Poor Banished Children

by Fiorella De Maria

An explosion is heard off the coast of sixteenth-century England, and a woman washes up on the shore. She is barely alive and does not speak English, but she asks for a priest... in Latin. She has a confession to make and a story to tell, but who is she and where has she come from?

Cast out of her superstitious, Maltese family, Warda turns to begging and stealing until she is fostered by an understanding Catholic priest who teaches her the art of healing. Her willful nature and hard-earned independence make her unfit for marriage, and so the good priest sends Warda to serve an anchorite, in the hope that his protege will discern a religious vocation.

Such a calling Warda never has the opportunity to hear. Barbary pirates raid her village, capture her and sell her into slavery in Muslim North Africa. In the merciless land of Warda's captivity, her wits, nerve and self-respect are daily put to the test, as she struggles to survive without submitting to total and permanent enslavement. Slowly worn down by the brutality of her circumstances, she comes to believe that God has abandoned her and falls into despair, hatred and a pattern of behavior which, ironically, mirrors that of her masters.

Poor Banished Children is the tale of one woman's relentless search for freedom and redemption. The historical novel raises uncomfortable questions about the nature of courage, free will and ultimately salvation.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Catholic, Horror, Historical, Novels, Adult Fiction

299 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2011

About the author

Fiorella De Maria is an Anglo-Maltese writer, born in Italy and currently living in Surrey. She grew up in rural Wiltshire and attended Cambridge University, where she received a BA in English Literature and an MPhil in Renaissance Literature. A winner of the National Book Prize of Malta, she has published nine novels, specialising in historical and crime fiction. Fiorella’s novels have received endorsements from veteran author and journalist, Piers Paul Reid, and her most recent novel was described as “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie meets I Capture the Castle.”

Besides writing novels, Fiorella is a qualified English Language teacher and a respected bioethicist. She has delivered lectures and papers at conferences all over the world. Her book The Abolition of Woman was described by former Cosmopolitan journalist Sue Ellen Browder as “a daring revelation of the shocking exploitation of women around the world”. Fiorella has appeared on British radio and TV programmes such as ITN 24-Hour News, BBC Woman’s Hour and Premier Radio’s Woman 2 Woman. Fiorella lives with her husband, four children and a dog called Montgomery (Monty).

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve…*

If this were a movie, you would never sit back in your seat. There are no breathers. De Maria takes the reader on a whirlwind journey through time and place, from Malta to England and back, repeatedly, with stops in between, in a series of short chapters told from the perspective of several characters. It’s the sixteenth century and the Barbary pirates raid coastal towns at will.

The main character, Ursula/Perpetua/Warda, changes her name as she changes her locale, although not by her own volition. Very little, in fact, in her life seems to be her choice, which makes the confession she is giving the priest at her ultimate destination, puzzling from the beginning. Catholics aren’t supposed to confess the sins of others. So what does this young, abused, abducted, forced-into-slavery-and-so-much-more girl, have to confess? That is the gist of this riveting, if heartbreaking, narrative.

Ultimately, it is a story about the Mercy of God ... if one can still believe in it by the end...

Turn then, most Gracious Advocate, thy eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus…*

*For non-Catholics, these words are from the prayer, Hail Holy Queen.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book collected some dust on my to-read shelf. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it and I couldn't gauge how long it would take me to get immersed and interested. My to-read shelf is quite full (it's actually two shelves, and spilling over onto a third shelf), and one of the reasons so many of my books on Goodreads have four or five stars is that I don't start or finish books I don't think I'll like. (I am very, very picky with what I'll start and/or finish. In this season of life when reading time is precious, I have to defend my favorite hobby lest lose its fun!)

When I finally decided to read it, it was no worse for the waiting. The fact is, this is not just a novel: it's literature. I was gripped by the story and even more by the clear characterization and vivid scenery. This book could be used as an example for beginning authors of how flashbacks and memories can be used to move your story forward (as opposed to just being more muddle and fuddle).

I found myself reading this book and thinking of the many people who are less fortunate than I am, than many of us are. Somehow, this book made me think of the people who are so invisible to me. It made me consider in more depth the extent of what it means to have my modern life, both as it relates to the year 2011 and as it relates to my specific station in life right now.

Beyond that, this was just a great story. It had elements of uncertainty and suspense, topped at all times with stellar writing. Highly recommended.

