Book Review: The Rebel Nun by Marj Charlier

About:

The Rebel Nun by Marj Charlier is a historical fiction story, centered on Clotild who led nuns in a rebellion against the patriarchy of the church. Ms. Charlier is a published author and journalist.

• 315 pages
• Publisher : Blackstone Publishing
  
• Language : English
• ISBN-10 : 1094092754

My rat­ing for The Rebel Nun— 5
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Thoughts:

This book was very well put together. The narrative was tight, story was very interesting, characters were fleshed out, and the writing was fantastic.

Unlike many other works of fiction, or historical fiction, The Rebel Nun by Marj Charlier looks kindly upon medieval monasteries. Many girls and women didn’t have many choices, even, and sometimes especially, if they came from royalty. Nun, wife and mother, prostitute where usually the only options many women had. And sadly, in many places in the world this is still true.

The descriptions of the positive aspects of the nunnery, the peace of mind and protection it afforded to women really have a huge impact on this story. It explains why many of them were willing to risk life and limb for the institution.

Even though this novel takes place centuries ago, it is a very contemporary story. Clotild sees the few rights and privileges she has as a woman erodes in-front of her as the Catholic Church changes it’s dogma to disenfranchise women, and is powerless to do anything about it. Instead of sitting back, she takes matters into her own hands, hoping to make a change.

This book told a strong, dramatic story in a very skilled way. It was a sad, but inspiring novel, of the struggle of women to fight against a religious / societal system, changing to specifically to disenfranchise them.

Synopsis:

Clotild is the bastard daughter of a king. During the sixth-century, at the age of 13, she enters a convent which is the only place she can be guaranteed safety from the king’s former wives.

During her time, Clotlid enjoyed the relative safety, comradery, and purpose of being a nun. When the abbess dies, Clotlid – as well as the other nuns – believe that she is the natural choice to run the famous Monastery of the Holy Cross.

The bishop of Poitiers, however, blocks Clotlid’s appointment so he can take control of the Monastery along with its holly relic, a splinter from the “True Cross”, while making the nuns’ lives difficult. Clotlid and several other nuns escape and start a dangerous journey to appeal to their royal relatives for help. The bishop refuses to back down and the nuns find themselves, for the first time, fighting armed men.

Buy The Rebel Nun  from Amazon.com*
More Books by Marj Charlier*

Zohar — Man of la Book
Dis­claimer: I got this book for free
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account