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brewrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
dobermaier's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.75
mattie's review against another edition
4.0
In retrospect, changing my 3 stars to 4:
-- The last, say, third of the book was so beautifully written that if the whole book had been like that, it would have easily been a 4+. And maybe I was too impatient near the beginning to appreciate that, busy trying to figure out the pacing and "plot".
-- I ended up reading this back to back with [b:Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch|54785536|Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch|Rivka Galchen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601083713l/54785536._SY75_.jpg|85465219], which was a thought provoking compare-and-contrast on how the world treated women in the middle ages & just after. (Marie got a better deal than Katharina for sure. But I'm still glad I'm living in the 21st century, not the 12th.)
-- The last, say, third of the book was so beautifully written that if the whole book had been like that, it would have easily been a 4+. And maybe I was too impatient near the beginning to appreciate that, busy trying to figure out the pacing and "plot".
-- I ended up reading this back to back with [b:Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch|54785536|Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch|Rivka Galchen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601083713l/54785536._SY75_.jpg|85465219], which was a thought provoking compare-and-contrast on how the world treated women in the middle ages & just after. (Marie got a better deal than Katharina for sure. But I'm still glad I'm living in the 21st century, not the 12th.)
livchilde27's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
2.0
robshuttleworth's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.0
blogan27's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emceeee's review against another edition
4.0
beautiful reflections on womanhood & religion & community & what it means to make history as someone who really isn't supposed to. the prose is meticulously crafted but often impersonal, holding the reader at an arm's length. i think this suited the narrative but also made it harder to truly get into it—though the novel centers entirely on marie, she never became nearly as fleshed out as i wanted her to be.
bsmith27's review against another edition
3.0
The story of Marie who is born of a rape with a prince. She is sent to an abbey and runs it. She does a great job. She gets more power for women and more money for the Abbey. Then she does and it is all undone. I had a hard time getting into the story although it was well written.