Historical

Matrix

Matrix

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  • Create Date：2021-09-13 00:51:38
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Lauren Groff
  • ISBN：1785151908
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Summary

Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine， deemed too coarse and rough-hewn for marriage or courtly life， seventeen-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey， its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease。 At first taken aback by the severity of her new life， Marie finds focus and love in collective life with her singular and mercurial sisters。 In this crucible， Marie steadily supplants her desire for family， for her homeland， for the passions of her youth with something new to her: devotion to her sisters， and a conviction in her own divine visions。 Marie， born the last in a long line of women warriors and crusaders， is determined to chart a bold new course for the women she now leads and protects。 But in a world that is shifting and corroding in frightening ways， one that can never reconcile itself with her existence， will the sheer force of Marie’s vision be bulwark enough？

Equally alive to the sacred and the profane， Matrix gathers currents of violence， sensuality， and religious ecstasy in a mesmerizing portrait of consuming passion， aberrant faith， and a woman that history moves both through and around。

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Reviews

Kristina ，

Damn near the Animal Crossing of stories about medieval nuns: low stakes， gentle， kind - cute， even。 A lovely experience， this read。

Elyse Walters ，

Breathtakingly beautifully written…。。 WONDERFUL as can be……Lauren Groff is STAND OUT TALENTED！！！ Truly one of our most gifted authors of our day！！！I was worried before I started this— afraid I wouldn’t connect with the time period， plot， or history。 I had ‘nothing’ to worry about — NOTHING！！ I felt complete trust in the palm of Lauren’s hands … transported to another time another day another world…。Incredibly engrossing- and powerful。 I just loved it - love Lauren Groff more after this novel tha Breathtakingly beautifully written…。。 WONDERFUL as can be……Lauren Groff is STAND OUT TALENTED！！！ Truly one of our most gifted authors of our day！！！I was worried before I started this— afraid I wouldn’t connect with the time period， plot， or history。 I had ‘nothing’ to worry about — NOTHING！！ I felt complete trust in the palm of Lauren’s hands … transported to another time another day another world…。Incredibly engrossing- and powerful。 I just loved it - love Lauren Groff more after this novel than ever before！！ Lauren’s dedication “For all my sisters”…。 are four words they deepen in experience the further along we read。 “How much less beauty she would have brought into this flawed and difficult life if she had been forced to be without her sisters who loved her”。 I’ve pages of notes — so many powerful sentences I ‘wanted’ to highlight and read again…。but keeping this mini review short…One more small excerpt to think about…。“Marie says， Goda， do you not think the Virgin Mary， though born a mere woman， is the most precious jewel of any human born to a womb？ Is our Virgin not the most perfect vessel， chosen so that in her own womb the Word can become human？” Loved it passionately！！！ 。。。more

laureneliza ，

Haven't been reading historical fiction much lately but I adored this。 Small and intimate and enclosed but also sweeping and epic and so， so， so beautifully written。 Haven't been reading historical fiction much lately but I adored this。 Small and intimate and enclosed but also sweeping and epic and so， so， so beautifully written。 。。。more

Sue Altman ，

Although I think Groff is a great writer， I just did not enjoy this book。

Laurie ，

I had always imagined Marie de France as small， but here we are given a giantess。

Cat Michaels ，

Brilliant historical fiction with strong sense of place and times。 Intriguing minor characters pop in and out of the narrative， always adding depth and understanding of period life。 MC’s inner and outer arcs are powerfully drawn from her youth through old age。 Stellar audiobook narration kept my interest， too

