Raised as an orphan at Lambley Abbey in Northern England, Sister Isolde Ogle O.S.A., bastard daughter of Sister Eawynn Ogle, is trained to copy and translate texts in Latin and Greek. Recognizing her brilliance, her mentor, Sister Yvonne Dacre, assigns Isolde to compare the Gospels of the Bible in the Latin Vulgate to John Wycliffe's banned English translation. Intrigued, Isolde begins to search for the original texts of the Gospels and Epistles of Saint Paul. Her quest to find the truth about the formation of the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament takes her to other universities and monastic libraries in fifteenth century England. Despite setbacks, distractions, and the love of a Benedictine brother, her focus never wavers, even knowing that the publication of her research will cost her life. The Church is a formidable adversary and the punishment for heresy is death.
Autorentext
Ms. Brown grew up on a farm in upstate New York. Music was her passion from a young age but her hopes of a career as a concert pianist were dashed during her senior year of high school when she experienced a crippling wrist injury. At present she is a semi-retired physics teacher and organist. Her undergraduate degrees include a BA in medieval history, BS in science, and MS in science with a strong minor in music. The study of medieval history and life in such an agrarian society has remained a lifelong endeavor. Musings of a Medieval Abbess is her first novel of historical fiction, Book One of the Cumbrian Chronicles. She is presently writing a sequel, The Gospel of Isolde. She lives in a very rural area with two dogs, a horse, and an undetermined number of cats.