[Fonch · Rating 5 out of 5]

dedicated with affection to Steven R. McEvoy and Manuel Alfonseca. Ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry to be so unoriginal, and to start always apologizing. I know I promised you to write a review of the third part of Gary Gygax's Dangerous Journeys cycle specifically the third novel, which closes his "Death in Delhi" trilogy https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... without However I had tied myself to a previous promise, apart from the being a great lover of J.R.R. Tolkien I have stuck with many of his customs and one of them is Hobbits birthdays. Before I tell what that promise consisted of, I must say, as a collector of Catholic writers i had long been behind this book "Poor banished children". "and I waited unsuccessfully for Fiorella Nash's novel to be translated for, perhaps because I am one of the Catholic writers, to listen to me a little, and I have paid some attention to my crazy projects (I hope, this does not ring and complain, since it's not. I am only recognizing the virtues of Fiorella as a person, since enduring is a task only at the level of the most patient as the good Job https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... Secondly, this is an issue, which I was very interested in. Due to the cultural dominance of certain anti-Christians there was a praising in Spain to praise Islam, and to denotate the Catholic religion, so the subject that Fiorella spoke of about the activities of Barbary pirates and slavery in the Islamic world was a theme q I was interested. I wasn't going to find the bibliography here, which I was interested in. For according to the members of the intelligentsia Islam is peaceful. It is a religion of progress, and is more tolerant, than the Catholic religion, and according to some pseudo-intellectuals such as Infante's Blas, or Goytisolo https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... taking from the government of Morocco denies the existence of a Muslim invasion of the peninsula by the Muslims, despite two previous attempts of it as the Visigothic King Wamba, and with the Visigothic general Teodomiro. So it is a pleasure for me to read this book, which is like a little fresh air on this issue. The third reason, which hastened the reading of this book, was, that my great friend and rival Steven R. McEvoy had read this book, and had been slain in praise of himself, and as Petronius said I felt more yellow with envy, than Lucano himself. Mr. McEvoy is not only one of Goodreads' best critics, but also one of the greatest readers I've met at Goodreads both he and Jeff Miller are my heroes and my landmarks. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... here I share their criticism, so that Goodreads users can compare and decide which of the two reviews is best. However, it is not the one who wrote goodreads' best review, but both reviews encourage Goodreads users and read an almost unknown episode, for those uninitiated in the history field. I have also dedicated my good friend Professor Manuel Alfonseca https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... I have spoken to about Fiorella, and he is also interested in his work and some epistolary contact have maintained. Once, I have already finished with the history of this book I propose to write a review of this book, which for me has been a great challenge. Not because Fiorella misspelled, which is not the case, but because this book I read it in its original language, and I have my English somewhat rusty, and I did not look at the dictionary, because otherwise the reading of this book would have slowed down a lot. I therefore apologise if there have been some parts that I have not understood, or have not understood well. The great editorial eye, which Ignatius Press has shown (as always) is reconfirmed https://www.ignatius.com/ in fact Ignatius Press this editorial deftly governed by Father Fessio, and the Jesuits are doing an american work in editing the best books written by Catholic publishers, especially are taking great care of fiction, and even if they say that their only publishing success has been Michael D. O'Brien https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/series/6765... I do not believe that success should be measured only by economic achievements, but by the quality of the product, and in that Ignatius Press is a guarantee of success, just as the Jesuits were in the Catholic reform of the XVI-XVII century. Ignatius Press has done not only great good to Catholic literature, but to literature in general, as it has brought together many of today's greatest writers not only from the United States, but also in the world. It may ring a little pompous, but we should refer to this group of writers, like the Ignatius Press groupBecause theorists in the field of literature speak a lot of generations, and literary groups, and the writers edited in Ignatius Press deserve to have a denomination, which makes them pass into the history of literature. Ignatius Press has not only been nurtured by American writers but has welcomed writers into it, who are shamefully unedited in England (no one is a prophet in their land), for an embarrassing reason, Because they are Catholic, though culturally predomine the atheism promoted by the four horsemen, and an anti-Catholic bias, which was believed to retreat in the first decades of the twentieth century which is the Golden Age of English Catholicism, but post-conciliarism and the triumph of certain secular and anti-Christian currents has made that Catholic fiction is slowed down and we return to the previous anti-Catholicism that prevailed in England until Daniel O'Conell Conell achieved the emancipation of Catholics. Good times are not coming to be a Catholic writer in England. I already commented on my review of "The Nice Work" by a cultural Catholic writer like David Lodge https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... is sad, but very unfair, because even English Catholics do not seem to hold the writers of Piers Paul Read's talent in sufficient esteem https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (I didn't tire of praising this writer's wonderful novels like "Upstar" or "The Professor's Daughter" certainly deserve recognition, which is taxation to the classics of G.K. Chesterton, Evelyn Waugh, J.R.R. Tolkien, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Muriel Spark for saying a few). Lucy Beckett https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... with her wonderful novels about the so-called Reformation, rather the arrival of Protestantism on the island of saints. My idol the famous writer Joseph Pearce https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... has not hesitated to consider "A Postcard on the Volcano" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... as one of the best current novels. Sally Read https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... the Arturic Court novels and the novels of adventurer McCraken, a kind of Indiana Jones Catholic by Mark Adderley https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/series/6120... https://www.goodreads.com/series/2066... the