Beth Mendillo ，

Exceptional writing。 Loved the female driven plot。

Kathy ，

I am always so impressed when an author changes her voice so completely。 I have read the last 3 of Groff's books and liked them， but this book - set in the 12th century - just blew me away。The novel tells the imagined life of a real poet and abbess， Marie of France。 Marie is the daughter of Henry II of England， born of a rape， and lived happily with her mother until her death。 She then went to live in the court of her half-sister， Eleanor of Aquataine where her awkwardness and large size make he I am always so impressed when an author changes her voice so completely。 I have read the last 3 of Groff's books and liked them， but this book - set in the 12th century - just blew me away。The novel tells the imagined life of a real poet and abbess， Marie of France。 Marie is the daughter of Henry II of England， born of a rape， and lived happily with her mother until her death。 She then went to live in the court of her half-sister， Eleanor of Aquataine where her awkwardness and large size make her an unmarriageable embarrassment。 Also - Marie has an unrequited love for Eleanor and an ongoing sexual relationship with her maid， Cecily。 Eleanor arranges for Marie to travel to a poor abbey in England， although Marie has no religious calling。 Marie arrives as a novice to find the small number of nuns in the throes of disease and starvation。 They make turnip soup and then remove the turnips to reuse them for the next day's soup。 After Marie takes her vows， she is placed in charge of the abbey's books and is able to quickly resolve the financial loss。 In time， she becomes the abbess and makes the abbey a community of successful women - they raise animals， copy scripture （at a quarter of the price charged by the monks）， keep bees， sew garments， etc。 Marie has visions which lead her to adding a labyrinth， an abbey house， and a dam。 She also desires power and is political in a way that reminded me not a little of Cromwell in the Wolf Hall trilogy。The writing is poetic and not always easy to read （and there were many， many terms I didn't know。 Oblate？ Corridans？ Dortoir？ ）。 Well， worth the effort to immerse oneself in this tale of feminine power， ambition and love。 。。。more

BlackOxford ，

SisterhoodI may not understand Groff’s intention with this book。 Or perhaps I do， in which case I don’t like it。 It is historical fiction only in the broadest sense that a woman called Marie Abbess of Shaftesbury did exist。 Anything else is mostly legend。 And Groff’s casual conflation of two historical characters on the basis of a shared given first name （Marie of France， a contemporary but very different woman than Marie d'Anjou） seems a bit out of line even in fiction。 It seems to me the book SisterhoodI may not understand Groff’s intention with this book。 Or perhaps I do， in which case I don’t like it。 It is historical fiction only in the broadest sense that a woman called Marie Abbess of Shaftesbury did exist。 Anything else is mostly legend。 And Groff’s casual conflation of two historical characters on the basis of a shared given first name （Marie of France， a contemporary but very different woman than Marie d'Anjou） seems a bit out of line even in fiction。 It seems to me the book is much more a feminist polemic。 It is obviously a vision of a feminine utopia， a Shakerism without the men anywhere in sight， and contentedly gay。The problem is that Marie uses increasingly ‘male’ tactics to get and keep control over her visionary paradise。 She begins with fraud， moves on to manipulation and intimidation， and ultimately resorts to violence in order to get her way。 It seems to me that her female-only hideaway is just another form of domination in a world ruled by domination。 Anyway， here are my notes to justify my conclusion。 Beware: spoilers ahead if you care about reading the book without prejudice:—————————————————————Marie wants it all， or at least everything that the 12th century has to offer - ridin’， huntin’， and shootin’， with a well-prepared feast of roast swan afterwards， which she can enjoy wearing the latest fashions from France。 As the illegitimate child of Geoffrey of Anjou， she reckons she has the right to such things。 But the Empress Matilda thinks otherwise， so off she’s packed to Angleterre。Marie is a woman’s woman （nudge， wink） who became imprinted （enamoured， obsessed） with the good Lady Eleanor of Aquitaine （her half-sister） while on a purported Women’s Crusade to Jerusalem （a sort of medieval Hadassah cruise one supposes， which it was not historically - wives did accompany husbands; Eleanor was along for the ride， armor and all）。 Marie is hopeful that her devotion to Eleanor， now Queen of the English as well as the French will earn her the points necessary to fulfil her dream。 What she gets instead is a forlorn nunnery in wet and dreary Wiltshire…… And no word from the beloved Eleanor who is off flooding the Plantagenet gene pool （and then regretting much of the outflow from the overcrowded space）。 Marie’s admiration for Eleanor is mysterious （it is more likely， historically， that she was focused on her half-brother Henry II）。 Eleanor has slept her way to the top of the social ladder， something Marie wouldn’t even consider given her preferences。 Eleanor is apparently a looker; Marie is a butch two feet taller than her peers with a face like… well， a horse。 Eleanor has learned how to take and maintain power in a world of men; men don’t exist in Marie’s world except as faceless， nameless ghosts who are best avoided。 Eleanor is ‘establishment’ through and through; Marie gives up on that world entirely in order to create her own anti-establishment。Nevertheless Marie uses what she has， her growing band of nuns， to make a name and a position of respect。 And she thinks she has found what makes Eleanor so successful: “Women in this world are vulnerable; only reputation can keep them from being crushed。” So she develops an image of ruthless competence and dedicated persistence。 And she is not above using the church itself to further her ambitions。 As she has learned from her blind， dotty abbess， “Mystical acts create mystical beliefs。” Marie creates a set of phoney accounts to mislead the local bishop about the convent’s growing wealth。 And flirtatiously flatters her own female superiors into submission。 Corruption is necessary after all to fight corruption， she muses。 And for a woman of definite sexual tastes， the abbey provides the casual but close companionship she desires。 And why not， since men aren’t involved， there’s no biblical prohibition against womanly mutual comfort。 She is getting accustomed to this business of faith as well: “How strange， she thinks。 Belief has grown upon her。 Perhaps， she thinks， it is something like a mold。” And her principle belief is that men are the carriers if not the source of evil and will be banned entirely from the abbey’s estates。Marie’s post-menopausal visions are the driving force of her middle age （Groff spends several pages on Marie’s hot flushes， suggesting she likes the image of women of a certain age as witches）。 They tell her to make the abbey an “island of women” entirely enclosed and fortified against the vagaries of the （male-inhabited） world。 Over the objections of her senior nuns she builds a enormous labyrinthine maze around the abbey。 All hands contribute， neglecting their religious rituals but designing and building new machines， roads， dams， and fortifications with military precision。Marie’s project is noticed by both the nobility and the church authorities。 And not favourably。 But Marie has already started a massive international PR programme to quell criticism。: “through the countryside， the women will tell stories， woman to woman， servant to servant and lady to lady， and the stories will spread north and south upon this island， and the stories will alchemize into legends， and the legends will serve as cautionary tales， and her nuns will be made doubly safe through story most powerful。” Eleanor， freed finally from family and regnal strife， seems to approve Marie’s efforts。 So Marie receives a new vision and a new project。 Hoping to entice Eleanor to retire in the abbey， Marie starts the building of an enormous abbess house。 For this skilled men are needed。 Appropriate precautions are taken。 Blindfolds are necessary for any member of the community who bring the men food， drink， and pay。 The maze provides security。 But there is a gap in defences， enough for some sperm to sneak over the wall， as it were， and one of the naughty novices gets pregnant， miscarries and dies。 Marie works jointly with the Queen “against the old carrionbirds Gossip and Rumor。” to bury the scandal。Marie has made her dream a reality through cunning and wit。 She has power， power to maintain a “second Eden。” She is the new Eve。 And as Eve was a precursor of the Virgin Mary so the Virgin is a precursor of Mother Abbess Marie。 She is turning into an apocalyptic fanatic: “Marie sees evil settling on the world， an evil overcoming the goodness in the hearts of even the holy。” She essentially forms her own church， installing herself as high priestess: “I will take upon my own shoulders the abbey’s sacerdotal duties。” She says Mass， takes confessions， changes the Latin ritual to feminine endings， and performs the other roles canonically reserved for males。It is in the confessional that Marie gets to understand the depth of suffering her flock has undergone at the hands of men: “she sorrows for her daughters in their lives before， the secret invisible weights they have dragged behind them into the abbey。” Rape， abuse， the guilt of fighting and not fighting off these men。 Out of fear， love or loyalty no one snitches to the authorities。 Marie， of course， knows everyone’s secrets at this point。 Prudence prevails。Cults produce other cults， Marie finds， as competition emerges in the abbey’s ranks。 The first rule of power is to protect power。 If two mystical prophets share the same time and space， one of them is false。 Marie manoeuvres her potential rivals out。 She expands her physical empire， even as Eleanor is dying and loosing hers。 Marie feels elation rather than sorrow。 “She feels royal。 She feels papal。” She even encroaches on Crown land。 Unfortunately protection of this dramatic enlargement of her ambition will require murder， and the death of her friend。 With this last comes regret and a personal revelation:“Marie’s arrogance brought this final illness upon Wulfhild。 Her endless hunger ate up the daughter of her spirit。 The need to enlarge this abbey she has thought of as an extension of her own body。 Her actions always in reaction to the question of what she could have done in the world， if she had only been given her freedom。” Yet she still refuses to recognise the papal interdict of England forbidding all religious rights - the ultimate arrogance。 In Marie’s quiet island of women and work， ritual and observance go on as usual for years。 Even in old age she can successfully resist men wielding power through deceit and misinformation more than equivalent to their own。 She is unrepentant， missed by her sisters in death， and portrayed by Groff as a sort of light that failed。 Seriously？I get it， I do。 Tricking Da Massa is rewarding revenge and one has to admire Marie’s ingenuity （or rather Groff’s）。 Men are mostly shits; history demonstrates their danger to women。 And Marie’s ability to still raise an orgasm or two well into her seventies is admirable indeed。 But if that’s the sum of Marie’s life， it might have been wasted in better ways。 The image of Eve （the first Matrix） and the Virgin Mary （the greatest Matrix） engaged in an eternal sensual kiss， both embraced by Abbess Marie （the last Matrix） isn’t really sufficient to maintain either a mystical cult or visionary momentum。 Ultimately Marie couldn’t institutionalise herself and her vision。 Both passed apparently into obscurity。 Groff’s resurrection doesn’t add much of value to the legends。I await the avalanche of Mariolatrus abuse。 。。。more

