AN ENGROSSING tale of deception, treachery, wits and wills, Holy Fools is the latest book from Joanne Harris, the author of best-seller Chocolat.
Set in seventeenth century France against the backdrop of social and religious reform, Holy Fools tells the story of Juliette, a one-time actress and rope-dancer, living with her daughter in the abbey of Sainte-Marie-de-la-Mer.
Forced to live there under a secret guise as Soeur Auguste, Juliette is threatened by huge changes in circumstance - the death of the kindly old abbess and the installation of a new one in the form of an 11-year-old aristocrat - who has unwittingly brought with her a ghost from Juliette's past, Guy Le Merle, under whose malicious influence secrets are uncovered, passions unleashed and petty rivalries turn to murder.
Harris brings this story to life through a descriptive narrative. You feel you get to know all the characters and their quirks, the island and its people, and the magic and superstitions come to life in an burst of colour. A great story and a definite must read.
Updated: 09:28 Wednesday, July 02, 2003
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