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Mirabilis
In fourteenth-century France, Bonne Mirabilis, a woman born "God's bastard" and the wet nurse to the wealthiest woman in town, discovers that she alone holds the key to saving the desperate, starving inhabitants of a village under siege. Reprint.
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2001
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828 people want to read
About the author
Susann Cokal
9 books209 followersSusann Cokal is the author of two books for young adults and two for regular adults. Mermaid Moon just came out and is recommended for ages 14 and up. Her previous novel, The Kingdom of Little Wounds, won several national awards, including a Michael L. Printz Honor from the American Library Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 17, 2025
Update: Review time.
As I write this I've had somewhere between 30 minutes to an hour of sleep, much of it spent thinking about this book.
Mirabilis is about a young woman named Bonne Tardieu (the last part means "God's bastard") in medieval France. Her mother, Blanche Mirabilis, was hailed as a saint in her lifetime and seems to have conceived Bonne virginally, though throughout the book it mentions dissenters. Blanche and many of her followers were burned alive in an old church after the priests believe Blanche to be a heretic. In the present, Bonne now lives with Godfridus, an ascetic sculptor who wishes to create a perfect statue for a new church and to be like Christ, who says he's her uncle. Both Godfridus and Bonne know this isn't true, but he is her guardian. Eventually, a dwarf named Hercule comes to join them after fleeing a chateau where he and his kind were mocked and treated horrible.
While all three of them have their secrets, Bonne possesses an ability that is known to everyone. She can produce an abundant amount of breast milk--yes, you read that right--a nurses mostly adults, especially Godfridus. Everything changes when Bonne saves Hercule from a bear and dogs with her breast milk (it was a weird, descriptive scene; don't ask) as shortly after a rich widow named Radegonde Putemmonoie seeks her services for being a wet nurse for her expectant child. Radegonde herself eventually drinks from Bonne's breasts as well and something more grows between them. The English lay siege to the city and food starts to become scarce. In the wake of it all, the statue that Godfridus completes resembles Bonne and the priests and local are enthralled, but they also fear Radegonde. She is the one person who holds most of the remaining food and she is reluctant to give it, making everyone fear she is a witch. Bonne decides to offer her breastmilk for the people and things escalate from there.
I have to admit, going into this book I had some strange feelings. I heard about the breastmilk imagery and scenes and thought it was weird. Also, as someone who loves studying medieval history and religion, I was worried that this would be another tropey, typical story from a modern author: angry, sexually repressed priest(s), some woman or women are accused of being witch for doing just about anything, people who have extra-marital affairs are more moral and less repressed than everyone else, everyone is an asshole because apparently that's all everyone was during those times, and then, jarringly, some proto-Enlightenment philosophy is inserted into the narrative and people question their beliefs.
While I would say this book is neither reverent nor irreverent, it subverted my expectations. The book is a long study in the power of the female body in all its aspects, maternity both humane and divine, the mysterious workings of God, and the fusion of divine love with sexual love. Many authors have written about the last point, but Susann Cokal is the first I've seen to not let one win over the other. There are genuine miracles and unexplained events in the book.
Bonne retains her faith throughout the book. She believes her mother and secluded grandmother were both touched by God and she believes her nourishing breastmilk itself is a blessing from God. Or the Virgin Mary; another part of the story is the possibilities surrounded the miraculous nature of the Virgin Mary and how it compares or even sometimes, rather blasphemously, overpowers God's. I was worried Godfridus might be another sexually repressed ascetic who eventually assaults someone, but Cokal avoided that. Yes, he is tempted at some points and tries to view the female body less sexually but he is hardly a hypocrite. He does however go mad for time and nearly kills Bonne; he stops and admonishes himself and she forgives him. I'm making it simpler than the book did.
Hercule was one of the dissatisfying things of the book. His entire purpose just seemed to be a devious asshole to everyone. Radegonde was a more complex character, neither heroine or villainess. Radegonde's wealth and food supplies puts her at odds with the town and its clergy and sometimes even Bonne. She and Bonne become lovers; Bonne is bisexual as she at first desires Godfridus--and...nearly sexually assaults him at one point--but eventually falls for Radegonde. At times though, the love feels one sided, as if Radegonde was using Bonne and Bonne was just so desperate for love. Anyway, Radegonde doesn't fear being seen as a witch. After her arrest and the nearing end of her pregnancy, she experiences visions and many believe that she, like Bonne, is a new saint that they once persecuted.
