by Anita Mason
First published 2003
In sixteenth century Germany, a band of Dutch Anabaptists arrives with burning conviction that the world's end approaches. They believe Heaven will descend to earth, and more dangerously, that God has chosen them to create it. The believers take control of their city and begin remaking society according to their divine vision. They abolish old laws and establish new ones. Their experiment starts with shared property and communal living, but power corrupts their holy mission. The community shifts from collective ownership to absolute rule under a single king. The reformers institute polygamy as another sign of their special status. As their earthly paradise takes shape, the gap widens between their heavenly dreams and harsh reality. The religious zealots discover that building paradise requires methods that look remarkably like tyranny. When their carefully constructed Heaven finally crumbles, it leaves behind a cautionary tale about the dangerous intersection of absolute faith and political power.
Genres: dystopia, historical-fiction, political-thriller
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: power-corrupts, utopia-dystopia
Setting: Germany
Period: Sixteenth Century
271 pages · Paperback · Spinsters Ink
Content warnings: abuse, violence