This debut novel written by Janet Rich Edwards is indeed an eye opener and recommended to anyone who is having thoughts of a spiritual awakening. I for one picked it up because the summary sounded fascinating and I figured it would be an interesting read. I was right about it being interesting I just didn’t know that I would literally be begging for more when I finished it.
Set against the backdrop of the middle ages our main character Aleys is a child with a loving family. Her mother has taught her and her siblings the importance of god and faith. After her mothers tragic death in childbirth she makes a vow never to marry or have children but at the same time she can't see herself becoming a nun.
Many years later she has grown up and is still set in her ways. However one day her father announces she will marry. Aleys who doesn't want to follow through with the whole ordeal realizes that she has only one other choice. the night before the wedding she makes a brave move and runs away to a monastery. From there she will begin her spiritual journey and meet some influential people along the way. Some of these people will have good intentions while others not so good.
I received an ARC copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

Aleys grows up in a happy, comfortable wool family in Bruges. Her mother , whom she adores, owns an exquisite prayer book with jewel bright illustrations and tells Aleys saints’ stories, particularly those about powerful women even though she cannot read. So begins this absorbing, well-crafted story about a young woman’s journey away from marriage and the danger of childbirth to becoming a storyteller and light-filled, yearning and passionate mystic. Author, Janet Rich Edwards, gently constructs the limited and controlled world of being a woman in the Middle Ages as we watch socially awkward, intellectually curious Aleys stumble against rules invented to maintain the hegemony of the church.

Aleys’ life becomes entwined with the extraordinary ‘Beguines’. I loved the idea of the Beguines, a self-sustaining, women only community living spiritual, industrious lives with no church affiliation and the freedom to work in the hospital and marketplace and live within Bruges. The Begijnhof is a place of peace and female sanctuary. Character development is strong and believable and even the characters not at the heart of this story are interesting and often very likeable. Sisterhood, literacy and the need to work together to support other women is a central theme. Another is the translation of the bible into the locally spoken language, seen as a huge threat by the church. So when stories, like that of Lot’s wife, are retold by a woman, in Dutch, questioning the message of the received text, framing it through the female lived experience, the church seeks to crush that story and the women behind it.

This is a far richer, literary and philosophical experience than I expected from the cover, and I found the immersive descriptions of Bruges’ life and Aleys’ visions enriched my understanding of Medieval life and gave context to the beautifully researched anchorites, beguines, and other religious orders that were flourishing when Belief as a way of life. Breezy wide lowland skies, abundant nature and the scent of the changing seasons, washing snapping on the lines, wool carded like prayer, soft and smelling of grass and sheep dung, the sensory texture of the writing is also hugely satisfying. I hope this jewel of a book reaches the right readers.

I would like to preface this by saying I don’t believe I am the intended audience for this book. I thought this story was well written and well crafted and it felt like the author truly researched and understood their work. The emotions were showcased well, and the characters were for the most part well developed. I am not sure what emotion I was supposed to feel at the end of this book, but the one I did feel was anger. I try to separate my feelings on the subject matter and the book itself, but it is hard when it paints it as I see it. Though, my glasses may be tinted, haha. I think the best part of this book is the highlight on searching for God vs searching to be chosen by God. I am going to rate this more on the skill of writing and story development because I just think I am the wrong audience.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Spiegel & Grau for the Ebook ARC I received. Usually I make it a point to avoid books that have anything to do with religion or spirituality, but the historical fiction premise was alluring and I'm so glad I went against my usual prejudices. I didn't want to put this book down.

Aleys is a sixteen-year-old girl in the thirteenth-century who experiences visions and chooses a religious life over marriage. Throughout the story, she builds relationships with a variety of different people and most of them are fleshed out very well. Edwards explored the personalities of each of her characters without letting anyone become a caricature. The antagonists are not one-dimensional, the dialogue felt real and downright funny (particularly Aleys listening to the chatter of some of the other girls), and the conscious decision to use modern language helped the story flow well. The sorrow, disgust, joy...nearly every emotion the characters felt was palpable. I wasn't conscious of my facial expressions while reading until one of my children asked me what in the world was happening in the book. I won't spoil it, but let's just say the sacrifice of Isaac was referred to, and I appreciated Merte's take on it. There is one particularly grotesque part that I was not expecting, but unfortunately it was not out of the realm of possibility for the character.

Some of the characters were not explored as deeply as others, such as Aleys' sister, brothers and father. It made sense as they didn't need to play pivotal parts in the book, but I would've liked to see more of her time with her sister. Even just a short chapter from her sister's point of view toward the end of the book would've been lovely.

For people who didn't spend time growing up in church, the frequent references to Christ as a bridegroom and some of the choices Aleys makes may seem downright insane. However, Edwards did an exceptional job showing the reasons why Aleys might decide on the things she chooses, based on the few choices women had at the time. I really appreciated that while Aleys was pursuing God throughout the book, I didn't feel like I was being preached at or encouraged to examine my own faith. I came away from the book feeling as though I read a beautiful historical fiction that focused on the relationships we build with people and how we can find God (or just fulfillment, for those of us who don't believe in God) in being kind to one another. I will absolutely be waiting for this book to come out in December so I can buy the physical copy and read it again/loan it out.