by Susann Cokal
First published 2001
Bonne Mirabilis carries the mark of her birth as "God's bastard" in fourteenth-century France. She serves as wet nurse to the wealthiest woman in her community, but her comfortable position cannot shield her from the horror unfolding around her. Enemy forces have surrounded her village, cutting off all supplies and leaving the inhabitants to face slow starvation. As desperation grows and people begin to die, Bonne discovers something unexpected about herself. She possesses knowledge or power that could rescue everyone from their terrible fate. The choice falls to her alone. She must decide whether to act on this discovery and risk everything, or watch her neighbors perish while she remains safe in her privileged role. The siege tightens its grip, hunger spreads, and time runs out for the trapped villagers who depend on her courage.
Genres: drama, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, suspense
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, sacrifice
Setting: France
Period: Fourteenth Century
304 pages · Hardcover · Blue Hen
Content warnings: death, violence