Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), Benedictine abbess and polymath,
composed an entire corpus of sacred music and wrote nine books on subjects
as diverse as theology, natural science, medicine, and human sexuality—a
prodigious intellectual outpouring that put many of her male contemporaries
to shame. Her prophecies earned her the title Sibyl of the Rhine. An outspoken
critic of political and ecclesiastical corruption, she courted controversy
and nearly died an excommunicant. Her courage and originality of thought
continue to inspire people today.
Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen reveals the unforgettable
story of how Hildegard, offered as a tithe to the Church at the age of
eight, triumphed against impossible odds to become the greatest woman of
her age. Combining fiction, history, and Hildegardian philosophy, Illuminations presents an arresting portrait of a woman of faith and power—a visionary
in every sense of the word.
Illuminations will be released in October 2012 to celebrate Hildegard's
long awaited elevation to Doctor of the Church.
ILLUMINATIONS has been selected by Book of the Month Club and One Spirit Book Club.
Press for Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen
Praise for Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen
ILLUMINATIONS has been selected by Kirkus, January Magazine, and PBS WGBH Greater Boston as a Book of the Year 2012.
"Narrated by Hildegard, Illuminations tells the story of her extraordinary life as a mystic, theological writer, healer, and composer. . . . it is obvious that [Sharratt's] knowledge of Hildegard's biography, books, and music is extensive. From the opening pages, one gets a sense of Hildegard's own voice and powerful personality. Two themes that run consistently through the account, and which should make it of special interest to women and to musicians alike, have to do with the significance Hildegard attached to music and her positive view of Woman as the epitome of God's creation. Eloquently and beautifully written, Illuminations brings Hildegard, her sisters, and her world alive for the modern reader." —Beverly Lomer, Journal of the International Alliance for Women in Music
"I was both moved and surprised by Mary Sharratt’s novel of Benedictine abbess, Hildegard von Bingen, an extraordinary woman of the Middle Ages. One could not anticipate this majesty and drama. There are no bodices to be ripped here: no kings or dukes and nary a white horse in sight. Even so, Illuminations is riveting, following von Bingen through a harsh childhood to becoming basically imprisoned as a young nun to emerge as one of the significant voices of the 12th century. Von Bingen composed sacred music, wrote nine books on subjects as diverse as theology, medicine and human sexuality. An intellectual who had few peers during her lifetime, Sharratt depicts von Bingen as deeply human. Illuminations is unforgettable." —Monica Stark, January Magazine
"In this deeply researched and lyrically written historical novel, only the trappings are exotic. Hildegard meets with love and abandonment, torn loyalties, dim-witted superiors and jealous coworkers, even the anorexia of a friend--situations not unfamiliar to us in the 21st century. Eventually . . . Hildegard founded a Benedictine community based on humane values, and wrote book on natural science and mysticism. She composed the West's first signed music--ecstatic, soaring chants and its first musical drama. None of this was 'normal' female behavior, so along the way she had to outwit numerous powerful men, including two popes and Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor. Some things never change." —Mary Pattock, Reach Magazine
"The author's excellent narrative style and gift of storytelling lure the reader. . . . One is never disappointed. Sharratt's plotline moves well, and the reader becomes a willing and eager traveler. . . . Expect to shed a tear or two." —Sharon Abercrombie, National Catholic Reporter
"This novel opens an imaginative window on Hildegard's life and times--and may (we hope) lead many readers to explore further." —Christianity Today
"That Hildegard is an extraordinary woman is without question. [Illuminations has] left me with the most lasting impression of this woman, a soul who has certainly earned her place in history." —Luan Gaines, Curled Up with a Good Book
"The masterful skill Sharratt displays in Illuminations is to create a real and accessible Hildegard who rises above the legends, projections and reinventions, thus allowing readers to understand Hildegard's spirituality as the nun herself may have experienced it. In beautiful language that dances on the ledge between secular and not, Sharratt not only tells the story of one of history's most intruiging women, she also realistically invokes the internal sensation of deep religious experience. Sharratt's approach both respects the recently canonized saint's legitimate role in the theological structure of Catholic history and frees Hildegard's long-cherished aura of mysticism. This lovely, deeply felt depiction of a humble woman who survives darkness to give her heart to the world is a tribute to Hildegard in any way she is appreciated." —Cheri Parker, Minneapolis Star Tribune
"This talented--and sometimes tormented--Benedictine nun comes vividly alive in Mary Sharratt's Illuminations . . . . Sharratt does a masterful job." —Mary Ann Grossmann, Saint Paul Pioneer Press
"Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen is a lovely read. . . . If you're not familiar with Hildegard, this new book will not only give you a good sense of this remarkable woman, a 'doctor' of the church, but also let you imagine what life was like during the period of the First Crusade." —Bill Tammeus, "Faith Matters," Kansas City Star
"Illuminations is a fascinating work of historical fiction about the life and times of a saintly woman whose vision that the divine is present in all of God's creation resonates across the centuries and is relevant to us today. . . . Mary Sharratt's rich details and extensive reseach portray Hildegard's life in an authentic voice from the time the visionary is a child until her death as an abbess in 1179. . . . Sharratt gives voice to Hildegard, who held steadfast to her beliefs, stood up to those in power, and was recently named a Doctor of the Church." —Donna Volkenannt, Bookreporter.com
"Mary Sharratt's Illuminations is a fascinating fictional account of the life of Hildegard von Bingen, the 12th century mystic, writer, composer, and Benedictine abbess. The novel contains a wealth of historical detail, but its true strength lies in the complex characterization of Hildegard, who . . . overcame much in her life to become the only sanctioned female theologian of her time." —Bookbrowse Editor's Choice Pick
"Mary Sharratt writes with such skill that the reader is swept along with Hildegard, experiencing her joys, her frustrations, her fears, her loves, her self-reflection, her visions, her unshakable faith in God and in the path she must follow, navigating her way through political, religious and personal obstacles. I was sorry to reach the last page." —Monasteries of the Heart
"Poignant. . . . I thoroughly enjoyed [the novel]." —Sister Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB, Benetvision
Sharratt (The Vanishing Point; Daughters of the Witching Hill) follows Hildegard as she blossoms from a frightened child into the multitalented abbess still remembered as one of the Catholic Church’s most influential thinkers and innovative theologians. VERDICT Interest in Hildegard will likely increase this year following her long-overdue canonization in May and receipt of the title “Doctor of the Church” this coming October. Sharratt’s well-timed and well-written portrait, both admiring and humanizing, should please readers looking for an accessible way to learn more about the life of this fascinating medieval woman.
—Library Journal, Mara Bandy, Champaign P.L., IL
Sharratt brings the elusive Hildegard to vivid life, underscoring her ability to evade or transcend Church censure while espousing a proto-feminist agenda. The ideal companion to the elevation of Hildegard by the pontiff who rebuked American nuns for their outspokenness, an irony the saint herself might have relished. —Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW
In this affecting historical novel, Sharratt imagines the inner life of Hildegard, first as an angry child, then as a young woman nurturing other girls forced into this restricted life, and finally as a mature woman leading her companions out of the anchorage . . . and advocating an idea of religious devotion based on love rather than suffering. Psychological insight, passages of moving spirituality, and abundant historical detail--from straw bedding and hairshirts to turtle soup and wooden dolls--make this a memorable addition to the genre of medieval historical fiction.
—Booklist
Sharratt (Daughters of the Witching Hill) offers up an imaginative retelling of the fascinating life of the 12th-century nun Hildegard von Bingen. Though confined primarily to the abbey and peopled by a small cast, Sharratt’s gripping story, like Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, is primarily about relationships forged under pressure. —Publisher's Weekly
I admit to knowing next to nothing about Hildegard von Bingen before I picked up Mary Sharratt's novel Illuminations. By the time I finished, I was in awe of the German nun, Hildegard, whose visions and persistent spirit led her to break free of her life as a forced anchorite and found her own abbey amid the male dominated church, is brought to life magnificently through a mixture of fact and conjecture that pulls you into her most unusual life . . . . A very well written tale about a woman who deserves to be remembered. —Historical Novels Review, Tamela McCann
I read this book from cover to cover and without reserve highly recommend it. Illuminations shed mosaic stained-glass light on Hildegard's fame from visions, artistry, and composing holy music. —Blogcritics Review
Set in Lancashire, England, during the infamous witch trials of 1612,
Daughters of the Witching Hill reveals the true story of Bess
Southerns, aka Old Demdike, cunning woman, healer and the most notorious
of the Pendle Witches, and of Alizon Device, her granddaughter, struggling
to come to terms with her family’s troubling legacy. Though the name
of the Pendle Witches lives on, few know the hard-hitting details of the
witch-hunt which tore apart a community. Set in an era of religious
intolerance, political strife, suspicion and social inequality, this
haunting story of strong women and family love and betrayal is more
relevant than ever.