This was a strange little book about faith, women, sustenance, and sexuality. Food is constantly mentioned throughout the book along with images of hunger or characters hungering for something. Cokal has done her research as many of the religious visions and rites that Bonne and Radegonde experience are what medieval holy women experienced in their time: stigmata, holy breastmilk, Jesus putting His heart into them. I also enjoyed the nuance. Not all the priests or inquisitors in the book are overly superstitious, gullible, money hungry, repressed men. Thank you, Cokal, for Etienne. There is a genuine desire to see the inherent sacredness of the female body.
This book won't be for everyone, but it will get you thinking.
As I write this I've had somewhere between 30 minutes to an hour of sleep, much of it spent thinking about this book.
Mirabilis is about a young woman named Bonne Tardieu (the last part means "God's bastard") in medieval France. Her mother, Blanche Mirabilis, was hailed as a saint in her lifetime and seems to have conceived Bonne virginally, though throughout the book it mentions dissenters. Blanche and many of her followers were burned alive in an old church after the priests believe Blanche to be a heretic. In the present, Bonne now lives with Godfridus, an ascetic sculptor who wishes to create a perfect statue for a new church and to be like Christ, who says he's her uncle. Both Godfridus and Bonne know this isn't true, but he is her guardian. Eventually, a dwarf named Hercule comes to join them after fleeing a chateau where he and his kind were mocked and treated horrible.
While all three of them have their secrets, Bonne possesses an ability that is known to everyone. She can produce an abundant amount of breast milk--yes, you read that right--a nurses mostly adults, especially Godfridus. Everything changes when Bonne saves Hercule from a bear and dogs with her breast milk (it was a weird, descriptive scene; don't ask) as shortly after a rich widow named Radegonde Putemmonoie seeks her services for being a wet nurse for her expectant child. Radegonde herself eventually drinks from Bonne's breasts as well and something more grows between them. The English lay siege to the city and food starts to become scarce. In the wake of it all, the statue that Godfridus completes resembles Bonne and the priests and local are enthralled, but they also fear Radegonde. She is the one person who holds most of the remaining food and she is reluctant to give it, making everyone fear she is a witch. Bonne decides to offer her breastmilk for the people and things escalate from there.
I have to admit, going into this book I had some strange feelings. I heard about the breastmilk imagery and scenes and thought it was weird. Also, as someone who loves studying medieval history and religion, I was worried that this would be another tropey, typical story from a modern author: angry, sexually repressed priest(s), some woman or women are accused of being witch for doing just about anything, people who have extra-marital affairs are more moral and less repressed than everyone else, everyone is an asshole because apparently that's all everyone was during those times, and then, jarringly, some proto-Enlightenment philosophy is inserted into the narrative and people question their beliefs.
While I would say this book is neither reverent nor irreverent, it subverted my expectations. The book is a long study in the power of the female body in all its aspects, maternity both humane and divine, the mysterious workings of God, and the fusion of divine love with sexual love. Many authors have written about the last point, but Susann Cokal is the first I've seen to not let one win over the other. There are genuine miracles and unexplained events in the book.
Bonne retains her faith throughout the book. She believes her mother and secluded grandmother were both touched by God and she believes her nourishing breastmilk itself is a blessing from God. Or the Virgin Mary; another part of the story is the possibilities surrounded the miraculous nature of the Virgin Mary and how it compares or even sometimes, rather blasphemously, overpowers God's. I was worried Godfridus might be another sexually repressed ascetic who eventually assaults someone, but Cokal avoided that. Yes, he is tempted at some points and tries to view the female body less sexually but he is hardly a hypocrite. He does however go mad for time and nearly kills Bonne; he stops and admonishes himself and she forgives him. I'm making it simpler than the book did.
