The Passion of Dolssa

By: Julie Berry

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle, Fiona Hardingham, Allan Corduner, Julie Berry

I must write this account, and when I have finished, I will burn it.

Buried deep within the archives of a convent in medieval France is an untold story of love, loss, and wonder and the two girls at the heart of it all.

Dolssa is an upper-crust city girl with a secret lover and an uncanny gift. Branded a heretic, she’s on the run from the friar who condemned her mother to death by fire, and wants Dolssa executed, too.

Botille is a matchmaker and a tavern-keeper, struggling to keep herself and her sisters on the right side of the law in their seaside town of Bajas.

When their lives collide by a dark riverside, Botille rescues a dying Dolssa and conceals her in the tavern, where an unlikely friendship blooms. Aided by her sisters and Symo, her surly but loyal neighbor, Botille nurses Dolssa back to health and hides her from her pursuers. But all of Botille’s tricks, tales, and cleverness can’t protect them forever, and when the full wrath of the Church bears down upon Bajas, Dolssa’s passion and Botille’s good intentions could destroy the entire village.

From the author of the award-winning All the Truth That's in Me comes a spellbinding thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page and make you wonder if miracles really are possible.

*Bonus PDF included with a glossary

Heartbreaking

One of the best books I’ve read lately. Makes me want to read other of the author’s work.
Heartbreaking, because it captures human nature so well.

Will Not Disappoint

As all of Julie Berry’s masterpieces her dedication to research and character creation is superb. Reading her work only prompts you to pick up another of her books. The performers bringing the characters to life and their inflections embody the story elevating it to life. Don’t pass this book up. It will leave you appreciating history and see it cycling through in our day and age.

Intriguing

I did not want to stop listening. I loved the way it was read by two readers to separate the main characters. The after story information was very interesting and answered some questions I had. This was a very different experience of course, than her children’s books. Worth the time.

Remarkable historical fiction

This intriguing book introduced me to a disturbing period of European history that I was previously unfamiliar with (even though I have a history minor and MA in Humanities!) Berry weaves a compelling tale with endearing characters into a well-researched backdrop of medieval French history. Dolssa's story generates universal questions and issues that are still relevant today. Berry is a masterful storyteller-- I enjoyed this book even better the second time through!

Revelatory!

Amazing book rich in history but wealthier in idiosyncratic characters whose lives thrill and terrify.