Scottish Dorothy Cummings MacLean (also published in Ignatius Press) https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... with her "Ceremony of Innocence" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... and the work of Corinna Turner https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... praised by my amgo Professor Alfonseca. Indeed, quite possibly both Fiorella and Mrs. Turner have to carry the weight of Catholic fiction in England at a time of uncertainty in which England (understandably) have decided to step away from the European Union. I understand the rejection, which England, or the United Kingdom can feel for an EU that has devoted itself to indoctrination and bureaucracy, which, to solve the problems of Europeans, but I believe, that the problem of the United Kingdom will not be solved by leaving the European Union . With the problem of jihadism, and the rise of the Muslim population. A declining Anglican Church, which may even be in danger of disappearing. Producing a social engineering of anti-Christian lobbyings that propose gender and euthanasia policies, and those who question them go to jail, as if we were in the novels of Michael D. O'Brien. With cases like those of Alfie Evans, Charlie Gard, and Tafida it has been spared the miracle, it almost seems that the United Kingdom, which has been the military power since the war of the Spanish succession is in grave danger of becoming the happy world of Aldous Huxley (already Dutch, and Belgium) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... with an ageing population problem, with the emergence of xenophobic political parties, with the rise of crime in London, watching as atheism triumphs and as apostat is writers such as Hilary Mantel, Jill Patton Walsh, Cynthia Nixey and Karen Armstrong are rewarded for their apostasy are covered in gold. Certainly, and I hope I am wrong, the future of the United Kingdom is not good. I hope my fears aren't fulfilled. Nor can Europe, especially Spain speak, because the situation is not better, I almost have a back to say, that it is worse. The key, if we want something left of England, and from Europe is to follow the diagnosis of writers like Juan Manuel de Prada https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... or politicians like Don Jaime Mayor Oreja this corner of Western civilization can only be saved by the cross by being more Christian, because as Spartacus's miniseries rightly says "Civilization hangs on from the cross" so the service he is doing Ignatius Press is unpayable, just like those monasteries in the Dark Ages, when Rome fell, more than by the barbarians (on this subject I want to recommend Daniel Gómez Aragonés' book "Barbarians in Hispania" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...) so I believe, that the work of writers like Fiorella de Maria Nash, or Corinna Turner will be necessary to save the wreck. He didn't rule out any more outsiders. That's why a novel like "Poor banished children" has never been more needed. This story tells the courage of a brave woman, who with every vicisituity or vital periphism, would change his name. It's funny, that every time Warda changed her name, she evolved. This history takes place in a period of the history of Europe in the 17th century. Spain up to Rocroi is still the master of Europe, but transliti imperii is about to change hands to France whose foundationS Richelieu laid, Mazarino continued, and enlarged Colbert. However, with a very Gallic policy promoting Gallicism in the interior, i.e. the Catholic religion in France, but abroad practicing what Ernest Lavisse called the politics of national selfishness. Richelieu's problem of destruction of the Huguenot, control of the nobility and credit the name of Frabncia within the foreign powers It will come at the cost of strengthening Protestantism, and making alliances with the Turk. However, in a passage of this novel Fiorella already shows us through the testimony of the French sailor, who embodies the good of 17th-century France this change of hands. However, we must not see Fiorella Nash's novel as a historical novel. In fact, the author only wants to tell us the story of a woman courage, who ends up in the mansion of a 17th-century English noblewoman under the reign of Charles I (a period of relative calm) until the English civil wars with the Calvinist parliamentarians , which will begin in 1641, where it will be hell for Anglicans, and Catholics. However, we will not see bright historical annexes, such as those introduced by Jesús Sánchez Adalid in his novels https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... or Ryo Wada, who intersperses them in the middle of the narration in the extraordinary (especially the first part) "The Daughter of the Pirates of Murakami" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... It is curious, because Warda has reminded me, and I have been thinking about it while i was read this novel Stephen R. Lawhead's "Byzantium" star https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... Aidan MacCainech (by Stephen R. Lawhead) was already discussed in my previous review "The Murders of Anubis" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ) are very similar Warda is an island girl near Malta called Gozzo, who is rejected by her family, and must erratt aidan loses her family in a battle, both Ursula/Warda and Aidan have a religious vocation, quwe in the case of Aidan Crystallizes becoming a monk in Kells and Warda already under the name Perpetua opts for hermitage or anacoreta. Both have gestures of mercy, which leads Aidan into captivity, and slavery. Both have a Don Aidan for the languages knows Irish, Latin, Danish, Greek, Arabic and Warda emulates Dr. Cole of the "doctor". With each captivity they both change their role Aidan goes from monk to slave, then interpret, then diplomat, then spy, then counselor, and finally becomes monk Warda again goes from being rejected by his family, to doctor, then anacoreta, then surgeon (following the Model of Vesalio, Falopio, Eustaquio, and other distinguished surgeons), it is also curious how Aidan loses faith , and Warda commits so many sins, he fears going to hell. Also very important is the role of priests in the case of Aidan by Bishop Cadoc and his secnab and with Warda the role of Father Antonin, who in fact becomes the father of the girl, or Pierre Dan. I have been fascinated by Fiorella at one point in the novel to speak of the great role of Trinitarians and mercedaries in saving Christian prisoners. Among them Cervantes himself https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... I have also been fascinated by some of the naturalistic character.. That prints wardon's relationship with her family. The women's dramas are collected very well by Fiorella Nash (for example the one that happens at the end of the first part of the book I was actually talking about that subject with a very talented Spanish writer, who has written a wonderful novel of magicians, although I think , I did not manage to convince her, and that is the difference between the Modern Age and the Current Age, where the way of thinking of illustration has been impose

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the fourth novel by Fiorella that I have read. And with each that I read I am more impressed by her skills as an author. After reading A Most Dangerous Innocence, I picked up all the eBooks available of works by Fiorella De Maria and set to work tracking down the three that do not have electronic editions. And this was the third novel by Fiorella that I have read. It is not an easy read. And it is set in a hard time and covers an even harder topic. But It was an incredible read, and I could barely put the book down.

The story begins after an explosion at sea. And a woman is burnt and floating in the debris hanging on for life. She believes death has come for her again. And after reading her story we see that death passed he by closely many times.

The story is set in the sixteenth century. The story is told as the confession and life story of a woman who had been Barbary slave trade, but that was after a rough childhood. The story follows a woman as she recounts her story, from her early family’s rejection. He virtual adoption and training by the local priest. Follow her from a wild child living in the wild and not wanted in her family home. To student and almost daughter of her priest. To wanting to take vows and live to support the anchoresses. Capture by pirates and sold as a slave. From Malta to the slave market to a pirate ship. And through it all she struggles with being courageous, seeking freedom, and always returning to God.

From her home island of Malta to the slave market. To basically being a slave on a pirate ship. What this woman endured and lived through. Yes, it is fictional but these sorts of things happened to many many people during this time.

While reading this book I kept wondering if it was based on a true story. And though there are a few historical figures, the story is fiction. But it was written drawing upon accounts of the barbary slave trade. Pierre Dan really existed. And the priest, Father Hugh Branton could easily have been one of the Martyrs of the British Isles. And we are told in the acknowledgements that Ibrahim Reis is based on the real-life pirate Murat Reis.

As mentioned, this book was not an easy read. But it was well worth the discomfort of the events. It is in many ways a story of hope and a story of salvation. It is masterfully written. Every time I read something by De Maria I am more impressed with her skill as a wordsmith.

This is a story that is haunting, and the images will stay with me a while. Another excellent read from Maria De Maria!

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Fiorella De Maria. As well as an author profile and interview with Fiorella.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 4 out of 5]

ENGLISH: A historical novel set in the late 16th century and during the slave trade by North African pirates. The protagonist, originally from the island of Gozo, near Malta, confesses her sins on her deathbed, beginning with her life as a child in Gozo, where she was scorned by her family for a reason that today we would consider absurd; continuing with her fall into the hands of the Barbary pirates and her sale as a slave in a rich house; and ending with her participation as a ship's doctor in a new pirate expedition.

A good description of the evolution of the mind of a person, so horrified by her sins (real, exaggerated or imaginary) that she believes it impossible to be forgiven, and perhaps does not even want to be forgiven.

The confession is nuanced by chapters narrated by other characters, which provide additional information to the readers, This is dangerous, as it could distract their attention and make some things difficult to deduce, but in my opinion it is well done, so it can be considered positive.

ESPAÑOL: Novela histórica ambientada a finales del siglo XVI y en el tráfico de esclavos por los piratas del Norte de África. La protagonista, originaria de la isla de Gozo, cerca de Malta, confiesa sus pecados en el lecho de muerte, comenzando por su vida de niña en Gozo, donde fue despreciada por su familia por una razón que hoy consideraríamos absurda; siguiendo con su caída en manos de los piratas berberiscos y su venta como esclava en una casa de ricos; y terminando con su participación como médico de barco en una nueva expedición de piratas.

Buena descripción de la evolución de la mentalidad de una persona, tan horrorizada por sus pecados (reales, exagerados o imaginarios) que cree imposible ser perdonada, y quizá ni siquiera desea serlo.

La confesión se ve matizada por capítulos narrados por otros personajes, que proporcionan información adicional al lector. Esto es peligroso, porque podría distraer la atención y hacer algunas cosas difíciles de deducir, pero en mi opinión está bien hecho, por lo que puede considerarse positivo.

[Terry Southard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am torn about this book - between 3 stars and 4. Really would have liked to give it a 3 1/2. It is better than average, but it is so unrelentingly grim that it is difficult to warm up to.

I had never read anything about the Barbary pirates before, so the novel sent me running to the internet to get a little background information.

I'll have to do a little more thinking on this one before I can give a better review. Perhaps discussion at book club this month (it is the selection for June) will make it clearer in my mind.

[Carolynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads giveaway. So I _wanted_ to like it. And the description sounded intriguing. A free spirited young woman (we know she is named Ursula, though she has forgotten it herself), from childhood rejected and neglected by her family on the isle of Malta, finds a degree of contentment studying at the side of her mentor, Father Antonin, who gives her the name Warda, until she is old enough to marry. When she balks at that idea, the priest suggests she become a nun. She acquiesces with what seems to me little thoughtful contemplation, but whether she was suited to become an Anchorite or not the reader never knows. Soon after she enters the convent she is kidnapped by pirates while on an ultimately fruitless errand of mercy. From that time on her life is one of humiliation and degradation and pain, with no significant mitigation until the ambiguous ending. Her only solace is an occasional encounter with the Church, which is always positively portrayed. I am always interested to read a novel in which religion plays a significant role. But this story is so relentlessly lugubrious I found it a challenge to persevere until the end. One wants to sympathize with the courageous protagonist, but Warda is an uncompromising, severe, and humorless heroine. De Maria is clearly a good storyteller and keeps the reader interested, and I look forward to seeing what she does with more balanced material.

[Mariangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this very fast, as it is gripping. It is also quite brutal. This is historical fiction about a woman abandoned as a child who is trained as a physician by a priest. She is then captured and sold as a slave in a different country, and her life from that point is made up of terrible decisions and guilt as a consequence.

Some situations and writing style reminded of the Watchers of the Outremer series, although these are a mixture of fantasy and history (with a very well-researched history).
https://www.goodreads.com/series/2669...

[Veronica Gotway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is emotionally exhausting and tragic.

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooof! Beautiful and intense, so hard to read but impossible to put down. Fiorella De Maria has crafted an emotional rollercoaster that holds you by the throat until the last line. I struggle to say that I liked it or enjoyed it, since I don't like those kinds of stories, but this book haunted me until I turned the final page. If you're looking for gripping historical fiction that doesn't shy away from the evils of the world, that presents you with impossible dilemmas and shows how complex, messy and painful life can be, then this is the book for you.

In short, it was excellent.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping from start to finish.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rather grim novel is the story of a young woman called Warda, who is cast out of her family home in Malta, and brought up and taught by the local priest. Kidnapped by pirates, she is sold into slavery in North Africa. Eventually she escapes, and is ship-wrecked off the coast of England.

