by Sarah Dunant
First published 2009
Serafina spends her first night at the convent of Santa Caterina in violent rage. The sixteen-year-old has been torn from her lover by her family and forced into religious life in 1570 Ferrara. Her fury is so intense that Suora Zuana, the dispensary mistress, must sedate her. This scholarly nun becomes drawn to the defiant girl, seeing in her the daughter she can never have. Serafina fights her imprisonment while other nuns take notice. The ancient Suora Magdalena remains locked away with her mystical visions. The devout novice mistress Suora Umiliana views the newcomer as a chance to gain power. Madonna Chiara, the politically astute abbess, struggles to maintain order as rebellion spreads through her community. Outside the convent walls, the Counter-Reformation begins its harsh crackdown on religious houses. The abbess must balance the mounting chaos within against the growing oppression from without. At the center lies the complex bond between Serafina and Suora Zuana, built on both trust and betrayal.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Ferrara, Santa Caterina
Period: 1570
432 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: abuse