A review by chuck_spadina
Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Very vividly written, one I go back to every so often, I enjoy seeing the story through the pov character despite the main plot being about a different character, as she is herself an interesting character, and the world of the convent and the outside circumstances influencing it are well developed. Informative about 16th century Italian convent life and includes some extra information about historical events outside the story of the book.

I didn't read it for the love story, I originally found the book in a cupboard in a holiday place I was staying in, and so had no preconceptions about it. I think if you were reading it for the love story you'd probably rate it lower, I enjoyed the environment and atmosphere and reading well developed female characters, I often don't get invested in heterosexual romances in stories in general, as they're so ubiquitous.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Self harm and Blood

Very minor spoilers -

I included a minor warning for blood and self harm as the opening includes a description of a nun causing herself pain to feel closer to Christ, and further in the book there is an incidence of stigmata (a person spontaneously developing wounds corresponding to Christ's on the cross) there is also the general talk of suffering one might expect from a story set in a very Christian environment, and the pov character works in the infirmary, so there's some talk of disease and bodily things