Hercule was one of the dissatisfying things of the book. His entire purpose just seemed to be a devious asshole to everyone. Radegonde was a more complex character, neither heroine or villainess. Radegonde's wealth and food supplies puts her at odds with the town and its clergy and sometimes even Bonne. She and Bonne become lovers; Bonne is bisexual as she at first desires Godfridus--and...nearly sexually assaults him at one point--but eventually falls for Radegonde. At times though, the love feels one sided, as if Radegonde was using Bonne and Bonne was just so desperate for love. Anyway, Radegonde doesn't fear being seen as a witch. After her arrest and the nearing end of her pregnancy, she experiences visions and many believe that she, like Bonne, is a new saint that they once persecuted.
This was a strange little book about faith, women, sustenance, and sexuality. Food is constantly mentioned throughout the book along with images of hunger or characters hungering for something. Cokal has done her research as many of the religious visions and rites that Bonne and Radegonde experience are what medieval holy women experienced in their time: stigmata, holy breastmilk, Jesus putting His heart into them. I also enjoyed the nuance. Not all the priests or inquisitors in the book are overly superstitious, gullible, money hungry, repressed men. Thank you, Cokal, for Etienne. There is a genuine desire to see the inherent sacredness of the female body.
This book won't be for everyone, but it will get you thinking.
February 23, 2014
Fucked up Catholic imagery, medieval lesbians, and a sea of bodily fluids. Definitely not a book for everyone (or most people, actually), but I rather liked it.
February 25, 2008
Naturally, with my affinity for medieval women mystics and visionaries, I was drawn to this work. The levitating mystics, disappearing anchoresses, and persecution of "witch's" material was all wonderfully rendered. The hardcore lesbian sex passages were a bit of a surprise.
I appreciated each chapter being marked by what saint's day it was and the short passage about the disinterment of the artist's object of affections is ... well, grotesquely beautiful.
I appreciated each chapter being marked by what saint's day it was and the short passage about the disinterment of the artist's object of affections is ... well, grotesquely beautiful.
April 21, 2008
While told in the same style as "Catherine Called Birdy" - journal entries with the names of Saints Days- this book was a bit on the weird side for me.
The only way i can sum this book up is "Spiritual Lactose Smut."
Burp this one baby, because i just can't stomach it.
The only way i can sum this book up is "Spiritual Lactose Smut."
Burp this one baby, because i just can't stomach it.
August 17, 2016
Mirabilis by Susann Cokal surprised me for its clever look into life in plague times, in religious fervor times, in saint and devil times. The story centers on a woman who perhaps was a virgin who gave birth, or who perhaps was raped by the local priest, but the book soon evolves into the life of her daughter. I enjoyed the thought-provoking nature of this story and its wider significance.
April 4, 2021
so weird.
didnt-finish
August 22, 2018i gave it ~50 pages and still had no idea what was going on or why i should care. i wanted to read it, but damn, it was confusing and boring and i didn’t want to read any more of it ever in my life. so i put it down, promptly pbs’d it and picked up something else.
January 28, 2009
I just don't get it. I think there's a literary convention for this type of book based on Catholic history of Saints, but I am really out of the loop. I'm not going to finish this book.
December 6, 2017
Onvan : Mirabilis - Nevisande : Susann Cokal - ISBN : 042518532X - ISBN13 : 9780425185322 - Dar 400 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2001
April 3, 2008
The miracle of Woman has me on a life long mission. This books proves this.
October 12, 2022
I'm surprised this book has so many poor reviews! It was a LOT of different things all rolled into one; historical fantasy with a touch of lesbian romance, a focus on life at this time from a woman's POV, life from a woman/mother's POV in general, biblical aspects...but I loved it. I found myself reading huge chunks of it at a time and thinking about the story when I wasn't reading it. I loved the characters. Sometimes the italicized sections (secondary characters) were hard to understand and very vague. But I loved what this book had to say about woman/women as saints/women as martyrs/women with expectations put on them/women as mothers/women as wives/women as property.
June 1, 2019
Gorgeous, a really good book about the life of medieval world and the tape of a rather legendary woman. To the point that I have come out rather mystified but addicted to the wording.
And the author has done it again. Her Kingdom of Little Wounds blew my mind, even as I read reading as a teenager. And three years later, with much more experience in reading if still manages to delight. And being a more experienced reader gives this an extra layer of enjoyment that I wouldn't have otherwise.
Worth every penny and a perfect tale, with almost nothing that I could predict.