An American expat who has lived in Pendle for seven years, Mary’s
inspiration for the novel arose directly out of the wild, brooding
landscape: the story of the Pendle Witches unfolded almost literally in
her backyard.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
Starred Review, December 14, 2009
Daughters of the Witching Hill by
Mary Sharratt. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $24 (352p) ISBN
978-0-547-06967-8
The 1612 Lancashire, England, witch trials that
resulted in nine executions inspires Sharratt’s gorgeously
imagined novel that wonders if some of the accusations of
witchcraft might be true. Sharratt (The Vanishing Point)
focuses on the Southerns family of Pendle Forest. Widowed mother
Bess Southerns tries to save her family from bleakest poverty by
healing the sick, telling fortunes, and blessing those facing
misfortune, conjuring “charmes” that combine forbidden
Catholic ritual, medicinal herbs, and guidance provided by her
spirit-friend, Tibb. Though Bess compassionately uses her powers,
her granddaughter, Alizon, unwittingly endangers her family while
under the interrogation of a conniving local magistrate. Sharratt
crafts her complex yet credible account by seamlessly blending
historical fact, modern psychology, and vivid evocations of the
daily life of the poor whose only hope of empowerment lay in the
black arts. Set in forests and towers, farms and villages, deep in
a dungeon and on the gallows, this novel grows darker as it
approaches its inevitable conclusion, but proves uplifting in its
portrayal of women who persevere, and mothers and daughters who
forgive. (Apr.)
Daughters of the Witching Hill offers a fresh approach
with witches who believe in their own power and yet, in many ways,
are still innocent. Sharratt's readers—like the magistrate who
took the women's confessions—are likely to be spellbound by their
stories.
—M.L. Johnson, AP, San Francisco Chronicle
Full of the reality of the day, this story is stark and real, but
Sharratt's descriptions of landscape and the daily life of the poor at the
time are rich enough to feed the senses. The author weaves this vast
canvas of changing culture into the personal stories of these women, and
in the process transports us to a distant land, a distant time—and
deep into the story of people we sympathize with and care about.
—Linda White, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Sharratt successfully combines excellent historical
detail, drama, and emotional accounts that blend beautifully into
a vibrant story. Perfectly plotted, impressive, and full of tension,
this is most assuredly a bewitching tale. Highly recommended.
—Rebecca Roberts, Historical Novels Review,
Editor's Choice Pick
A breathless page turner … Daughters of
the Witching Hill leads to any exciting conclusion, of course—the
gory, dramatic horror of the witch trial—but when readers
close the book, that's amazingly not the part we remember. We
come to know these 'witches' as people, skilled in herbal or even
magical healing, yes, but also in demanding respect from others,
and of themselves.
—Kristen Thiel, Rain Taxi
Every time I picked this book up I was immediately
transported to Pendle Forest and completely absorbed in the story
of these women. . . . I encourage all to read this enchanting story. —Bookbrowse.com,
Editor's Choice Pick
This book is a new approach to an old subject and
will take you back to a time when innocence was lost because of
fear, petty revenge and superstition. It will bewitch you.
—Mary Daugherty, The News-Enterprise
Daughters of the Witching Hill is very different
for Sharratt, yet just as rich and compelling
as this author’s
previous works. Bess and her clan live and
breathe on the pages of Sharratt’s book—at least for
a while—and
we come away from the experience with a fresh
view of what might really have happened in Lancashire in 1612.
—Sienna Powers, January Magazine
This is first and foremost a story about strong women. . . . Mary Sharratt
does a good job with the suspense built around the hunt and the minimal
evidence needed to cry witch and hang a person at this time in history.
—Amy Gwiazdowski, Bookreporter.com
The so-called witches in Mary Sharratt's awe-ful novel—in which the
reader is filled with awe at the courage of Mother Demdike and her family
and neighbors—are cunning women who have the misfortune to live in
the Protestant police state that we know as Elizabethan and Jacobean
England. Heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time, Daughters of
the Witching Hill is a book you won't soon forget.
Barbara Ardinger, Feathered Quill Book Reviews
A fascinating tale. The story unfolds without melodrama
and is therefore all the more powerful. Recommended for fans of
Katherine Howe’s The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.
— Jamie Kallio, Library Journal (Starred
Review)
The Pendle witches’ story, retold as
a passionate saga of female friendship.
—Kirkus Reviews
Sharratt fills the book with fascinating accounts
of rituals and magic practices, and her gift for the language of
the era brings the narrative to life. Striking just the right balance
between the demands of fact and the allure of a good story, she
has produced a novel that’s both convincing and compelling. Daughters is—literally—a spellbinding book.
—Julie Hale, BookPage
What an original voice
Mary Sharratt has. She brings a haunting,
ancient story — part of the local
legend and history of where she lives — into life with vivid
characters and a gripping plot. Old, lost,
long-ago ways are made real.
—Karleen Koen, author of Through a Glass
Darkly and Dark
Angels
Sharratt’s witches break the stereotype
of "crones and sirens" and are vividly rendered.
An authentic portrait of a dangerous time.
—Margaret George, author of Helen of Troy
Like a darker early Alice Hoffman.
—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal
Daughters of the Witching Hill cast
a powerful spell over me as I sped
through the pages, utterly transfixed.
Readers are hereby warned of their
own potential enchantment by this bewitching
tale.
—Katharine Weber, author of True Confections and Triangle
I have rarely read a historical novel that
captures the voices of another time as gracefully
and fully as Mary Sharratt does in Daughters
of the Witching Hill. In beautifully evocative prose,
she calls up the beauties and joys of their
world as fully as she details the cruelties
and greed that destroyed it — and them.
—Margaret Frazer, author of the Sister
Frevisse Mysteries and the Joliffe Player Mysteries
No one casts a spell like Mary Sharratt.
I was enchanted by this wonderfully absorbing
novel, fascinated by the very real yet magical
world of the Pendle witches.
—Sandra Gulland, author of the Josephine
B. Trilogy and Mistress of the Sun
Mary Sharatt’s Daughters of the Witching
Hill is a powerful tale of the narrow gap between
good and evil and how easily one can slip — or
be pushed — into the abyss. Her portrayal
of the complex pressures of poverty and social
change on the wise women of Pendle Forest is
compassionate and compelling.
—Judith Lindbergh, author of The Thrall’s
Tale
A remarkable story, powerful
and compelling and ultimately heart-breaking.
—Sharon Kay Penman, author of The Sunne in Splendour, Here Be Dragons,
The Devil's Brood, and Time and Chance
An
intelligent and gripping book that
takes us to the New World of outcasts—indentured servants, mail-order
brides, failed tobacco planters, slaves—rather
than the more prosperous early Americans
we know from conventional historical
accounts. Mary Sharratt has
a passion for her story, and it shows.
—Kathy Weissman, BookReporter.com
A 17th-century treasury of guilty pleasures … Without being trashy, Sharratt includes
many of the guilty pleasures of romantic fiction: young women with burgeoning
sexuality, time-appropriate ways for gathering berries, planting herbs, skinning
animals and preparing meals. Most important, she knows how to string the reader
briskly along to the novel's ultimate revelations.
—Cherie Parker, Minneapolis Star Tribune
A solid story … easy to read and hard to put down.
—Gwyneth J. Saunders, Maryland Independent
Her finely crafted, convincing novel
is a captivating story full of
dark suspense.
—Sherri Wright, Owner, Book Crossing Bookstore, Baltimore, Maryland
The Vanishing Point is
a well-researched historical novel
with complex characters and enough
plot twists and surprises to keep
readers guessing and second-guessing
right up to the end … The
rich period detail truly gives
the flavor of life in 17th century
Maryland.
—Sharon Parker, Twin Cities Daily Planet
An authentically detailed period piece
with elements of gothic suspense thrown in for good measure.
—Margaret Flanagan, Booklist
This is exactly what historical fiction
should be: full of vivid, vibrant characters who make you feel what
they feel, hope what they hope and suffer what they suffer. This
tale of two very different sisters who make their fortunes in the
New World pulled me right in and made me lose all sense of time
and place. Sensitively written and beautifully rendered, Sharratt has
produced a true keeper.
—Sarah Weinman, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind: Picks of the
Week
Mary Sharratt's new novel, The Vanishing Point, is a
page-turner, a mystery, a quietly feminist tale, and a richly researched
historical novel with ever-unfolding plot twists … The plot
questions will keep you reading. But Sharratt's underlying message
will keep you thinking long after the questions are answered.
—Laurie Hertzel, Minnesota Magazine
Sharratt's description of frontier life
is so sharp, you can feel and taste it with the characters. The
story alternates between each sister's tale, and the two vibrant
women are sympathetic and interesting.
—Diana Scott Lewis, Historical Novels Review
This well-researched book will provide
readers with an insight into life on the wild edges of the fledgling
nation that became the USA, through the eyes of a tough and determined
young woman. It's a woman's book in the best sense of that term,
but not 'chick lit' by any definition.
—Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader
The Vanishing Point is
a truly captivating novel. It wears its history lightly, in the best tradition
of great historical fiction. Mary Sharratt has a marvelously light
touch, never requiring the reader to stop and admire her research, yet, because
she also has a sure hand as a storyteller, she keeps the reader completely
engaged, from first page to last.
—Katharine Weber, author of Triangle; The Little Women; The
Music Lesson; Objects in the Mirror
Are Closer Than They Appear
The Vanishing Point sings!
May, Hannah, Adele and Gabriel stole my heart. Mary Sharratt's
details of seventeenth century economics and medicine
enhance her story, yet she never loses sight of love,
hope, loss and regret. Her characters adjust to a new
country and a continually changing view of one another
and the past — a theme that resonates into our
times. An enthralling and unusual tale from a compassionate
writer.
—Shauna Singh Baldwin, author of What The Body Remembers and Winner
of the Commonwealth Prize
Mary Sharratt's The Vanishing Point is
her best novel yet, a passionate, spell-casting story; the world she creates
is vivid, intimate, evocative. The harrowing narrative held me captive as
secrets were slowly revealed. I was unable to put this book down.
—Sandra Gulland, author of the Josephine B. Trilogy and Mistress
of the Sun
Set in seventeenth-century Maryland, THE VANISHING POINT is a novel of dark suspense, love, and betrayal featuring two star-crossed sisters, one lost and the other searching.
In the tradition of Philippa Gregory's smart, transporting fiction comes this tale of two independent, spirited sisters. Bright and inquisitive, Hannah Powers was raised by a father who treated her as if she were his son. While her beautiful and reckless sister, May, pushes the limits of propriety in their small English town, Hannah harbors her own secret: their father has trained her in the physician's art, an education forbidden to women. But Hannah's secret serves her well when she journeys to colonial Maryland to reunite with May, who has been married off to a distant cousin after her sexual misadventures ruined her marriage prospects in England.
As Hannah searches for May, who has disappeared, she finds herself falling in love with her brother-in-law, even as she struggles to believe his claim that her sister died in childbirth. Alone in a wild, uncultivated land where the old rules no longer apply, Hannah is freed from the constraints of the society that judged both her and May as dangerous — too smart, too fearless, and too hungry for life. But Hannah is also plagued by doubt, as her quest for answers to May's fate grows ever more disturbing and tangled.
The Vanishing Point is a marvelously assured period piece. Sharratt's ten years of research on everything from seventeeth-century pharmacology to pioneer cooking are evident on each page. In this gripping, evocative novel, rich in texture and authenticity, Sharratt brings to vivid life a distant world that feels as immediate and relevant as our own.
The Vanishing Point will be published as a Mariner Original in June, 2006, and has sold to Editorial Suma de Letras (World Spanish rights), btb Verlag (German translation rights), and Objetiva (Brazilian/Portugese language rights)
A
refreshing alternative to Chick Lit, Bitch Lit is
a smart and subversive celebration of female
anti-heroes. These are stories about women who take the law into
their own hands, who defy society's expectations, put their own
needs first, and don't feel guilty. They feature heroines who give
Lady Macbeth, Medea and Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca a run for their
money. All these stories, in one way or another, are tales of women
and power. They goad us and dare us to strip off our niceness, leave
our safe haven and go out into the dark woods knowing that the most
dangerously sublime thing to be encountered in that forest is ourselves
unleashed. Contributing authors include Sophie Hannah, Sherry Ashworth
and Cath Staincliffe.
