Today’s review is about THE MIRROR OF SIMPLE SOULS by Aline Kiner, translated from French by Susan Emanuel. It’s a historical drama set in early 14th century Paris amidst a beguinage. Likely an unfamiliar term to many today, it’s a community of women who, broadly, haven’t sworn vows or remarried. Instead, they work together as their own cloistered community. THE MIRROR OF SIMPLE SOULS features the arrival of a young teen girl. Her presence heralds an eventual dilemma of whether to silently rebel against the burgeoning religious repression of the era.

Author: Aline Kiner, Susan Emanuel (Translator)
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Publish Date: June 25, 2024
Print Length: 320

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Official Synopsis

A captivating story of love, jealousy and faith, set amid a community of independent women in medieval Paris — the perfect summer read for fans of historical fiction.

This thrilling, sensual evocation of medieval Paris sold over 100,000 copies in France and offers a fascinating insight into the world of the beguines — communities of women who lived independently of men and successfully managed their own affairs all the way back in the Middle Ages.

A heretical text, a vengeful husband, a forbidden love…

It’s 1310 and Paris is alive with talk of the trial of the Templars. Religious repression is on the rise, and the smoke of execution pyres blackens the sky above the city. But sheltered behind the walls of Paris’s great beguinage, a community of women are still free to work, study and live their lives away from the domination of men.

When a wild, red-haired child clothed in rags arrives at the beguinage gate one morning, with a sinister Franciscan monk on her tail, she sets in motion a chain of events that will shatter the peace of this little world-plunging it into grave danger…

This rich historical drama makes a great summer read for fans of Hamnet, The Lost Apothecary, The Wolf Den, and The Yellow Bird Sings.

My Review

I received a free, digital, advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is my own and reflects my honest opinion about this book.

THE MIRROR OF SIMPLE SOULS is a subdued mystery set against the backdrop of increasing religious control in 1310 Paris. The events unfold mainly in a beguinage, or a community where women have not taken vows nor remarried, but instead work together without the influence of men. One day a teenage girl arrives at their door step in need of assistance. Despite the girl’s silence about her background, the community takes her in. Unknown to any of them is that a Franciscan monk seeks to return her home.

The revelation of this mystery girl’s background is, sadly, not terribly uncommon for the time. Her recent history shows how little agency men allowed women. But her presence in this story mainly serves as a catalyst for the monk and key beguinage women to decide whether to silently combat the growing religious repression. Without getting into too many spoilers, this peaceful rebellion involves the transcription of an important book of religious ideas written by a woman.

What I found most interesting in THE MIRROR OF SIMPLE SOULS was the historical events occuring during this book’s setting. For example, this story occurs at a time during which the Knights Templar, a monastic military order, faced trials for alleged heresy. The reader also learns about the postmorten custom Louis IX’s body was subjected to after his death. I certainly found myself doing a little internet research while reading this to learn more. There is also a fair amount of reference to religion, which was a bit lost on me. Those who are more familiar with Christianity might take away more from that aspect. Overall, I think the average reader can understand the main points of the history and religion topics. However, I also think those who already have some knowledge of Late Medieval Paris religion and politics would have a richer experience.

While I found this historical drama interesting, the style of storytelling keeps the reader at a distance from the characters. The reader never truly gets to know any one character, whose backgrounds become known in snippets and implications. While I didn’t particularly mind this, it does prevent one from becoming more invested in a character. Rather, the focus is on how key moments from each character’s life guide them in important moments.

Overall, THE MIRROR OF SIMPLE SOULS is an interesting look at early 14th century Paris and the operations of a beguinage. It highlights a population sect and community of women, providing a unique learning experience through historical fiction.

Rating: 3.5
Content warnings: forced marriage, rape (historical), sexual assault/violence (off page), infertility, child loss, pregnancy, death, torture, gore, sexism
Reading format: Kindle pdf