrop of war and plague to heighten the urgency of the central mystery.
Page Count:
400
Publication Date:
2001-01-01
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10:
0002259915
ISBN-13:
9780002259910
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