
The Mirror of Simple Souls (Hardback)
Aline Kiner (author), Susan Emanuel (translator)Published: 06/04/2023
A heretical text, a vengeful husband, a forbidden love...
It's 1310 and Paris is alive with talk of the trial of the Templars. Religious repression is on the rise, and the smoke of execution pyres blackens the sky above the city. But sheltered behind the walls of Paris's great beguinage, a community of women are still free to work, study and live their lives away from the domination of men. When a wild, red-haired child clothed in rags arrives at the beguinage gate one morning, with a sinister Franciscan monk on her tail, she sets in motion a chain of events that will shatter the peace of this little world-plunging it into grave danger.
Publisher: Pushkin Press
ISBN: 9781782278306
Number of pages: 320
Dimensions: 216 x 135 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Brilliantly juggles history and fiction' - Le Figaro
'Sensitive and subtle in substance, carnal and poetic in form... A luminous novel' - Huffingtonpost.fr
'Leads us with brio into a little-known Middle Ages of strong, erudite, supportive, and generous women' - Page des libraires
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“Beautifully written historical fiction”
This is a beautifully written fictional story surrounding real events in 14th century Paris, providing a vivid insight into the lives of the women of the Great Beguinage, “an oasis in the heart of the city”. For... More
“Very literary translation - beautiful”
Paris 1310 and the city is aflame with vengeance. The king wants to avenge himself against the Templars and heretics are being persecuted. A sister from Hainault in the north appears in Paris accused of writing a... More
“Fascinating historical fiction”
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel which told the story of a community of women, the beguines, who were able to live, work, learn and pray within the safety of the beguinages under royal protection in medieval... More
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