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A review by alirenreads
Sisters of Arden by Judith Arnopp
4.0
What a sad tale, but an eye-opening one. This is a great example of historical fiction, one that expertly mixes both fiction and non-fiction.
We follow Margery and her fellow sisters (nuns) in 1500’s England, a time when the introduction of the Protestant faith was shaking the solid ground of the Catholic Church. Lives were upended, King Henry was becoming the poster boy for divorce and remarriage, and small parishes and abbeys were being shut down to fill the King’s coffers and deeply offend the Catholic Church. Nuns, monks, and servants were turned out of their respective homes as a result of these closures, leaving most without a place to go and little to no hope of survival as they wandered England.
This story gives the reader an intimate look at the scenarios that played out for the lives of the uprooted. This part of the story goes deeper than the historical facts we are given at surface level, and encourages us to look closely at what this moment in history meant for so many, religious or otherwise.
Excellent story, wonderfully written, and so worth the read. Highly, highly recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
We follow Margery and her fellow sisters (nuns) in 1500’s England, a time when the introduction of the Protestant faith was shaking the solid ground of the Catholic Church. Lives were upended, King Henry was becoming the poster boy for divorce and remarriage, and small parishes and abbeys were being shut down to fill the King’s coffers and deeply offend the Catholic Church. Nuns, monks, and servants were turned out of their respective homes as a result of these closures, leaving most without a place to go and little to no hope of survival as they wandered England.
This story gives the reader an intimate look at the scenarios that played out for the lives of the uprooted. This part of the story goes deeper than the historical facts we are given at surface level, and encourages us to look closely at what this moment in history meant for so many, religious or otherwise.
Excellent story, wonderfully written, and so worth the read. Highly, highly recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.