The book is well-written with vivid descriptions and character development. I liked the fact that the author included some chapters that were obstensibly written by the supporting characters in the novel, so that the reader got to see their perspectives as well. The author explores deep themes of freedom and slavery, judgment vs. redemption, and courage vs. fear. The plot was also unusual, and the author seems to have done a fair amount of research on her subject.

[Meg Carl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to think about this book. The main character is portrayed as brave and committed to her convictions. I mainly saw her as proud, self absorbed and not too smart. I appreciate her strength of character but I wonder if she listened to God, she might have discovered a new path for her life. At the very least, maybe she could be a blessing where she landed. As it is, her life is one misery after another and although she has regrets at the end, it doesn't make for a happy ending.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and kept my interest throughout. Slavery in days of yore was brutal and without mercy. It is a shame ( tragedy) that it continued and still continues today. The priests she met were her salvation.It is good to see priests in a positive light. For those looking for vilification of clergy and faith, please look elsewhere.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how to rate this book. I thought the author was a good writer. However, only bad things ever happen to the woman in this book, and there is very little to redeem it in the end. As a Catholic, I think the last couple of pages are supposed to be the hope and salvation of what the rest of the book details but I was hoping for a lot more.

[Carol Thames · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book. I couldn't get enough of the trials and tribulations Warda went through in her life. After watching a documentary on HBO about African children being shunned by their families for being 'witches' I found this story fascinating.

[loraknits · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the very descriptive prose of Fiorella de Maria, I feel this historical fiction might offend the sensibilities of some readers. It is a rough time period and the choices the heroine had to make miight make some older teenagers blush.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book was constructed, interspersing confessions with memories, good and bad. Incredibly well written, transporting the reader to the 16th century, lives of slaves, merchant seamen, religious men & women, and the rich.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was read for our book club and there were some very good discussions. Some of the book club members felt it was fine to do a moral evil to obtain a good, I'm glad we set them straight:) Read before you let any of you children, due to some sexual (not graphic) content.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this book down. So intense, so overwhelming, so riveting.
When I think, truly think, about the sufferings others endure, I can honestly say my suffering is nothing. I don't know how people survive the atrocities brought upon them by others.

[Cate Neuhauser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found it boring and could never get really into the story, I felt that it dragged and didnt like the voice the author used.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very intense. Interesting ending. The main character was too guilt-ridden.

[Katherine Haas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping and fascinating. I couldn't put it down.

[Briansmom · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just ok.

[Don Mario · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is about sanctity—not something easily within man's grasp, but a goal we are called to pursue, trusting that God's mercy will complete the journey. In this sense, it is a deeply beautiful book.

Warda, the protagonist, wins our hearts with her blend of wildness, humility, loyalty, and her love for God. “I will call you Perpetua. She was a spirited, courageous woman who became a saint. Perhaps you could do the same” (p. 79), says Father Anthony to Warda-Perpetua. This statement encapsulates the novel’s profound theme: Warda is called to sainthood, and she deeply desires it. However, the challenges she faces are so great that by the end, neither she nor the reader can definitively say whether she has succeeded.

In a poignant moment, Father Dan, while ministering to a dying slave, realizes that this simple man is a real saint—one of those whom Pope Francis would call "a saint next door." Ordinary yet deeply extraordinary. “Father Dan had never ministered to a saint before, and thought that if France could have produced a dozen such men, it would be the sanctuary of the world” (p. 239).

Father Hugh, the priest hearing Warda's confession, gives this powerful encouragement: “You do not have to bleed for your sins, because Christ has already bled for you. You must not fall into doubt and pride now. [...] Why are you so frightened of an act of love?” (p. 297). This is the teaching of the story: we can all be saints, because Christ has already shed His blood for us.

Despite its beauty, the book has a few imperfections. Some side stories are left unresolved. While character depth is important, if a subplot is introduced, I feel it should have a conclusion. I was left wanting to know what happens to Father Anthony, Father Dan, and even Father Hugh. Their stories (their words, in Father Dan's case) project towards the future, but there is no resolution, which feels incomplete. By the way, while I do feel a bit flattered in the choice of all priests as the main positive characters, I do consider it a minor flaw in the overall story.

