Canticle
A bizarre story of miracles and martyrdom ... Edwards carefully draws this liminal state between commerce and cloister. It’s just one of many illuminating aspects of her historical novel that reveal the clever ways some 'unsupervised women'...were able to define their own roles adjacent to an ecclesiastical system that severely limited their agency ... Daring territory for a contemporary novelist to enter ... Edwards effectively balances the story’s religious fervency with the presence of a cynical bishop who adds a delicious touch of wit and menace to this spiritual melodrama ... Something of a daring act of translation. Edwards manages to produce a modern narrative that remains leashed to ancient experience and the evolving religious practices of the era ... The Aleys we follow into the flames remains fanatical and weird and devoted in a way that passeth all understanding and yet feels purified by love.
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A mystical story that immerses us in an earlier century ... You don’t need to be religious to appreciate this novel, but you might get more out of it if you have a basic Biblical knowledge ... An auspicious debut.
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Luminous, mesmerizing ... The prose buzzes with electric spirituality, getting inside the hearts and minds of medieval Christians ... The friendships and animosities that Aleys stirs within the tight-knit beguine sisterhood are compelling, and the engaging conversations between the women ring true ... The tale is ripe with rich personalities and human foibles ... A glorious historical novel that evokes the fervor and flavor of medieval Christian culture.
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