Notorious Abbess

by Vera Chapman

Rooted in the rich historical details of England and Jerusalem during the Crusades, the exploits of the Abbess of Shaston tap into the imaginative realm of fantastical creatures, magical conjurings and encounters with the Devil. A refreshing change from today's typical fantasy heroines, the Abbess is neither an invincible sorceress nor a princess in disguise. Whether plotting a coup de main or matching wits with the Devil himself, she never fails to enchant the reader with her droll non-conformity and indomitable spirit.

Genres: Fantasy

248 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1998

About the author

Vera Chapman, also known as Vera Ivy May Fogerty or, in The Tolkien Society, as Belladonna Took. She founded The Tolkien Society, and also wrote a number of psudeo-historical and Arthurian books.

She was born in Bournemouth, England on the 8 May 1898 and lived in South Africa until she went to Oxford where she was one of the first woman to matriculate as a full member of Oxford University. She founded the first Tolkien Society of which she was secretary. She persuaded J R R Tolkien to become the society's honorary president. She wrote her first novel in 1975 and continued writing until her death in 1996.

Reviews

[J. Collbran · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Notorious Abbess (1997) by Vera Chapman is a collection of twelve short stories masquerading as a novel. All of the stories concern the ingenious Abbess of Shaston, a very wealthy nunnery on the hill of Shaftesbury in Wessex. The stories are set in the time of the Crusades and are set in both England and Jersusalem. The Abbess is very unconventional for her time—a proto-feminist, as well as a worker of magic, her adventures frequently involve the fantastic, even to the point of having the Abbess raise up the Devil for conversation. The stories are light, but have a deftness to them and a good deal of historical detail. These stories are much less-known than they should be.

[Elisa Enzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally loved it, Abbess Hodierna is officially my life goal. I would have loved to know a little more about her, though. I really missed a story that would tell something about her past, since it's mentioned here and there that she has suffered. I mean, the Devil himself apologised for bringing back hard memories, so I really wish for more details.
I guess I'll live with the curiosity.