The Anchoress

Robyn Cadwallader

The Anchoress
Format
Paperback
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
Country
Australia
Published
20 June 2016
Pages
320
ISBN
9781460752678

The Anchoress

Robyn Cadwallader

From a remarkable new Australian author comes The Anchoress, a story set within the confines of a stone cell measuring seven paces by nine. Tiny in scope but universal in themes, it is a wonderful, wholly compelling fictional achievement.

Set in the twelfth century, The Anchoress tells the story of Sarah, only seventeen when she chooses to become an anchoress, a holy woman shut away in a small cell, measuring seven paces by nine, at the side of the village church.

Fleeing the grief of losing a much-loved sister in childbirth and the pressure to marry, she decides to renounce the world, with all its dangers, desires and temptations, and to commit herself to a life of prayer and service to God. But as she slowly begins to understand, even the thick, unforgiving walls of her cell cannot keep the outside world away, and it is soon clear that Sarah’s body and soul are still in great danger…

Review

Set in England in 1255, The Anchoress follows the plight of Sarah, a seventeen-year-old who chooses to become an anchoress – a holy woman – and spend her life locked in a small cell to the side of a church, devoting her days entirely to prayer. In making this choice, Sarah is forgoing sunlight, communication with the outside world and all stimuli, other than her anchoress rule book and the Bible, for the rest of her life.

Sarah is unprepared for brutal tedium and tortured nature of her new life. She is given two maids who attend to her from a room adjacent to her cell, and her relationship with the women forms the backbone of the story, along with a small cast of other characters who move in and out of Sarah’s life in various ways.

The Anchoress arrived with much hype, including comparisons to Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites, and it is being simultaneously published throughout the UK, USA and Australia, which is significant for a debut novelist. This attention is largely deserved, as Robyn Cadwallader is a skilled storyteller. The Anchoress is essentially 300 pages of someone sitting on their own in a small room, and into this Cadwallader weaves a deeply interesting examination of madness, faith, grief, anger and freedom. It is an intimate novel that deals closely with the wants and desperate desires of its characters, and provides insight into the burdens carried by women of that time.

Cadwallader is especially talented at world-building and clearly knows her history because The Anchoress is peppered with fascinating details. She vividly captures the intricacies and sensibilities of the time, but her prose always feels fresh and contemporary. This is a debut Australian novel that sets itself apart from its peers.


Nina Kenwood

This item is in-stock at 2 shops and will ship in 3-4 days

Our stock data is updated periodically, and availability may change throughout the day for in-demand items. Please call the relevant shop for the most current stock information. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.