Holy Fools

by Joanne Harris

In the year 1605 a young woman, hiding from her past, takes up the veil becoming Soeur Auguste. Five years later the past has found her and to protect herself and her beloved child she'll have to perform one last act of dazzling daring more audacious than any she has previously attempted.

With her internationally bestselling novels Chocolat, Blackberry Wine, Five Quarters of the Orange, and Coastliners, Joanne Harris has woven intoxicating spells that celebrate the sensuous while exposing the passion, secrets and folly beneath the surface of rustic village life. In Holy Fools, her most ambitious and accomplished novel to date, she transports us back to a time of intrigue and turmoil, of deception and masquerade.

In the year 1605, a young widow, pregnant and alone, seeks sanctuary at the small Abbey of Sainte Marie-de-la-mer on the island of Noirs Moustiers off the Brittany coast. After the birth of her daughter, she takes up the veil, and a new name, Soeur Auguste. But the peace she has found in remote isolation is shattered five years later by the events that follow the death of her kind benefactress, the Reverend Mother.

When a new abbess -- the daughter of a corrupt noble family elevated by the murder of King Henri IV -- arrives at Sainte Marie-de-la-mer, she does not arrive alone. With her is her personal confessor and spiritual guide, Père Colombin, a man Soeur Auguste knows all too well. For the newcomer is Guy LeMerle, a charlatan and seducer now masquerading as a priest, and the one man she fears more than any other.

Soeur Auguste has a secret. Once she was l'Ailée, "The Winged One," star performer of a troupe led by LeMerle, before betrayal forced her to change her identity. But now the past has found her. Before long, thanks to LeMerle, suspicion and debauchery are breeding like a plague within the convent's walls -- fueled by dark rumors of witchcraft, part of the false priest's brilliantly orchestrated scheme of revenge. To protect herself and her beloved child, l'Ailée will have to perform one last act of dazzling daring more audacious than any she has previously attempted.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, France, Romance, Magical Realism, Mystery

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Joanne Harris is also known as Joanne M. Harris

Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. She has also written a DR WHO novella for the BBC, has scripted guest episodes for the game ZOMBIES, RUN!, and is currently engaged in a number of musical theatre projects as well as developing an original drama for television.
In 2000, her 1999 novel CHOCOLAT was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by the Queen.
Her hobbies are listed in Who's Who as 'mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion'. She also spends too much time on Twitter; plays flute and bass guitar in a band first formed when she was 16; and works from a shed in her garden at her home in Yorkshire.

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in the 17th century, this is the story of Juliette, an acrobat who becomes infatuated with Guy LeMerle, a mysterious, corrupt, possibly deviant, but beautiful young man who manages an outrageous satirical dance troupe from town to town in a plague-torn, volatile France.

Reading how much Joanne Harris went to bat for LeMerle as a 'sexy bad guy' is probably why I have to give this book just two star... as the whole 'dangerous evil man is OK if he's a bit sexy and mysterious' has never sat well with me! 4 out of 12.

2004 read

[Edgarr Alien Pooh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally read a Joanne Harris book. Have looked at these books for years and have always loved the covers but thought they could be winners or losers for me but this was a winner!

A young lady spends her early years traveling and performing with a gypsy troupe, meeting people along the way who will have great impressions on her life. After several run-ins and close calls, the troupe disbands spreading to various parts of France.

Juliette finds herself in a convent where she lives an easy life with a group of Nuns, several from similar backgrounds. But she can't escape her past and eventually, it catches up with her. But things have changed within Juliette through the years and now she will deal with her past. But she is not prepared for what is to come.

Again I must say I am not one to read much historical fiction, and this book takes place in the year 1610, but I really delved into this. I enjoy historical non-fiction reads and felt that the research for the times of this story was vast.

I enjoyed this book far more than I hoped too. It has a great cast of female characters, a fast moving plot and a fair amount of underhanded dealings. I'm sure to read more of Joanne's books.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a nice contrast and complement after The Pillars of the Earth , as that book was set in a monastery in England and this one in a convent in France, though 500 years later. I have not read Chocolat by Harris, but of course I have seen the movie and thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book is quite different—much darker and without a satisfactory ending (in my opinion). I liked the character development of Juliette and the fact that she found peace and comunity at the island convent after her rather troubled past as a gypsy and circus performer. She sought refuge there after she realized she was pregnant, and for awhile she is able to lead a fairly restful life, raising her daughter, tending the herb garden, and teaching Latin to the novices. This all changes when LeMerle, a man from her past, arrives masquerading as a priest with the new strict abbess, with his own evil agenda.

One of the most interesting tidbits of the book was that while the sculpture of the patron saint of the convent, Maire-de-la-mer, is said to be the Holy Mother, it is more than likely a mermaid. While another reviewer has pointed out that this church does not in fact exist, it made me think again how the pagan customs of local people were often merged into the Catholic belief system. It was akin to the blood oath at the Scottish marriage in Outlander by Gabaldon, as well as the Celtic practice that married monks were acceptable in Ireland long after such practices were banned elsewhere, as mentioned in Rutherford’s The Princes of Ireland. This blending of the pagan and the holy pervades the book, manifested not just in the sculpture, but also in Juliette’s herbal remedies as well as her surreptitious card readings to divine LeMerle’s purpose at the convent.

