The Wise Woman

Title: The Wise Woman
Author: Philippa Gregory
ISBN: 0812978978, 0006514642
Publication: HarperCollins Publishers, 2002

Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite authors to curl up with on a rainy afternoon. Her novels are always an energetic and emotional roller coaster. The Wise Woman is no exception.

The story centers on a young girl during the reign of Henry VIII in England. The orphaned girl is living in squalor being trained by a Wise Woman when everything changes. She falls in love, loses him, and ends up living in a convent where she feels loved and safe for the first time in her life. When tragedy strikes the convent she escapes, leaving all of her Sisters behind to die. That's where the story really becomes tragic.

The Wise Woman is a dark, brooding story with barely the feel fiction. Even months after reading the novel I am unsure how I feel about Alys and the choices that she made - right up to the last page of the book. I am struck by the undercurrents of modern life in this historical fantasy.

The subject matter is so disturbing, and the emotional effect the novel so unsettling, that I only give it 4 stars and recommend it with caution. It's an enticing and passionate story, well written, and engaging. Just be warned, it's a trip down the rabbit hole for sure!