Author of The Greenest Branch, a novel of Germany's first female physician
Fools and Mortals is a significant departure from Bernard Cornwell's usual theme of medieval warfare and political intrigue. So much so that I would never have guessed he was the one who wrote it. Maybe that's why I was not riveted by it as much as I was by 1356 or his Saxon Stories. This... Continue Reading →
Guest blog by Pat Wahler There is an abundance of information, some accurate and some pure fantasy, on the infamous outlaw Jesse James. He had a wife, and I couldn’t help but wonder about her. Why would she marry a man on the wrong side of the law? Why would she stand by him despite... Continue Reading →
Chapter 1 Abbey of St. Disibod, September 1143 When I heard that the messenger had come from Burgundy, for a moment I could not breathe. Griselda handed me the letter with a quizzical look before she withdrew from the surgery. Had she heard my heart racing? Blood hammering in my temples? I tore the wax... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I was researching medieval church architecture for Book Two of my Hildegard of Bingen series (which will come out in February 2019). Part of the story concerns Hildegard's project of building a church for her new foundation, which she wants to imitate the "French style," i.e. the nascent Gothic style (though,... Continue Reading →
This weekend I made an unplanned but very exciting visit to one of the most historic places in America, and it happens to be right in my town. Somewhat unassuming on the outside, The United First Parish Church in Quincy, Massachusetts, houses a crypt with the tombs of two former U.S. presidents. John Adams (1735-1826)... Continue Reading →
I finally read Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders's Man Booker Prize winner for 2017, and it was quite an experience. The book made a splash for its unusual theme and innovative style - it is written in a quasi-dramatic form and composed in part of quotes from history books and primary sources, including diaries of White House... Continue Reading →
Guest blog by Rose Seiler Scott Even with my eyes closed, I would have known I was in my Oma’s house. The aroma of woodsmoke and sauerkraut permeated everything from the air to the brightly coloured afghans draped over the couches. When it was time to leave, it was rarely without a small gift--- multi-coloured... Continue Reading →
Guest blog by Julianne Douglas In 1555, printer Jean de Tournes of Lyon published a small volume of poetry titled EVVRES (WORKS). This innocuous label belied the book’s audacity, for the collection—a proto-feminist dedicatory epistle, a lengthy dialogue between Love and Folly, three elegies, and twenty-four sonnets—was the first of its kind in France: a... Continue Reading →
This week marked the release of my debut novel The Greenest Branch, based on the true story of Germany's first female physician. I won't lie - it has been been a long and challenging road. I started in earnest in the summer of 2011, after spending several months researching the life of Hildegard of Bingen,... Continue Reading →