The mystery/thriller aspect of the book did keep me riveted, and I finished it in a few hours this afternoon by the pool. However, I felt the ending would have been better if Harris had finished after the final scene at the convent. Overall, I would recommend it as escapist summer reading, with a darker overtone.

[Ana Mardoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holy Fools / 0-552-77001-9

What happened here? I loved "Chocolat", and I adored "Five Quarters of the Orange". "Holy Fools", however, seems like it came from a completely different author. The book is acceptable, but not up to Harris' standards.

To start, the Mother-Daughter theme that Harris employs so well is deeply underdeveloped here as more of a plot device than anything else. There was a lot of potential here: a nun with a beloved daughter, raising her to be safe from the outside world and yet perhaps a little too sheltered. Unfortunately, the daughter seems a little underdeveloped - neither rebellious and wanting to know the curiosities of the outside world nor a little too content in her cocoon. Instead, the daughter seems only to exist to serve as a kidnap/hostage victim so that our heroine cannot effectively flee or intervene when the madness begins.

I could accept the "daughter as hostage" plot device, were the main character not so otherwise one-dimensional. The evil mustache-twirling villain has abused her in numerous ways, and yet she seems intently less interested in bearing a grudge and more intent on mooning her way back into his bed. Once there, however, it never seems to occur to our heroine to tie him up and "persuade" him to tell her the secret location of her kidnapped daughter; instead, she just focuses on having a nice tumble and heading off cheerily the next morning. The lackluster narrative conflicts deeply with the established character of the narrator - she's been shown to have great survival skills and would manage easily on her own with the child outside the nunnery, so why does it not even occur to her to take a runner?

Harris' crisp insight into females isn't just lost on our heroine. All the women in this novel are almost irredeemable idiots. The nuns descend almost instantly into madness under the manipulation of the villain. This isn't presented as religious hysteria; the women seem either intensely stupid or completely eager to join the villain for their own selfish reasons. The subtlety necessary for religious hysteria seems completely absent here, which is astonishing because I believe that if anyone could have pulled it off, Harris could have. Again, what happened here?

This isn't a bad novel. It's got enough cliches to shake a stick at, and it's incredibly frustrating at bits, but so are many decent novels. But this *is* a bad novel for Harris. You may enjoy this, if you check it out at a library, but don't expect Harris quality. In the end, I didn't hate it, but I was deeply disappointed.

~ Ana Mardoll

[Nimue Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous, compelling story set in mediaeval France, Holy Fools has all the ingredients I love in Joanne Harris’s books. There’s a strong, complex heroine with pagan inclinations, a few villains, a slightly gothic setting, and a lot of less than comfortable reflections on the human condition. Harris has a very warts and all approach to portraying people. She doesn’t tend to do clear lines between the wholly good and the wholly bad, and I love this about her work.

One of the themes running through this novel is that way in which people are often complicit in their own oppression. In trying to please the oppressor, and trying to avoid punishment, we give other names to the witch hunter. We accuse someone else to take attention from ourselves. So often what is called for in oppressive scenarios is a banding together to fight off the tyrant. If there’s one tyrant and many people being mistreated, weight of numbers should fix it, but often it doesn’t. Instead, in trying to protect ourselves, we uphold evil systems and support those who abuse us.

This is a powerful story, the characters are many and brought to life with consummate skill. I am absolutely convinced that just reading Joanne Harris has the effect of making me a better author. I learn so much from her work, and am constantly aware that I have a lot of learning to do yet.

[Maryam Bahrani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each book I read offers a new perspective. In this post, I share my thoughts on this book in both Persian and English hope this will be enjoyable for you :)



هر کتابی که می خوانم دریچه ای به دنیای جدید است . تو این نوشته دیدگاه و تجربه ام از خوندن این کتاب رو به دو زبان فارسی و انگلیسی با شما به اشتراک می ذارم امیدوارم خوندنش براتون لذتبخش باشه :)


Persian (فارسی)


