Overview

'A remarkable evocation of hidden aspects of the medieval world... Kiner blends unfamiliar history with a compelling account of women struggling in a society determined to shackle them' - Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the MonthIt'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...

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9781782278320

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Reviews

'A remarkable evocation of hidden aspects of the medieval world... Kiner blends unfamiliar history with a compelling account of women struggling in a society determined to shackle them' - Sunday Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month 'A rich, surprising and devastating story of a female institution long-forgotten' - Marj Charlier, author of The Rebel Nun 'An intimate, heartbreaking tale of female friendship and betrayal in the royal beguinage of Paris... Highly recommended' - Candace Robb, bestselling author of the Owen Archer mysteries 'Brilliantly juggles history and fiction' - Le Figaro 'Sensitive and subtle in substance, carnal and poetic in form... A luminous novel' - Huffingtonpost.fr

Author Information

ALINE KINER (1959-2019) was born in Moselle, France. She later moved to Paris where she became editor-in-chief of special issues of the magazine Sciences et Avenir. The Mirror of Simple Souls was the fruit of three years of research and writing on the beguines of Paris. It was a bestseller in France and won the Prix Culture et Bibliotheques.SUSAN EMANUEL (SUSAN BOYD-BOWMAN) has been a French-to-English translator of academic and general audience books and articles for forty years. In 2022 she received an award from the French-American Foundation for two works of non-fiction. This is her first literary translation.

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