Today I finally took a day off for the first time since I went away to the HerStory conference the day after Easter. I so needed this day spent in my pjs, reading and petting my kitties and eating comfort foods (green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and vegetarian brown gravy!).
So I read a whole book, of course. The Illuminator was a sort of fun, sort of intense look at rural England 1379-1381. All the abuses of power by the church made me angry. At one point I even smacked the book and shouted at it. I loved that Julian of Norwich was a real character. I loved that the strong characters were women while the traditional power was all with the men. I hated the way every character seemed willing to betray others, even loved ones, for personal gain. In other words, I got very caught up in this book and its many plots and intrigues.
While I wouldn't call the book serious fiction (when do I read that? not for stress-relieving times), I would call it a good and quick read mainly about women taking matters into their own hands in spite of a highly patriarchal society. Be prepared to be irritated at the church, though, and to remember why Reformation was needed...
I read this book a couple of years ago and agree with you that it reminds you why Reformation was needed! It was a good read, too. I read a couple of other books by this author and enjoyed them--they have similar themes.
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