فرانسه ی قرن ۱۷ میلادی، غرق جنگ و کشمکش های مذهبی بین دربار و کلیسا، جهل، فقر، بیماری و ناآرامیه. تو این دوره ی تاریک و بستر زمانی پر آشوب سرنوشت میلیون ها نفر تحت چنگال و نفوذ صاحبان قدرته ۱- پادشاه: که به قدر کافی انگشتش سنگین هست تا ارتشی رو نیست و نابود کنه ۲- اُسقُف: حتی یک دستش اگه با زیرکی تکون بخوره، می تونه مردی رو از روی صحنه ی زمین برداره.
بین این جهان متلاطم، جایی دور از هیاهوی بیرون، صومعه‌ای به ظاهر آرام سر برآورده؛ مکانی که خواهر آگوست، زنی با گذشته‌ای پر از راز و درد،اونجا پناه گرفته و همچنان با ترس ها و امیدهاش دست و پنجه نرم می کنه، اینجا تو این دیوارهای به ظاهر مقدس، سایه‌های قدرت، فریب و انتقام جاری هستن و تقدس رو به نقابی متزلزل بدل کرده ان. همه چیز آروم پیش می ره تا اینکه حضور غریبه ای مرموز، آرامش شکننده ی صومعه رو تهدید می کنه و داستانی از فریب و مبارزه تو این فضا شکل می گیره طوری که مرز بین گناه، ایمان و قداست به طرز خطرناکی محو می شه.
ژوان هریس با قلمی منحصر به فرد، به زیبایی پیچیدگی های روان شناختی و اخلاقی فرانسه ی دوران سلطه رو به تصویر می کشه و با فضاسازی های دقیق و شخصیت پردازی های عمیق، خواننده رو به دنیایی از تضاد، جدال و تقابل می بره.استفاده‌ی هوشمندانه اش از استعاره‌ها و نمادها، داستان را به لایه‌های بیشتری از معنا و رمزآلودی گره می‌زنه، بین این عناصر و ساختار،احساسات انسانی نظیر عشق مادرانه و اراده‌ای بی‌پایان برای محافظت، نقشی کلیدی دارن و مخاطب رو با عمق عاطفی رمان درگیر می‌کنن. نویسنده، با تبحر خاص خودش، این احساسات را به قطعه ای جدایی‌ناپذیر از روایتش بدل کرده و همزمان تونسته تعادل ظریفی بین سیر روایت و احساسات و پیام های فلسفی برقرار کنه؛ چیزی که نه تنها شما رو به خوبی با کتاب درگیر می کنه بلکه به تفکر عمیق درباره ی مفاهیمی مثل قدرت، ایمان و انسانیت فرا می خونه.این مهارت ویژه باعث می‌شه که نوشته اش نه تنها سرگرم‌کننده، بلکه تأثیرگذار و ماندگار باشه."کوتوله‌های مقدس" مثل پرتره‌ای هنرمندانه هست که هر ضربه‌ی قلم اون شکلی از پیچیدگی‌های انسانی، اخلاقی و تاریخی رو مجسم کرده، اثری که با نگاه اول ممکنه روایتگر داستانی ساده به نظر برسه اما با تأمل بیشتر، جزئیاتی ظریف و رازآلود از تضادها، آرزوها، و چالش‌های روح انسانی رو آشکار می کنه جوری که هر بار که با تصورش معنایی تازه و عمیق‌تر به خودش می گیره.
این کتاب سال‌ها تو ردیف کتاب‌خونه ام منتظر بود تا نوبت به خوندنش برسه و الان بعد از خوندن اولین اثر ازش چنان مست و مسحور این دری که به دنیای شگفت‌انگیز قلم خانم هریس برام باز شده، شدم که حالا مشتاقانه می خوام کتاب های بیشتری هم ازش بخونم.

English (انگلیسی)

17th-century France is engulfed in war and religious conflicts between the court and the church, ignorance, poverty, disease, and unrest. In this dark era and tumultuous time, the fate of millions is under the grip and influence of those in power:
1. The King: whose heavy finger is enough to annihilate an army.
2. The Bishop: whose subtle hand movements can take a man off the stage of life.

Amid this turbulent world, away from the outside uproar, rises a seemingly tranquil monastery—a place where Sister Auguste, a woman with a past full of secrets and pain, seeks refuge and continues to wrestle with her fears and hopes. Within the seemingly sacred walls of this place, shadows of power, deception, and vengeance flow, turning holiness into a shaky mask. Everything proceeds calmly until the arrival of a mysterious stranger threatens the fragile peace of the monastery, igniting a tale of deception and struggle within this setting, where the lines between sin, faith, and sanctity dangerously blur.

Joanne Harris, with her unique style, beautifully portrays the psychological and moral complexities of France under domination. Through precise atmosphere-building and deep character development, she takes readers to a world of contradiction, conflict, and confrontation. Her intelligent use of metaphors and symbols intertwines the story with layers of meaning and mystery. Amidst these elements and the structure, human emotions such as maternal love and an unyielding will to protect play a key role and engage the audience with the novel’s emotional depth. The author, with her distinct skill, transforms these emotions into an inseparable piece of her narrative while simultaneously achieving a delicate balance between storytelling and conveying emotions and philosophical messages. This skill not only captivates you but also invites deep reflection on profound concepts like power, faith, and humanity. This unique talent makes her writing not only entertaining but also impactful and enduring.

"Holy Fools" is like an artistic portrait, where every brushstroke depicts the intricacies of human, moral, and historical complexities. It is a work that at first glance might seem to narrate a simple story, but upon deeper contemplation, reveals subtle and mysterious details about contradictions, desires, and the challenges of the human spirit—so much so that each time you imagine it, it takes on a fresh and deeper meaning.
This book had been waiting on my bookshelf for years for its turn to be read. And now, after reading its first work, I am so captivated and enchanted by the door it has opened to the wonderful world of Ms. Harris's writing that I eagerly want to read more of her books.

[Dorottya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not at all what I anticipated (from the blurb I have read online, I was expecting it to be more of a theatre based story), but I loved it either way.

I loved all the twists and turns in the story, and the fact I could never be sure what to think about each character other than Juliette, our main narrator, because everything that seemed to be true was uncovered to be false... especially behaviours of certain people.

What the novel said about sin, behaviours of people who are not void of sins, what we choose to believe in, about motherhood and motherly instincts, jealousy etc. was so deeply rooted in real psychology, thus it hit hard for me because of its genuinity. To be honest, I see certain behavioural patterns portrayed in the book more present in today's era THAN EVER. Getting petty revenge on people who ridicule us. Believing in and giving their trust to the people who are cunning and who can sell themselves (if they are attractive, it does not hurt, right?). Using gullible and/or young and inexperienced people to reach one's goal. Suspecting the "weird" people when something is going wrong. People seemingly getting along nicely playing each other out to be near the fire.
(not to even talk about how eerily the "theatre part" is resonating with the big abuse scandal of Hollywood... you would have thought we have reached a point where actresses are not treated as prostitutes to prominent men...)

But I also liked how religious communities in good times were shown. I do think this was drawn from reality, too - how they sometimes act as refuge for those whose lives seem irrepairable.

I liked how the villain was villanous and someone who love to hate with this enigmatic evilness in him - but at the same time, he was not an empty shell, and he had the motivation and a background that can explain his behaviour partly... and also, he was not without emotions. I also loved how our main heroine was not perfectly good, but likeable. I don't have children, but I think I can understand her decisions in th light of her wanting to save her daughter, for which goal she is ready to commit sins. And I also think I understood the dynamics of her relatinship with LeMerle. I can imagine that there is that sort of (partly emotional, partly sexual) passion/attraction that is really hard to break even though you know the other person is only going to cause you misery.

Plus... yes, the theatre parts were a huge plus for me as someone whose biggest passion in life is theatre... or at least one of the bigger passions. I really felt there was great research behind those elements.

[Zahra Dashti · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب لذت بخشی بود ، کشش خوبی داشت ، شخصیت های جدید و بدیع ، تغییر خلق و خوی شخصیت اصلی به خاطر مادر شدن و ....
کمی جسورانه هم بود. داستان جذابیت خاص خودش رو داشت اما ضعف هم داشت ، سرعت وقایع به نظرم کمی زیاد بود ، از طرفی معماها و اتفاقات و توضیحشون خیلی بیش از این توضیح لازم داشت. بعضی مواردش خوب بود ولی بعضی هاش رو کم توضیح داده بود و خواننده قانع نمی شد. البته چون کتاب ترجمه بود ، شاید هم بعضی موارد توضیح داده نشده به خاطر ممیزی و ...
ترجمه هم خوب و روان بود.
در کل داستان پرکشش و جذابی بود .

[MD · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot agree with the notion that Guy LeMerle is in any way appealing, and I cannot understand why Juliette is so drawn to him...

The allure of a "bad boy" seems to be fairly widespread. So many authors go for the "misunderstood cad with a heart of gold", but that is most assuredly not the case here. There is absolutely nothing about Guy LeMerle that would make one say "but, at heart, he's a nice guy". He is manipulative, mendacious, selfish, incapable of remorse, and, to a great extent, unfeeling.

Why, then, does Joanne Harris want the reader to like him?

Seventeenth-century France...people are fearful of witchcraft, the Plague, gypsies, you name it. In July of 1610, we find ourselves in a remote abbey where discipline is lax and a motley crew of nuns exists on the fringe of mainstream religious society. It is there that we meet Juliette...formerly known as L'Ailée, a dancer and acrobat who has taken refuge there after escaping (with the help of none other than Giordano Bruno) imprisonment on a charge of witchcraft five years earlier in Épinal.

Suspended disbelief was suspended as soon as Giordano Bruno stepped on the stage in more or less 1605...he'd been dead for 5 years by then (to be specific, in February of 1600 in Campo di Fiore in Italy).

Juliette arrives at the abbey, gives birth to her daughter Fleur, and becomes a part of the community of nuns with checkered pasts. It is there where she suddenly starts seeing portents of all sorts while watching the performance of a group of saltimbanques and, because "omens!", the old Abbess dies and is soon replaced with a child abbess who brings her own confessor in tow.

Yes, the confessor is none other than Guy LeMerle passing himself off as a pious priest. Of course, they immediately recognize each other. LeMerle sends Fleur away with promises to let Juliette have her back. Long story short: the guy is a liar and a manipulator. He cares nothing for the naiveté of the women who surround him; he uses all of them as pawns.

The narrative structure is not very helpful. The novel is composed of "journal entries" that follow dates from July 3rd to August 15th of 1610 and bounce back from Juliette's version to LeMerle's version. It's unclear at times which is which, and one starts to wonder why anyone would bother using the dates at all.

The story takes place in 1610, and we're still expected to believe that the whole story takes place in 43 days. We are also given the bit of information that the tide takes 11 hours to turn in Noirs Moustiers, where the story takes place. Technically, travel time between the "island" and the "mainland" is cut by half under those circumstances, but...somehow...a new statue of the Virgin is procured and installed promptly to replace the pagan one they had before, construction materials and workers are easily transported, and correspondence with the bishop is so prompt that he is expected to be present for the Feast of the Virgin Mary...

I had to stop reading from time to time to ask myself if perhaps, there was some sort of messenger pigeon system at work here, or if some 17th-century version of French Home Depot was super efficient and timely with deliveries. Considering how quickly they found workers to do expensive repairs with such a time crunch, I'd love to find some Breton contractors to work on our home projects.

Suspended "suspended disbelief" aside, this novel is about a man who exploits women's weaknesses with zero consideration for their feelings or the consequences they might face in light of his actions. That he is portrayed as charming and keeps saying "trust me", and then Juliette rescues him from certain death and then is excited to see he has come looking for her again...it's just sad, isn't it?