And the author has done it again. Her Kingdom of Little Wounds blew my mind, even as I read reading as a teenager. And three years later, with much more experience in reading if still manages to delight. And being a more experienced reader gives this an extra layer of enjoyment that I wouldn't have otherwise.
Worth every penny and a perfect tale, with almost nothing that I could predict.
August 3, 2023
An unusual and interesting novel from a very interesting and unusual author. I'm a big of Cokal's YA novels and Breath and Bones and the ability to evoke such compelling imagery that both drives me to continue ready and steadily towards nausea is strong is this novel(seriously, she loves things that fester and ooze and leak!)
August 12, 2023
my mom always says that if a book is praised as "beautifully written," it's because the story itself is actually boring. definitely not the case here. the prose is beautiful and moving, and the story is entrancing.
September 14, 2019
I gave up on this book. It is not very good. I like to finish what I start but this book is weird and I can't find a reason to enjoy it.
April 25, 2020
I read this novel sometime ago but I still remember details once I had read the blurb on the back. Intriguing story set in unusual times
January 1, 2021
Outstanding, shocking, hart breaking
July 2, 2022
This is probably one of the weirdest books I have ever read. It was also strangely fascinating and compelling?
November 18, 2022
a little too much lactation for me
July 3, 2025
DNF. Just. No. I like the cover?
April 8, 2024
I think this is one of my favorite books I've ever read. Yes, it lacks modern squeamishness about bodily fluids (there is a lot of breastmilk) but it builds, with its own internal logic, from one one event to another, so that, for the most part, the escalation in what might be called the book's weirdness feels like a natural outcome. Also, really enjoyed the depictions of sexuality. I have a very strong preference for queer literature, particularly queer historical lit, but I picked my copy of Mirabilis up at Goodwill without even really bothering to read the blurb, just looking for something with a vaguely-Medieval setting (since that's pretty much the best you can hope for). So you can imagine my surprise (and excitement!) when I realized what direction the story was going in. Can't really say much more without just, like, listing all the plot points/details I adored! I will admit, however, that Hercule was a disappointing character for me as well - and the (ableist?) tropes he embodies have not aged particularly well. And I could see a few places where the narrative could have been tightened up a little. But when the novel is strong, it is Very strong. On a more zoomed-out note, some modern stories are set in a "Medieval" past, and some Medieval stories have persisted in popular culture over the centuries (King Arthur, etc), but this is the first time I felt like I was reading a Medieval story, written today. Mirabilis is unique - exceptional - and, uhhh, deliciously weird. I recommend!!
July 22, 2012
This is a truly strange story set in the town of Villeneuve in 14th century France. The main character, Bonne, is the illegitimate child of a girl who miraculously “flew” in church one day. Throughout most of the novel it’s unclear who her father is – was this Immaculate Conception or not? Bonne’s grandmother says that her father is Pierre, one of the town priests. The priests are almost exclusively concerned with food, money, prestige, and power. The village people are seen as gullible, mean, and prone to mobs. The secondary characters include a dwarf, a sculptor who is trying to dedicate himself to God, and a merchant’s wife who wants to hire Bonne as a wet nurse. Much of the book discusses adults feeding at Bonne’s breasts – first the sculptor does as a way of maintaining Bonne’s milk, then she feeds the dwarf to help cure his ills, then the rich woman demands tastings to verify the quality, then Bonne feeds many in the city because a siege has caused a famine. After the siege Bonne uses her milk to feed the orphans in the city home and when the merchant’s wife’s daughter is born, Bonne feeds her. The rest of the book is sensuality, including a description of Bonne’s first girl-on-girl with the merchant’s wife and Bonne’s discovery of masturbation, as well as various guys (most prominently the sculptor and the dwarf) lusting after Bonne. Very odd. I wouldn’t read it again.
November 5, 2014
I was looking for something 'different' to read, and Boy!, this girl had some amazing Boobs! She could shoot enough milk out to feed two ravaged bears!
It was hard to continue reading after the first 40 pages, I just couldn't get into the story. One reason was how the secondary characters were given quotes of odd thoughts and ideas. The story would have flowed so much better without these interruptions.
When the English surround the town, Bonne, with her breasts of unstoppable flow, fed them all...(those who she deemed worthy that is).
