It has been a while since I read a historical fiction. I quite miss the genre if I’m honest. But my biggest problem is that historical fiction novels are quite long and take some time to get through. On some occasions, they require a bit of additional research on the subject matter. Thankfully, this novel did not need any such work.
When her older brother dies in a Viking attack, Joan takes on his identity and enlists herself in a Benedictine monastery as John Anglicus. Her thirst for knowledge leads her to become a healer and scholar of great renown but even she could not have predicted the perilous journey her future is about to take.
What a great novel! I liked how the author did time lapses so it never got dull and I loved how she did not make the character devoid of all feelings. Joan is by far one of my favourite female characters of all time; I love her determination and ambition and curiosity (and yes, I know I’m talking about her character in the book). This novel was intriguing in terms of the political undertones surrounding the papal office and it really gave me a better understanding of the subject matter. I would recommend this to anyone who loves history and a witty heroine!
Happy reading ~