LeMerle is tried for his crimes, but Juliette helps him escape. Sure, the nuns give him a beating, but who cares? The reasoning behind his behavior, his plan, his scheme, and his lies is really just "meh!" How stupid and childish is this guy that he's willing to have the child abbess set herself on fire, along with the rest of the abbey, just to take revenge on his father, the bishop?

Honestly, this book felt like someone biting more than they could chew, and wanting to have their cake and eat it too. "Oh, I've created this really bad, bad boy, but you'll love him anyway." I personally didn't love him, like him, or would have forgiven him. Juliette is presented to us as an intelligent woman who has some learning under her belt, but in the end, she's just another gullible woman willing to forgive an abusive ex-partner because he is capable of "grand gestures."

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I really enjoy reading Harris’s works, I’m beginning to wonder if she has something against the Catholic church. In the majority of the books I’ve read written by her, someone or something from the Catholic church ends up being the baddie, and the Church itself is inevitably portrayed as corrupted and judgmental. I’m not Catholic, but I’d hope that someone who is as lovely an author as she is could branch out a little in her pool for villains.
This book, while still engaging in much magical realism, isn’t quite as engaging as some of her other works. It tells the story of Juliette – a former wire walker (a type of acrobatic tight-rope walker) who has abandoned her old life in order to take care of her daughter. She has chosen an out-of-the-way monastery by the ocean in order to do this and has reinvented herself as Sister Auguste. When her past comes back to haunt her in the form of a man she once loved, Juliette must use all her wits and courage in order to save her daughter and the nuns she has come to care for.
For some reason, I couldn’t precisely enjoy this story as much as any of Harris’s others. Juliette was interesting, and the suspense built throughout the book was extraordinary…but I never felt quite confident in what was going on. It was as if I never felt in step with the characters. They were there on the page for me to get to know, but I wasn’t interested in them. The story was great, and the setting, and the characters, but it just lacked the zip to hold my interest.

[Vassa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Неожиданно понравилось, хотя уже готовилась разочароваться. Но меня лично очаровала неспокойная атмосфера монастыря – я в целом люблю книги про монахинь, кто разбирается в знаках и символах, скажите, какие есть подводные камни!

В этой книге сошлись несколько вещей, которые меня сразу покоряют: монастырь, море, мистические происшествия, которые потом оказываются далеко не мистическими, а тщательно спланированными; харизматичный предатель. Я с нетерпением ждала, когда мы узнаем главную тайну – и, надо сказать, разгадка получилась очень логичной, такой, что частично о ней догадываешься, я люблю такие открытия. Вместе с героиней беспокоилась за её сестёр, буквально ощущала её бессилие и страстное желание помочь просто потому, что оставаться в стороне нельзя. И меня покорила театральность этого произведения, некоторая искусственность, объясняемая особенностями романа. Казалось, что в конце все герои выйдут на поклон – можно сказать, так и получилось.

И, конечно же, любовная линия меня не могла оставить равнодушной. Великолепные мерзавцы – моя большая слабость, а уж побеждённые великолепные мерзавцы!.. В общем, очень мне понравилось в этом монастыре на маленьком островке под защитой языческо-христианской Марии Морской.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanne Harris can spin a tale! I was totally captivated by this magical, medieval story that follows two adversaries who both love and vie with each other. Juliette is a high-wire artist who was raised as a gypsy. She seeks refuge at the Abbey of Sainte Marie-de-la-mer when she becomes pregnant with her baby Fleur. She enjoys the quiet life there, tending her herbs, etc., until she once again comes in contact with the Blackbird, the conniving and cruel, yet charming Guy LeMerle, who shows up disguised as Père Colombin de Saint-Amand, confessor to the newly appointed abbess.

Juliette and LeMerle have been both lovers and antagonists and their relationship is the central theme of Harris’ story. They are like magnets, the positive and negative aspects of their personalities pulling them together and thrusting them apart as they battle each other while at the same time respecting the other’s moves.

Set in 17th century France when internal conflicts beset the Catholic church, the story is both theatrical and intense. Harris keeps the reader’s attention with the developing intrigue between her two main characters. One is never quite sure how LeMerle will manipulate events and if Juliette will continue to be a victim or emerge victorious. She knows LeMerle’s favors always come with a price and the story reaches a turning point when she realizes that pride is all he has.

This is the fourth Joanne Harris book I’ve read and I have yet to be disappointed.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the reasons I like to read historical fiction set in far away places is I learn about history and far away places. This book doesn't give that satisfaction because instead of doing historical and locational research, the author made stuff up. She sets much of the action in a nunnery on an island near the southern town Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. I've actually been to this town, and there's no island and no nunnery there. I think she was inspired by the island monastary of Mont St. Michel, on the other end of the country, where the monks really are isolated at high tide (or would have been before the modern causeway was built). Also, Juliet's ideas about everything from hygiene to religion are way more 21st century than 17th century.

Still... I sped right through this book. Inaccurate, unbelievable, and formulaic. And a fun, relaxing read.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why oh why did I keep reading this book? I thought it would get better and I got caught up in the characters. I regret the time spent! It was interesting yes, the time period of 1610 which I know nothing about. And I got taken in by the mysterious Juliette with her secrets hiding out in an out of the way abbey.

I found the writing difficult to follow. The main parts divided into 4 characters. BUT sometimes the narration in those parts was not that character so the reader needed to figure out who was who. (ok maybe it is easier if I hadn't been half asleep while reading).