Sherrie ，

Once I caught on to the rhythm of the language， this was an excellent nun story。

Kerry ，

This is a story about women's power and potential even in the medieval world。 It also seems to be a bit about how humans have long been on the route to climate and species destruction， which is alluded to throughout the book and pronounced as a consequence at the end of the book。Beautifully told， well-paced， perfect length for the story。 This is a story about women's power and potential even in the medieval world。 It also seems to be a bit about how humans have long been on the route to climate and species destruction， which is alluded to throughout the book and pronounced as a consequence at the end of the book。Beautifully told， well-paced， perfect length for the story。 。。。more

Kathleen ，

Beautifully written novel about an interesting person and time in history， but I never really felt invested or part of the story。

Guin Wright ，

I could not put this down — the writing was divine and the atmosphere so strong that I physically ache。

Madeleine ，

Wow Lauren Groff has crazy good range！！ So different from her other books。 But also just a fun and delightful imagining of a ye olde historical figure （see also: Wolf Hall） but this one happens to be one of my favorites from British Lit survey！The language literally doesn’t translate as well to historical accuracy （3-4 centuries earlier than Wolf Hall）， so it just sounds generically old， but I got over it pretty quickly。 Marie de France is such a mystery and I love the idea of using fiction to f Wow Lauren Groff has crazy good range！！ So different from her other books。 But also just a fun and delightful imagining of a ye olde historical figure （see also: Wolf Hall） but this one happens to be one of my favorites from British Lit survey！The language literally doesn’t translate as well to historical accuracy （3-4 centuries earlier than Wolf Hall）， so it just sounds generically old， but I got over it pretty quickly。 Marie de France is such a mystery and I love the idea of using fiction to fill in historical gaps！If I had one major complaint is sometimes the gestures to present day （climate change？） felt heavy handed。 Really it speaks for herself that she was such an icon！ 。。。more

André Crombie ，

“If one looks hard at even the most powerful magic， one can see nimble human hands， Marie says。”Notes: Through the first third or so this is a very fine historical novel—beautifully written， poignant， and at times quite funny。 Once Marie experiences her vision of the Virgin and begins construction of the labyrinth （！！）， it becomes something more: an almost mythological story about power， divinity， womanhood， and the sublime electricity that generates loyalty between human beings。 This is a book “If one looks hard at even the most powerful magic， one can see nimble human hands， Marie says。”Notes: Through the first third or so this is a very fine historical novel—beautifully written， poignant， and at times quite funny。 Once Marie experiences her vision of the Virgin and begins construction of the labyrinth （！！）， it becomes something more: an almost mythological story about power， divinity， womanhood， and the sublime electricity that generates loyalty between human beings。 This is a book where greatness increases with strangeness。 There’s an intricately erotic dental surgery。 At one point our enormous heroine rides into battle armed with her sword （hung from her mother’s crusader belt） and abbess’s staff （solid copper engraved with scenes of Eden in gold filigree and topped， of course， by a snakehead with emeralds for eyes—a gift from the queen）， accompanied by a cohort of her buffest nuns。 There are a wide variety of terrifically dark-age-sounding titles ending in -trix。 Also， no one writes women bedecked in jewels better than Lauren Groff， and every scene with Eleanor of Aquitaine is a delight。 This is her best book yet; excitingly， I’ve said that about each of them。 。。。more

