Synopses & Reviews
“Sharratt brings one of the most famous and enigmatic women of the Middle Ages to vibrant life in this tour de force, which will captivate the reader from the very first page.” —Sharon Kay Penman
“One could not anticipate this majesty and drama . . . Illuminations is riveting, following von Bingen through . . . to emerge as one of the significant voices of the 12th century . . . Unforgettable.” —January Magazine
One of the most extraordinary women of the Middle Ages, Hildegard von Bingen—Benedictine abbess, healer, composer, saint—experienced mystic visions from a very young age. Offered by her noble family to the Church at the age of eight, she lived for years in forced silence. But through the study of books and herbs, through music and the kinship of her sisters, Hildegard found her way from a life of submission to a calling that celebrated the divine glories all around us. In this brilliantly researched and insightful novel, Mary Sharratt offers a deeply moving portrait of a woman willing to risk everything for what she believed, a triumphant exploration of the life she might well have lived.
“Gripping . . . Like Ann Patchetts Bel Canto, [Illuminations] is primarily about relationships forged under pressure.” —Publishers Weekly
“Masterful.”—Saint Paul Pioneer Press
Review
“Quick has chosen a fascinating backdrop. Her novel shimmers.…This is a good read.” Booklist
Review
“A genuine successor to [Tracy Chevaliers Girl with a Pearl Earring].” Houston Chronicle
Review
“Quicks descriptions of Anna Marias violin playing soar off the page, evoking Vivaldis own compositions.” San Francisco Chronicle
Synopsis
Abandoned as an infant, fourteen-year-old Anna Maria dal Violin is one of the elite musicians living in the foundling home where the "Red Priest," Antonio Vivaldi, is maestro and composer. Fiercely determined to find out where she came from, Anna Maria embarks on a journey of self-discovery that carries her into a wondrous and haunting world of music and spectacle, bringing eighteenth-century Venice magically to life.
Synopsis
"An imaginative retelling of the fascinating life of the twelfth-century nun Hildegard von Bingen . . . Sharratts gripping story, like Ann Patchetts Bel Canto, is primarily about relationships forged under pressure." —Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Writer and poet Barbara Quick is the author of the novels Vivaldi's Virgins and Northern Edge, winner of the Discover Prize. A Golden Web is her first book for teen readers. An avid traveler and student of other languages, she has run an international boardinghouse; written everything from self-help books to humor columns to grant requests for disadvantaged children; and done whatever jobs she needed to do -- from landscape gardening to catering to editing -- to allow her to continue writing. She lives with her teenage son, Julian, in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she takes frequent classes and occasionally performs with a Brazilian dance troupe.