RaveHarvard ReviewIts premise is simple: the life of a medieval nun, the story of a rebellious teenager’s transformation into a respected spiritual leader. However, this plot synopsis does not do justice to the whimsy, empathy, and urgency that saturate the novel’s pages ... Matrix takes historical specificity seriously but eschews historical realism ... With a sure hand, Groff shows us Marie’s abbey as a utopia ... What if a utopia like Marie’s had been allowed to flourish? Matrix makes us nostalgic for this past, one we never had ... here is a novel where Groff is at the height of her powers, writing with honesty and conviction about what it means to make a meaningful life. Matrix, which has already been longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction, is not to be missed.
