A bizarre story of miracles and martyrdom ... Edwards carefully draws this liminal state between commerce and cloister. It’s just one of many illuminating aspects of her historical novel that reveal the clever ways some 'unsupervised women'...were able to define their own roles adjacent to an ecclesiastical system that severely limited their agency ... Daring territory for a contemporary novelist to enter ... Edwards effectively balances the story’s religious fervency with the presence of a cynical bishop who adds a delicious touch of wit and menace to this spiritual melodrama ... Something of a daring act of translation. Edwards manages to produce a modern narrative that remains leashed to ancient experience and the evolving religious practices of the era ... The Aleys we follow into the flames remains fanatical and weird and devoted in a way that passeth all understanding and yet feels purified by love.
A mystical story that immerses us in an earlier century ... You don’t need to be religious to appreciate this novel, but you might get more out of it if you have a basic Biblical knowledge ... An auspicious debut.
Luminous, mesmerizing ... The prose buzzes with electric spirituality, getting inside the hearts and minds of medieval Christians ... The friendships and animosities that Aleys stirs within the tight-knit beguine sisterhood are compelling, and the engaging conversations between the women ring true ... The tale is ripe with rich personalities and human foibles ... A glorious historical novel that evokes the fervor and flavor of medieval Christian culture.
In limning this unfamiliar ground, Edwards made a canny choice in selecting Aleys as her main character ... The friar’s growing jealousy of the untutored girl seemingly preferred by God...helps drive the plot ... Revels in language, both in its prose and as part of the storyline ... Edwards gives the bishop, Lukas, and Aleys markedly different voices ... Fortunately, the novel isn’t all mystery and longing; heart-stopping action is part of the mix ... While it is perhaps not for everyone, Canticle immerses the reader in a mysterious world made believable through the humanity of its characters and the glory of its prose.
Fierce, luminous ... Edwards weaves this historical reality into the story as a striking commentary on language, truth, and agency ... Thoroughly detailed and sensitively told ... A sharp-eyed examination of power's corrosive effects, and a testament to the impact of quiet, faithful service like that of the beguines.
In elegant prose, this deceptively quiet novel juggles big spiritual ideas with big social issues ... The ending might seem foregone, but author Rich Edwards has a twist or two in store, plus some stark examples of clerical corruption that are as relevant in the 21st century as they were in the 13th.
