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A review by mediaevalmuse
The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader
4.0
I saw this book on a list of historical fiction novels set in the middle ages, so I took a chance and picked it up. I’m often disappointed by medieval historical fiction because I’m a scholar of medieval literature (I’m too close to the subject and tire easily when something is mishandled), but this book was a breath of fresh air. It was written by someone with a PhD in medieval studies, and what a difference it makes! While this book may not be your cup of tea if you want a light, entertaining read, it’s definitely one I’d recommend if you’re interested in history - and accurate history, at that.
Things I Liked
1. Historical Accuracy: Holy crap was I pleasantly surprised to see so much of my own research reflected in this novel. I loved that the book referenced texts that I’ve read, ideas about female spirituality in the middle ages, book production, etc. all in ways that felt real to me and not twisted to be “more entertaining.”
2. Treatment of Christianity: It’s often the case that the church is the antagonist in a lot of medieval historical fiction, and clergy or spiritual characters are uptight, villainous, or generally unpleasant. In this novel, Christian spirituality is treated with both respect and complexity. Characters genuinely wish to follow Christian teachings but find them to be more idealistic than practical and struggle with them. Christianity is not treated as an oppressive force within the community, but neither is it written as infallible.
3. Female Interaction: This book didn’t shy away from the patriarchy in the middle ages, but it walked the line between recognizing that men held most of the social power while allowing women to have agency and complexity. Most of this can be seen in the interactions between characters - because Sarah can only speak to women (except for her confessor and her bishop), there is a lot of interaction between women and a lot of talk about problems that afflict women: marriage, childbirth, etc.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Patriarchy: As much as I loved that women had a lot of complexity, there were moments in the book where the patriarchy was a bit too overstated or overemphasized. It did turn out okay in the end - the patriarchy and sexism were confronted (however indirectly) and characters questioned much of their beliefs about gender, but I still feel like there was a better way to convey the actual sexism of the middle ages without being so in-your-face about it at all times. The most annoying thing was the construction of Thomas - I could never quite wrap my head around his motives. He seemed to just want to have sex with Sarah, so he seemed like a cartoonish villain. I get that he was supposed to stand in for all that was wrong with men with power, but I just wasn’t impressed with him as a character or function in driving the narrative.
2. Organization: This novel at times felt disjointed, like it was skipping over things. It also didn’t seem to incorporate Sarah’s past naturally. There were also moments when the narrative seemed to build up to a revelation only to withhold it from the reader. I would have liked a bit more fluidity in this text.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in: medieval Christianity, female spirituality, and anchoresses and anchorites.
Things I Liked
1. Historical Accuracy: Holy crap was I pleasantly surprised to see so much of my own research reflected in this novel. I loved that the book referenced texts that I’ve read, ideas about female spirituality in the middle ages, book production, etc. all in ways that felt real to me and not twisted to be “more entertaining.”
2. Treatment of Christianity: It’s often the case that the church is the antagonist in a lot of medieval historical fiction, and clergy or spiritual characters are uptight, villainous, or generally unpleasant. In this novel, Christian spirituality is treated with both respect and complexity. Characters genuinely wish to follow Christian teachings but find them to be more idealistic than practical and struggle with them. Christianity is not treated as an oppressive force within the community, but neither is it written as infallible.
3. Female Interaction: This book didn’t shy away from the patriarchy in the middle ages, but it walked the line between recognizing that men held most of the social power while allowing women to have agency and complexity. Most of this can be seen in the interactions between characters - because Sarah can only speak to women (except for her confessor and her bishop), there is a lot of interaction between women and a lot of talk about problems that afflict women: marriage, childbirth, etc.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Patriarchy: As much as I loved that women had a lot of complexity, there were moments in the book where the patriarchy was a bit too overstated or overemphasized. It did turn out okay in the end - the patriarchy and sexism were confronted (however indirectly) and characters questioned much of their beliefs about gender, but I still feel like there was a better way to convey the actual sexism of the middle ages without being so in-your-face about it at all times. The most annoying thing was the construction of Thomas - I could never quite wrap my head around his motives. He seemed to just want to have sex with Sarah, so he seemed like a cartoonish villain. I get that he was supposed to stand in for all that was wrong with men with power, but I just wasn’t impressed with him as a character or function in driving the narrative.
2. Organization: This novel at times felt disjointed, like it was skipping over things. It also didn’t seem to incorporate Sarah’s past naturally. There were also moments when the narrative seemed to build up to a revelation only to withhold it from the reader. I would have liked a bit more fluidity in this text.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in: medieval Christianity, female spirituality, and anchoresses and anchorites.