The Real Minerva is the Winner of the 2005 WILLA Literary Award for Contemporary Fiction. The WILLA Awards, inspired by the writing of Willa Cather, are given annually to honor the best literature published during the previous year for women's stories set in the West. Women Writing the West underwrites and presents this nationally recognized award each year. Winners were chosen by professional librarians and historians.
Sharratt's
luminous second novel captivates the reader from the first page with
an intriguing tale of three strong women who struggle against the repression
of both the town and the times they live in.
—Deborah Donovan, BookPage Entertaining go-girl fiction, sort of a less sentimental Fried Green Tomatoes. —Christina Schmitt, City Pages It's a good read and one which encapsulates a world which
has gone forever, thank goodness.
—Mary Vernon, Townsville Bulletin, Australia Compelling reading.
—Marie Bruni, The Daily Star, Oneonta, New York Once again, Sharratt takes on difficult subjects—class differences,
violence against women, small town conformity—and places them in a bygone
era to tell a story that is powerful and haunting.
—Book Sense: Barb Wieser, Amazon Bookstore Cooperative, Minneapolis
Congenial to modern tastes in its feminist sensibilities, the novel is a
good old-fashioned story of perfidy, villainous conduct, and small-town censoriousness
against which three heroines, each doughty in her own way, strike back.
—Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe
This second book from Sharratt is both lively and memorable, and also a reminder
that it is possible to craft a good, old-fashioned novel from the most basic
elements … a well-researched and entertaining period piece.
—Susan Coll, Washington Post Book World
In her elegant and detailed writing, Sharratt builds her Minerva as a place
the reader can touch and smell. The Real Minerva is ultimately an engrossing
tale … a good story that many readers should enjoy.
—Cherie Park, Minneapolis Star Tribune
A 1920s farm girl finds her warrior strength.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, St. Paul Pioneer Press
Though it's set in 1920s Minnesota (a world which Sharratt brings to life
in vivid detail), this novel reverberates into our 21st-century lives.
—David Abrams, January Magazine
A heartfelt tale of female empowerment … [the] emotionally satisfying,
old-fashioned happy ending should be a crowd pleaser.
—Publisher's Weekly This novel is a paean to the bond between mothers and daughters, actual and
otherwise … Having woven fairytales into Summit Avenue (2000), Sharratt
now threads The Odyssey through this engrossing tale.
—Booklist
The Real Minerva is an amazing novel: mythic
and mysterious, sensual and compelling, deliciously suspenseful. —Sandra
Gulland, author of the Josephine B. Trilogy and Mistress of
the Sun
Is it possible to leave your past behind and become
someone wholly different? This strongly plotted, fiercely imagined novel
centers on a small town's secrets and the harrowing choices that three
women will be forced to make as each struggles to pursue her dreams in
a society where restraints far outweigh liberties.
Minerva, Minnesota, in 1923 is the picture of Willa
Cather-like gentility. It's also a small town of limited opportunity,
a place where the status quo is firmly entrenched and rigidly enforced.
The troubled relationship between young Penny and her mother, Barbara,
is getting worse. Disturbed by her mother's affair with the man they
clean house for, Penny answers an ad to work for Cora Egan, a Chicago
society woman who has fled a bad marriage and intends to raise her child
alone on her grandfather's farm. Cora's situation shocks Minerva, but
over time her presence opens a door in Penny's and Barbara's lives. Through
these women, Mary Sharratt considers what it takes to reinvent
the self, to claim one's true identity.
The exquisite historical detail and emotional resonance
of The Real Minerva will appeal to readers who enjoy classic storytelling
with a modern spirit.
Buy the Book Order
a signed first edition from the author via email
Set in Minnesota during the years 1911-1919, Mary Sharratt's
acclaimed debut novel is the story of a young German immigrant who translates
fairy tales for an enigmatic older woman. The heroine is drawn into a
mysterious new world as the tales assume a reality of their own, mirroring
her awakening in a time of alienation and war.
Now in its third printing, Summit Avenue is
one the publisher's all time best-sellers. A book discussion group favorite, Summit
Avenue was a Booksense 76 Pick and was nominated for the ForeWord
Magazine Book of the Year Award.