I also absolutely hated the ending. Why or why did the Juliette have to be so stupid???

I did like how the author named the book and brought the title into the story. That was well done. I don't think I'll read this author again.

[Natasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot of this novel is fairly original, and the beginning seemed promising. Where it failed, was on the actual execution of the plot, and motivation of characters. The whole plot just seems unlikely. Things happen without explanation, and it is hard to believe how these people got from what they used to be to what they are. Another problem is that this book did not give me the feel of the time period.

[Saleh MoonWalker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Onvan : Holy Fools - Nevisande : Joanne Harris - ISBN : 60559128 - ISBN13 : 9780060559120 - Dar 368 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2003

[Ilana (illi69) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soeur Auguste, once known for her stage name of "l'Ailée" (The Winged One) has found sanctuary at the Abbey of Sainte Marie-de-la-mer since 1605 when she arrived there pregnant and made a home for herself and daughter. The Reverend Mother was a kind and lax woman, and many of the sisters were not of a religious disposition, much like Soeur Auguste herself, which allowed her a comfortable position there, tending the herb garden and making healing potions for the sisters which she has learned how to make since her gipsy childhood and from her friendship with an old Jewish sage and alchemist.

But now it is five years later, and in 1610 many changes are about, and Soeur Auguste keeps a journal of the daily changes going on at the Abbey. The Reverend Mother at the age of 73—a very elderly woman in the 17th century—has suddenly perished, and soon arrives a twelve-year-old child, the niece to a powerful Bishop, to replace her. At first none of the sisters are willing to believe this child will be their leader, but she quickly makes her position clear: she is intent on bringing many reforms and bringing order and strict religion back to the Abbey. This child, the Abbess Isabelle, is not alone either, accompanying her is her personal confessor and spiritual guide, one ostensibly called Père Colombin. But Soeur Auguste, once called Juliette, knows him by quite another name. She knows him as Guy LeMerle, for he was once her lover, ten years her senior and the leader of a troupe of actors and performers, who abandoned her and the whole troupe in a town in the midst of a great commotion when they were accused of brining the plague to save his own skin. That was the last time she had seen him. Now he is at the Abbey for what can only be a dangerous scheme that only Soeur Auguste can uncover to save herself and her daughter... and the sisters.

As I am a fan of Joanne Harris and have previously enjoyed historical fiction set in the middle ages and in convents and abbeys, too, I was pretty much grabbed by this story from the first. There was enough scandal and drama throughout to keep things going at a good clip, but I must say I was disappointed by the ending, which came down to a choice Juliette had to make and which I cannot reveal for obvious reasons. I'm not sure why Harris made that choice as a writer. Possible spoiler: Perhaps to give her Juliette a depth of character that transcends mere logic and feminist agendas. That's enough for me to make my peace with it.

[Patrício · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a Joanne Harris' reader for years, yet this is one of her books I've pushed off because it didn't seem interesting when I was younger. Perhaps it was better this way, as now I fully enjoyed it whereas a couple of years ago I probably wasn't mature enough to love it as much as I did now.

The first part of Holy Fools, told under Juliette’s point-of-view, was such a strong hook and beginning. For five years she’s been a refugee in the abbey of Sainte Marie-de-la-Mer with her daughter to escape the life she had as an actress and rope-dancer.
I loved how the first few chapters explained the essential of Juliette’s past perfectly and planted the seed of curiosity that only grew with each page I turned. We get a glimpse of why Juliette reinvented herself as Soeur Auguste, but it's only after the death of the Abbess and the arrival of a new one who brings with her a ghost from Juliette's past –Guy LeMerle- that we get the whole picture.
Soon, with the abbey obsessed with omens, witchcraft and demons, she must face her fear of him for her daughter's sake.

LeMerle was once someone she deeply admired and loved but whom with time became an antagonist. He, too, had a point-of-view in the story and I couldn’t ask for more! They were two characters with completely different personalities that couldn’t help but attract each other, and their narrative voices were different, strong and enthralling, giving the reader two fascinating perspectives of the troubles that appeared in the abbey, their inner struggles and conflicts with each other with origin in the past, and the anticipation of the climax of LeMerle’s game.

Throughout the novel I wasn’t just on Juliette’s side or on his - I was longing for the success of both. I despised Guy for what he had done to her, yet I wanted him to get he wanted when I found out what it truly was. There was this constant battle between them of playing each other’s game to get what they wanted which made the narrative intriguing, unnerving and intense as I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough, anxious to know what would happen.

Set in the 17th century France, I loved the abbey of Sainte Marie-de-la-Mer as setting because it was unusual for this kind of conflict and yet it’s something quite Joanne Harris-ish. Adding the amazing prose, fleshed out characters and a surprising outcome to that, I got Harris’ best novel I’ve read so far.

[Bibliophilic Word Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read and enjoyed Chocolat by Joanne Harris long ago, so my expectations for this book were high.

In Holy Fools, Juliette and her daughter, Fleur, live in a convent where they are hiding from Juliette's turbulent and troubled past, which is related in flashback type sequences by Juliette for the first half of the book. We learn of her relationship with LeMerle, and her own sins of the past, and the reason for her hiding.

