The Anchoress A Novel
The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader, published by Picador on June 14, 2016, is a historical novel set in England during the year 1255. At just seventeen, Sarah chooses to become an anchoress, retreating into a small cell beside the village church to escape the grief of losing her sister and the societal pressures of marriage. This decision leads her to a life dedicated to prayer, but she soon finds herself haunted by the voice of the previous anchoress, revealing that her isolation may not shield her from the complexities of human emotion.
Readers will discover a narrative that explores themes of faith, desire, and the human need for connection. The story delves into Sarah’s internal struggles as she navigates her commitment to a life apart from the world, while the whispers from the past challenge her understanding of solitude and spirituality. With 320 pages, this reprint edition offers a deep dive into the medieval experience, providing a rich backdrop for the exploration of personal and spiritual conflict.
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“The book that the whole literary world can’t stop talking about.” —Marie Claire (Australia)
“A considerable achievement.” —Sarah Dunant, The New York Times Book Review
England, 1255: Sarah is only seventeen when she chooses to become an anchoress, a holy woman shut away in a small cell, measuring seven by nine paces, at the side of the village church. Fleeing the grief of losing a much-loved sister as well as the pressure to marry, she decides to renounce the world—with all its dangers, desires, and temptations—and commit herself to a life of prayer. But when she starts hearing the voice of the previous anchoress whispering to her, seemingly from the stones themselves, it soon becomes clear that even the thick, unforgiving walls of Sarah’s cell cannot protect her as well as she had thought.
An absorbing story of faith, desire, shame, fear, and the human need for connection, The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader is a haunting and compelling novel: both quietly heartbreaking and thrillingly unpredictable.
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