Passion comes in many guises, as Sarah Dunant demonstrates here.
Within the closed religious community of Santa Caterina, a Benedectine convent during the Renaissance, we encounter not just contemplation but a cauldron of intrigue, repressed sexuality and religious hysteria.
At a time when many women were placed in convents because their families couldn’t afford a dowry, 16-year-old Serafina is incarcerated inside Santa Caterina.
The teenager, desperate to escape and join her lover, is placed in the care of Suora Zuana, who was herself a reluctant entrant on the death of her father.
Add the presence of an ancient visionary and a faction intent on reform, and Serafina’s presence is the catalyst for a life-and-death struggle.
Although over-coloured at times, the plot exerts a compulsive hold, and Dunant’s insights into history and the possible effects of a religious lifestyle make this fascinating.