Farren ，

Spectacular。 Well worth the 9 month wait。

Joe ，

I review Lauren Groff's Matrix in The Brooklyn Rail。Lauren Groff’s latest novel Matrix is a lyrical blend of historical fiction and myth-making that takes place in a nunnery during the mid-12th and early 13th centuries， the time of the Crusades。 The novel gives Groff the opportunity to celebrate and hypothesize about the life of her “beloved Marie de France，” an actual medieval writer who was France’s first female poet。 https://brooklynrail。org/2021/09/book。。。 I review Lauren Groff's Matrix in The Brooklyn Rail。Lauren Groff’s latest novel Matrix is a lyrical blend of historical fiction and myth-making that takes place in a nunnery during the mid-12th and early 13th centuries， the time of the Crusades。 The novel gives Groff the opportunity to celebrate and hypothesize about the life of her “beloved Marie de France，” an actual medieval writer who was France’s first female poet。 https://brooklynrail。org/2021/09/book。。。 。。。more

John Porter ，

The age-old theme of the intersection of religion and power is at play here。 One comes into this book with knowledge of the kingdom and kingmaker status of ancient popes and how politics to this day play a key role in the church。 There's a huge twist here though， the leadership of women， that makes this novel both unique and something that you must digest。 The 'ugly' （too tall， too strong a face， too deep a voice） Marie is outcast from her royal birth and sent to presumptive oblivion in the life The age-old theme of the intersection of religion and power is at play here。 One comes into this book with knowledge of the kingdom and kingmaker status of ancient popes and how politics to this day play a key role in the church。 There's a huge twist here though， the leadership of women， that makes this novel both unique and something that you must digest。 The 'ugly' （too tall， too strong a face， too deep a voice） Marie is outcast from her royal birth and sent to presumptive oblivion in the life of a novice nun in a 12th century abbey。 She is not， however， to remain in oblivion， instead rising in status and building the abbey from the deepest depths of poverty into one that will rival royalty in its power， resources， connections。 Marie， who accomplishes this in part through the sin of ego， is not left without considerable scars。 The novel winds through a long string of challenges for Marie and the abbey， keeping the pages turning as we a huge character develop。 At the same time， one develops a closeness for the more 'minor' characters who are given a chance themselves to evolve and open up by the author。 Some philosophical passages will challenge the reader， but will leave her better for having measured up。 This delightfully conceived and written novel is well worth spending your time with， even as fall 2021 rolls out a plentitude of high-profile tomes。 。。。more

James Beggarly ，

Young Marie de France is sent away to an abbey in England。 We follow the life of this reluctant nun as she transforms this poorly run and operated abbey into an almost magic place transformed and run exclusively by women。 It’s thrilling that one of our most modern authors is able to tell this tale from 1100。 Marie， through her intelligence， hard work and religious visions， is an amazing creation。

Jolanta （knygupe） ，

2。5*Kažin kiek rašytojiškų avatarų turi Groff？RTC。。。

Sam ，

Matrix is an important book: an awakening， a woman coming into their own power。 It is that much more impressive for happening in mediaeval times。 Marie De France has been cast out of the Royal Court as a threat。 She is too tall and too intelligent。 Instead of disappearing， Marie turns the Abbey she is sent to into a seat of power and influence to rival any in the world。

Karen Clements ，

I was intrigued by the premise of this novel when I first learned of it， and while I have not read any of Groff's other books， her reputation was another draw。 The titular matrix is Marie， illegitimate half-sister to England’s Henry II， abbess of Shaftesbury Abbey， and possibly the same person known as Marie de France， believed to be the first French female poet。 Since she lived in the 12th and 13th centuries， little is known of her。 We meet Groff’s Marie when she is 17 and still mourning the lo I was intrigued by the premise of this novel when I first learned of it， and while I have not read any of Groff's other books， her reputation was another draw。 The titular matrix is Marie， illegitimate half-sister to England’s Henry II， abbess of Shaftesbury Abbey， and possibly the same person known as Marie de France， believed to be the first French female poet。 Since she lived in the 12th and 13th centuries， little is known of her。 We meet Groff’s Marie when she is 17 and still mourning the loss of her mother and reeling from the news that her adored sister-in-law， Eleanor of Aquitaine， is sending her away to a poor nunnery because she doesn’t think anyone will want to marry such an unattractive， enormous woman。 Matrix follows Marie’s development from reluctant novice， to hardworking prioress， and eventually abbess， transforming the abbey from a pitiful group of starving sisters to a wealthy， influential group headed by an ambitious woman。 Beautiful and spellbinding。 。。。more