Additionally, the use of a confession as the framing device felt overextended. Initially intriguing, it eventually becomes strained, and in the end it leads to a sense of dissonance: the story has been told to the reader, yet within such framework, it remains forever an untold secret. This creates a subtle logical paradox.

On the other hand, I appreciated the frequent shifts in narrative perspective. Though some critics found it confusing, I found it effective, except in a few moments where the identity of the narrator wasn’t immediately clear.

Overall, it’s a memorable book—rich in spiritual depth and reflection. It’s truly a shame that there isn’t yet an Italian edition.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. The title is great -- taken from a line of the Marian prayer "Salve Regina." The book itself was disappointing, though.

It's about a young Catholic Maltese woman kidnapped by pirates and sold to Muslims, long ago (the book doesn't say exactly when it happened -- maybe mid/late 16th century).

The author is talented, and the story is worth telling. For me, the main character seemed two-dimensional from the start -- as a five-year-old, she is ostracized from her family for no good reason, but she is extremely smart and learns so much from a kind priest; she is a redhead, of course, and after she is kidnapped, several men fall in love with her despite themselves, and think that she's bewitched them ... it's all very dramatic, but hard to believe in as a story.

I also found the narrator's voice unbelievable. She's supposed to be telling her story, not writing it. Sentences are too long and flowery -- again, it kept me at a distance from the story.

It also gets tedious that she thinks she is the WORST SINNER EVER -- in the first-person parts of the story, keeps talking about it.

It is hard for artists to do great work when there are so few of them with a similar vision. Whether it's great painters or writers or other artists, they rarely come out of nowhere but are formed in a time/place where they can learn from others and build on those strengths. I applaud Fiorella de Maria for undertaking this novel and for giving us an unsentimental Catholic novel. Iron sharpens iron, though, and I hope that the author will learn from other writers how to tell a story that draws the reader in, such as Kazuo Ishiguro.

[Sebastian Fricke · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a fascinating book, I have rarely read a book before that describes pretty much how the plot is going to be, while still surprising me when it happens and keeping me gripped to the pages. The characters are beautifully illustrated and Fiorella was able to make me empathize as a man, with a woman in her deepest struggles along a way that seems like God has forsaken her. At the same time, you can see his works along the path. It is a beautiful hardship around evil in the world, the cruelty of humanity, the heartwrenching difficulty of redemption, and the beauty of doing what is true and what is for love.
I think the main character should have died a dozen times during the story, and this might be the drawback of describing a story in retrospective because you know she will survive even though death seems inevitable, but people experiencing miracles and surviving the unsurvivable is something that happens in real life as well.
Looking forward to reading more books from Fiorella De Maria!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a difficult book - the subject matter, the intensity, and mostly, difficult to put down! I had to know what was going to happen next as there was never a dull moment. So very well written - despite the hundreds of years separating us, I was completely absorbed in the character, her surroundings, and struggles. I felt the cold, the pain, the brutality, the need for redemption. This was a book I would not have selected, were it not a book-of-the-month in a group I belong to - and I’m so thankful to have experienced a topic and writing style I might never have been exposed to! Historical fiction is also a genre I do not frequent - this was a great opportunity to get outside of my comfort zone and stretch a little. I highly recommend this author - she truly has a talent for character development, complex storylines, and subject matter depth.

[Suzan Windland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of Fiorella De Maria, when I saw her books listed in a flyer from Ignatius Press. I had been wanting to read a good Catholic fiction author. She did not disappoint, with her tragic and compelling tale. She wrote this novel beautifully on what was mostly likely a close to true account to many. I had just read the life of St. Raymond Nonnatus who was a priest who ransomed slaves in the 13th century, when I encounter Fr. Dan in the novel.
It is well worth it to take the harrowing journey with Ursula/Warda/Perpetua, as she tries to keep her eyes on Jesus. She experiences such horrors we pray no one would have to experience anymore, but we know they do. In the end we know we have Jesus and His Holy Mother, to be with us in any situation.

[Marycarmen Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you are a Christian or not, this is a great read.

The book recounts the story of Warda, a Maltese girl. We read about her life in the Island of Malta as a child, her religious vocation as an anchorite, and in a turn of events, a slave in the Barbary Coast of Africa.

The thoughts and emotions of Warda are not of a saint, or fanatic, but of a real human being with all the struggles that come with life. Especially with the life events that challenge our faith and beliefs.

I read this book twice to understand all the subtleties I had missed the first time around.

Looking forward to read more from Ms. Fiorella