The Anchoress

By: Robyn Cadwallader

Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells, Steve West

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

England, 1255. What could drive a girl on the cusp of womanhood to lock herself away from the world forever?

Sarah is just 17 when she chooses to become an anchoress, a holy woman shut away in a cell that measures only seven by nine paces, at the side of the village church. Fleeing the grief of losing a much-loved sister in childbirth as well as pressure to marry the local lord's son, she decides to renounce the world - with all its dangers, desires, and temptations - and commit herself to a life of prayer.

But it soon becomes clear that the thick, unforgiving walls of Sarah's cell cannot protect her as well as she had thought. With the outside world clamoring to get in and the intensity of her isolation driving her toward drastic actions, even madness, her body and soul are still in grave danger. When she starts hearing the voice of the previous anchoress whispering to her from the walls, Sarah finds herself questioning what she thought she knew about the anchor-hold and about the village itself.

With the lyricism of Nicola Griffith's Hild and the vivid historical setting of Hannah Kent's Burial Rites, Robyn Cadwallader's powerful debut novel tells an absorbing story of faith, desire, shame, fear, and the very human need for connection and touch. Compelling, evocative, and haunting, The Anchoress is both quietly heartbreaking and thrillingly unpredictable.

©2015 Robyn Cadwallader (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Entertaining

What did you love best about The Anchoress?

It held my interest and was easy to listen to. It helped make the time fly by when I was reorganizing and cleaning my kitchen.

What other book might you compare The Anchoress to and why?

It reminded me a bit of Pillars of the Earth and The Chalice because some of the conflicts and character types were the same.

What about Mary Jane Wells and Steve West ’s performance did you like?

They were both engaging.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I finished it in two days, which is a good sign.

Any additional comments?

I thought this book would show Sarah's entire life as an anchoress. Instead the story roughly spans a year. Many things happen in the town that Sarah lives in during that year so while some of the story focuses on Sarah adapting to her new life, a good deal of it also focuses on what is going on in the village.

The story ends in a decent spot, but I couldn't help but wonder if it will have a sequel. Some of the story lines felt unfinished. Then again, it could be the author's way of showing that "life goes on" and "the story never ends".

I enjoyed listening to this book. It didn't move me, but it did entertain me. The characters were likable and Sarah's life is definitely unique. Even though Sarah stays in one place for the story, the book doesn't grow stale.

I would like to read more by the author.

Respectful and recognizable

Though in some ways the story is a bit predictable in the way it teases and reveals the protagonist's traumas, and although the metaphors are sometimes obvious, the book still paints a painfully recognizable picture of a person who wants to withdraw from the pain of the world and render herself untouchable with the punishments she's chosen for herself. What's most interesting is the respectful depiction of the beliefs of centuries-ago Christians; their faith in amulets and prayer, their medical convictions, their beliefs in the order of the world, and their struggles with God are all treated respectfully, with no winking at the audience or improbably contemporary opinions inserted into character's mouths. The characters live in a deeply sexist world, and accept it as everyone accepts the world they're taught, but the book itself is not sexist. Its portrait of women struggling to live by the impossibly difficult rules laid out for them, and learning when the rules must bend, is touching, and the protagonist's faith and growing love were very moving. There are conflicts, and evil things do happen, but ultimately this book gives a feeling of serenity and peace.

Steve West is good, but Mary Jane Wells' performance (the majority of the book) is a marvel of sensitivity, intelligence, and nuance. I think with a different reader, I would have enjoyed this book and moved on; because of Wells, I've listened repeatedly, and turn to this book when I'm sad.

Interesting topic, but boring story.

I felt like there was no real plot. Just a boring lady locked in her cell.