Megan Peters ，

I never thought I would love a book about an abbess and the building of an abbey， the nuns who lived there over time， life for women in the 1100s， so， so much。 This is gorgeously written; I reread some paragraphs a number of time because they were so beautiful and I couldn’t understand how Groff got so few words to do so much work。 Delighted to have received and ARC from the publisher for this one， it exceeded all of my expectations。

Paul ，

Ms。 Groff， a clever and acerbic observer of modern life， deserves three stars for leaving her comfort zone by writing historical fiction。Of course， her take on the history strikes the modern reader as a bit improbable since her heroine is a 12th-century Girl Boss abbess with a lifelong crush on Eleanor of Aquitaine， but she did the research， I didn't， I'm not going to criticize。 Anyway， her ability to convey the most elevated of concepts with the plainest of language gets her that fourth star。 Ms。 Groff， a clever and acerbic observer of modern life， deserves three stars for leaving her comfort zone by writing historical fiction。Of course， her take on the history strikes the modern reader as a bit improbable since her heroine is a 12th-century Girl Boss abbess with a lifelong crush on Eleanor of Aquitaine， but she did the research， I didn't， I'm not going to criticize。 Anyway， her ability to convey the most elevated of concepts with the plainest of language gets her that fourth star。 。。。more

Kasa Cotugno ，

Lauren Groff， one of my favorite writers， has joined another favorite， Maggie O'Farrell， in bringing a far-off world to living immediacy。 Marie de France lived in the 12th century， and has been regarded as a woman ahead of her times。 From the beginning when she is banished from the French court to be prioress of a rotting abbey in England， she decides not to assume the role of victim but to take charge and manages to turn the fate of the nunnery and its inhabitants around。 I've always felt Groff Lauren Groff， one of my favorite writers， has joined another favorite， Maggie O'Farrell， in bringing a far-off world to living immediacy。 Marie de France lived in the 12th century， and has been regarded as a woman ahead of her times。 From the beginning when she is banished from the French court to be prioress of a rotting abbey in England， she decides not to assume the role of victim but to take charge and manages to turn the fate of the nunnery and its inhabitants around。 I've always felt Groff was one of our more intuitive contemporary writers， but she obviously has done her research and has created an immersive account of a long-gone time and place。 。。。more

Dale Ann ，

I had a difficult time deciding how to rate this book 。 。 。 I would have given it 3。5 to 4 stars for the first half and definitely 5 stars for the second half。 Final verdict - 4。5 stars。

Mlg ，

I’d give this book 4 1/2 stars。 It’s a weird story of a French bastard girl， half sister to Eleanor of Aquitaine。 After her parents die， Marie runs their estate even though she is just a young teen。 Two years later she meets her grandmother and ends up in England。 Eleanor decides to send this teenager to a nunnery where they are starving to be their leader。 In the following years， Marie makes the nunnery a model for how one should be Run， as she slowly becomes more religious。 She begins to have I’d give this book 4 1/2 stars。 It’s a weird story of a French bastard girl， half sister to Eleanor of Aquitaine。 After her parents die， Marie runs their estate even though she is just a young teen。 Two years later she meets her grandmother and ends up in England。 Eleanor decides to send this teenager to a nunnery where they are starving to be their leader。 In the following years， Marie makes the nunnery a model for how one should be Run， as she slowly becomes more religious。 She begins to have visions which show her the things she must do。 I don’t think the book is historically accurate， but the story is well told with beautiful prose especially concerning the natural world。 Though it provides for them， they ruin the habitats and kill the animals through their toil。 Marie is a towering figure， buried under the altar when she dies。 。。。more

Lynda C ，

Enjoyable and interestingA very personal historical view of women in power illustrated with Lauren Groff's breathtaking and unique perspectives on the natural world。 Enjoyable and interestingA very personal historical view of women in power illustrated with Lauren Groff's breathtaking and unique perspectives on the natural world。 。。。more

Elisabeth ，

I need to ruminate。 。 。

Mags ，

What a stunning historical novel！ I absurdly adored the story of Marie， cast out to a nunnery in the 1100's。 With passion， Marie comes to find herself at home in the sacred and the profane。 A fictionalized vivid beautiful story to lose time in。 What a stunning historical novel！ I absurdly adored the story of Marie， cast out to a nunnery in the 1100's。 With passion， Marie comes to find herself at home in the sacred and the profane。 A fictionalized vivid beautiful story to lose time in。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Matrix

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Matrix&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Matrix&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0