It wasn't until the first paragraph of chapter six that the book grabbed me. Before that, I picked it up and put it down a few times (and finished another entire book). Still, I did get hooked. The writing is good, very evocative. Ms Harris made her places and characters come to life. So much so that I stayed up all night to finally finish. Thus the three stars. The story kept me entertained. Mostly. At some point, the narrative changed for the worse. Juliette was no longer the sole narrator. Who's head were we in? Was the narrator of the moment talking or simply thinking? Who knew what? How much time had passed? It started on July 5th and ended on August 14 (before zooming into the following year), yet at some point LeMerle referred to the months that had passed. Is that allowed in magic-realism?

The author did a good job of push/pull in making the heroine likable and unlikable in turns, while keeping me in a forgiving frame of mind. The secondary characters were well fleshed out - more good writing. Still, this book was too long by far, but I soldiered on, hoping. The end was sorely disappointing, however. And she left a few too many plot holes for my liking. I'm still confused.

That said, magic-realism isn't my first choice. If you are a fan of the genre, give this one a go.

[Collin · Rating 2 out of 5]

LeMerle, an asshole: my tragic backstory is that I totally did not try to rape this 14-year-old girl when I was 17, but she totally lied about it so they branded my arm. :( My main enemies throughout my life have been men in power, but also teen girls and my marginalized underlings who were mad that I betrayed them and occasionally murdered them. My super cool revenge plan was to manipulate a 12-year-old girl who is so much worse than me because she's *checks notes* mean and pompous, which no pampered 12-year-old girl has ever been without being pure evil, then burn her and a nunneryful of women alive, to get revenge on a man who won't even die at the end of it. If that plan failed, I would have totally kidnapped said 12-year-old girl and pimped her out to make money, as Revenge Plan B.

Juliette, an asshole: this is all totally acceptable behavior, much more acceptable than *checks notes* a woman having the nerve to be fat, a woman having the nerve to be a lesbian, or a 12-year-old girl behaving badly because she was raised that way. I will break you out of prison because the world is better with an arsonist/murderer/rapist like you in it, you free spirit you. I'm Not Like Other Girls.

Look, I generally love Joanne Harris's books - Five Quarters Of the Orange is still luminous in my mind - but this just was Not It.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written. Joanne Harris tells a tale again that just flows. Her continuity, despite having depth of copy for different time periods within the same novel is superlative. And the foodie details and location placements are marvelous here, as well. But her Juliette and Fleur in the main? They didn't connect with me as much as they did within the former Harris books I have read. It's still an excellent tale and I'm sure quite possible too.

But I do find that there is a rather revisionist slant to sensibilities here that doesn't sit well within the period of the child King Louie. And not only in the depiction of Catholicism itself either. Abbeys and convents, monasteries- all religious orders "on the road" as well- were certainly a mixed bag. But the sense of amorality so developed that it is named in Sister by herself?

Says a whole more about the author than it does for and about the story line, IMHO. The psychological depth of the bad guy or of the under characters motives was not as superbly told as in "Five Quarters of the Orange". That disappointed. But it was a good and well written book.

[joana (taylor's version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

you know that kind of book that your family members present you with when they discover you like reading? that horrible one, who has an horrible plot, boring as hell, and reading it just doesn't seems right, but you force yourself to read it, at least a bit, just because you'll feel guilty if you don't? well, i just described this book.
no relevant plot, no captivating characters, too slow pace, it just wasn't for me.
sadly, because joanne harris is a really good writer.

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Joanne Harris. I've yet to read one of her books I didn't like.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different. I really enjoyed this rollicking good adventure.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that a claustrophobic convent, with a bunch of nuns full of pious craving, is always a good setting for a mystery/thriller and Joanne Harris did a very good job with this book, that kept me constantly guessing what on earth would happen next.

Juliette, a former circus performer, seeks refuge in the abbey of Sainte Marie-de-la-Mere with her young daughter after being nearly executed for witchcraft. Life is simple and not too harsh until the old abbess dies and she is replaced by a 12-year-old girl of noble blood, who aspires the holiness of a saint. With her, comes her confessor, a very attractive cleric, a man from Juliette’s past who she thought she would never encounter again. She fears that his true purpose is to raise havoc in the quiet abbey, not minding who he hurts along the way.

This book is a true page turner. When the new priest arrives, strange things start to happen - the nuns go into a religious frenzy and the devil seems to be lurking in every corner. I was constantly asking Why? Why? but Joanne Harris does not reveal her game easily and only near the end do things start making sense. The tension keeps rising and rising… but the grand finale is worth the stress.

[Mai Gumiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanne Harris es una autora que me encanta, y este libro no ha sido una excepción. La ambientación está muy cuidada y la trama es intrigante y vertiginosa, pero lo mejor del libro, sin lugar a dudas, son los personajes. Todos ellos están muy bien desarrollados y son interesantes, cada uno a su modo. Además, las motivaciones de todos ellos son perfectamente comprensibles, muy humanas y viscerales. Sin duda, mi personaje favorito es Juliette, la protagonista; aunque he de decir que al final, la decisión que se nos sugiere no me ha convencido demasiado...

[Simppu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ei huono. Ei kuitenkaan niin hyvä, kuin sekoavaan luostariin vetäytyneen ex-nuorallatanssijan tarinan olisi odottanut olevan. Tarinassa oli pitkä tasapaksu vaihe. En osaa sanoa, oliko tässä ihaileva kuvaus äärimmäisen vahingollisesta suhteesta vai todenmukainen kuva siitä, kuinka vaikeaa voi olla päästää irti toksisesta ihmisestä.