She lets her "Uncle" feed from her every evening. She speaks of her pregnancies but there is a cloud of mystery about the whole ordeal. When the rich pregnant lady, who has an abundance of food, hires Bonne ro be her wetnurse, she has enough food to keep herself healthy. The sick and starving go to her for the nurishment her brests can give them. (a dwarf even starts to grow taller)
Strange book, strange characters, and Mega-Boobs. I won't be reading this one again.
It was hard to continue reading after the first 40 pages, I just couldn't get into the story. One reason was how the secondary characters were given quotes of odd thoughts and ideas. The story would have flowed so much better without these interruptions.
When the English surround the town, Bonne, with her breasts of unstoppable flow, fed them all...(those who she deemed worthy that is).
She lets her "Uncle" feed from her every evening. She speaks of her pregnancies but there is a cloud of mystery about the whole ordeal. When the rich pregnant lady, who has an abundance of food, hires Bonne ro be her wetnurse, she has enough food to keep herself healthy. The sick and starving go to her for the nurishment her brests can give them. (a dwarf even starts to grow taller)
Strange book, strange characters, and Mega-Boobs. I won't be reading this one again.
June 1, 2014
I tried to read this y'all. I did. The premise is totally interesting-like: young woman of uncertain parentage is a maybe-saint's daughter. There's a dwarf magician dude and a rich pregnant sorceress and an ascetic sculptor dude. The maybe-saint's-daughter's breast milk has magical healing powers. What's not to like? I wanted to read this before I read The Kingdom of Little Wounds because I heard all sorts of glowing praise for Kingdom. Plus, the plot reminded me of A Stolen Tongue by Sheri Holman and I loved A Stolen Tongue. But I gave up around halfway through and started re-reading bad Lois Duncan eBooks on my phone (Summer of Fear, represent!!!!). Maybe I just wanted to think less? Not sure but this is due back at the library and I just don't care enough to check it out again. Meh.
October 13, 2012
I'm always interested in saints, religion and female protagonists, so overall this book appeared to be something I would naturally enjoy. I did find it strange at first, but I quickly let go and let the author set the stage… reading the book almost like a script as opposed to a novel and it became a much easier read for me. Even still, the book took me a long time to finish - two and a half weeks or so. The characters are rich, the story is full of surprises and it is complicated. I enjoyed it. Glad I read it and am very impressed with the author for the many layers and kinds of characters she portrayed.
January 13, 2016
I felt that the first 300 some pages were a bit of a slog to get through however there was a turning point towards the end of the book that changed my opinion. If all of the book had been as good as then ending I would have given it 4 stars. I can see though that if there wasn't all the background and narrative that occurred in the beginning, I would not have felt as invested in the fate of Bonne and her benefactor. I was a little disappointed that the end had come so quickly after I felt the book had gotten good.
July 15, 2016
This tale is based on the scant thing known about Blessed Bonne/Mirabilis who lived in 14th c. France and later became a saint. She was a wet nurse who fed the people of Villeneuve during the English siege of their town. The story itself was very interesting; the writing, however, was at times very vague and ethereal, rather like eating cotton candy, when it just dissolves into nothingness. It took me a while to feel immersed in the book. Interesting foundation for a historical novel, but I feel it could have been written in a more palpable way.
June 26, 2010
This one was tough - to review, not to read. There is a trend right now of writing psuedo-historical novels full of gothic themes and intrigue...that never really go anywhere. Was this a book about faith? Was this a book at sexual mores of this time period? Was this a book about not much of anything? Yes, yes it was. Also, throwing in random lesbian themes to make your book more "timely" or "relevant" - it was old 5 years ago.
December 12, 2010
Saints , sinners , miracles, lesbianism, dwarfs and breast feeding. Yes, I agree with those who say that this is a weird book. It is but is also a strangely compelling read. I admit I thought tossing it aside at the beginning of it but I persevered and it got better as I read further. So at the end , despite all the weirdness of it, I say that I enjoyed this novel and I will read more books from Susann Cokal...
August 12, 2009
A wonderfully unique novel set in medieval France. The main character is a wet nurse who miraculously keeps the whole town alive through a siege. She is the friend of a pious sculptor and provides lodging to an impious dwarf with a dark soul, but whose evil intents are repeatedly thwarted and end up working for the good. It's a compelling story of jealousy and the miracles of generosity.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews