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A review by spacewhombus
Matrix by Lauren Groff
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Hmm okay so I did really love this! I have never felt such a strong desire to drop everything and move to a convent with my girlies and my sisters and just spend my life loving them all and doing meaningful work for our community!!!
If you liked The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, then you would like this-and vice versa!!! They both have the medieval setting with a community of women trying to survive on their own while helping and loving each other.
And if you are a fan of stories that span a character's whole life, you will probably like this too (along the lines of The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, or A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende). The cast of women includes so many characters, each unique and with their own special skills. There was also a lovely variety of relationships among the women, from sister, rival, sexual, mother, teacher, etc.
The main story follows the rise of Marie from an unwilling nun into head abbess with a lasting legacy in the abbey itself but also in the land and community surrounding it. I lovedddd reading the small details of life in the 1100s-1200s, especially regarding how they built certain things!
The only reason I won't give five stars is just because it wasn't toooo enthralling by the end, because Marie ascended to somewhat of a saint status and I lost any personal connection with her, and her abbey grew in size so much and over such large jumps in time that I also started to lose touch with the other characters.
Overall a refreshing read, and a unique story that I have never encountered before. So go read this and then go daydream about living on a farm with women forever!
If you liked The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, then you would like this-and vice versa!!! They both have the medieval setting with a community of women trying to survive on their own while helping and loving each other.
And if you are a fan of stories that span a character's whole life, you will probably like this too (along the lines of The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, or A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende). The cast of women includes so many characters, each unique and with their own special skills. There was also a lovely variety of relationships among the women, from sister, rival, sexual, mother, teacher, etc.
The main story follows the rise of Marie from an unwilling nun into head abbess with a lasting legacy in the abbey itself but also in the land and community surrounding it. I lovedddd reading the small details of life in the 1100s-1200s, especially regarding how they built certain things!
The only reason I won't give five stars is just because it wasn't toooo enthralling by the end, because Marie ascended to somewhat of a saint status and I lost any personal connection with her, and her abbey grew in size so much and over such large jumps in time that I also started to lose touch with the other characters.
Overall a refreshing read, and a unique story that I have never encountered before. So go read this and then go daydream about living on a farm with women forever!
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence and Rape