[Sharon Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Time’s black rosary counts the interminable seconds.’

In 17th Century France, Soeur Auguste lives a gentle, generous life in the remote island abbey of Sainte Marie-de-la-Mer, together with her daughter, Fleur. She is loved and valued by her sisters in faith, as much for her skills with medicinal plants as for her sweet and kindly nature. But Soeur Auguste is hiding a secret. She is not the impoverished widow of her ‘cover story,’ but Juliette, a one-time gypsy and circus performer, forced by the betrayal of a man she loved to seek refuge in holy orders.

For the first five years of Fleur’s life, all goes well, and if Juliette feels at all restless and confined in her new life, the joy she has in her daughter and her friendship with the Abbess and some of the other nuns more than make up for it.
But then the old Abbess dies, and her successor is the eleven-year-old daughter of a corrupt and noble family, fanatically bent on reform. Worse still, the new Abbess has brought as her confessor and guiding priest an imposter with an evil agenda of his own. Pere Colombin is none other than Guy LeMerle (the Blackbird) the man who betrayed Juliette five years earlier. To survive in the new order and protect those she cares about, Juliette has no choice but to fight LeMerle in an increasingly dangerous battle of wits that, ultimately, only one of them can survive.

The book starts sweetly, if a little slowly, as we alternate between Juliette’s life in the abbey and her recollections of an earlier time on the road. It was no charmed existence: she was orphaned, separated from her adopted family, driven to begging and prostitution to survive, used selfishly by the man she loved and finally abandoned to an almost certain death. And yet, Harris captures the rich, heady essence of 17th century gypsy life in the way that, to my mind, Stef Penney completely failed to do for its 20th century equivalent in The Invisible Ones. Harris paints a wonderful, colourful picture; not a pretty one, by any means, but one completely compelling.

What might be disappointing for Harris fans is that the character of Juliette can seem rather too similar to that of Vianne Rocher (Chocolat, The Lollipop Shoes and Peaches for Monsieur Le Cure) and to some extent that of Framboise (Five Quarters of The Orange. There was a sense, in the Juliette-narrated chapters, of going over old ground but the book comes to life gloriously with the entrance of Guy LeMerle, a fascinatingly immoral creation, who values others only in that they can be of use to him or amuse him and who remains irrepressible and unrepentant till the end.

The follies of organized religion are themes that Harris refers to frequently in her work, but in no other book is the danger of denying natural human impulses more thoroughly explored than in this. The convent seethes with the stench of repressed sexuality and resonates with the frustrations of lives left unsatisfied. The abbey is like dry kindling in the hot sun. One spark and everything is set to erupt.

Harris shows the freefall into disorder perfectly. The simple country nuns soon become confused, attention seeking, spiteful and, ultimately, hysterical under the twin influences of LeMerle’s mischief and the Abbess’s misplaced zeal. We can only watch with dismay.

The Holy Fools is probably not the best of Harris’s books, but given that her “worst” would still be streets ahead of the best of most other writers, it’s well worth a read.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The isolated convent of Ste. Marie de Mer is an ideal refuge for Juliette, once a gypsy player and the famous acrobat L'Ailee. She has fled to this obscure haven to bear her daughter, Fleur, and to heal from the betrayals of her former life. She most particularly wishes to forget La Merle, the Blackbird, leader of her former troupe, her sometime lover and her betrayer. But all idylls end, and with the death of kind and frail Mere Marie, the elderly abbess, come changes that will profoundly alter the nuns, Juliette and the abbey. The new Abbess, appointed by the Crown, is an aristocratic child, fanatically austere, and credulously dependent on her confessor, Pere Columbin. Juliette is appalled to recognize Pere Columbin as La Merle, who had used her and then abandoned her in the hands of witch hunters. She immediately decides to flee, but discovers she has been forestalled; her beloved daughter has disappeared and she knows La Merle has abducted her. With Fleur in La Merle's hands, Juliette is compelled to cooperate in the Blackbird's schemes until she can devise a counter scheme to free herself, her daughter and her fellow nuns. What follows will fascinate and tantalize even the most sophisticated and jaded readers. This book has it all, from gypsy caravans to glittering courts, to the salt marshes of Brittany, we find sensuous sex, revenge both cold and hot, malice, thwarted love, intrigue, arrogance and maternal tenderness. The author is exceptionally skilled at creating atmosphere: the reader can feel the dankness in the dungeons and smell the salt winds from the sea. I have enjoyed previous novels from this author, but this one just swept me away to 1605, to a France so real that I still seem to feel it.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read and fun. Joanne Harris' books are always wonderful, though ever since reading Chocolat I tend to think of them like the Belgian chocolates shaped like shells: very sweet, but you can have too much. There are some gorgeous descriptions.

The themes and characters, though, are quite similar to those in Joanne Harris' other work. Juliette shares a lot of characteristics with Vianne; Fleur with Anouk. Juliette's cantrips and her herbs are very reminiscent of Vianne. LeMerle is very like Mose from Sleep, Pale Sister. Etc. The only book of hers that, to me, stands out as quite different from the others is Runemarks, which is based on a different sort of mythology altogether.

I think if I read Joanne Harris' books all at once, the similarities would be too much. As light reading in between other books, though, it's lovely.