Paperback pick: The Anchoress
A powerful debut from Robyn Cadwallader
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Set in England in 1255, Robyn Cadwallader’s powerful debut tells the story of teenage Sarah, who decided to dedicate her life to religion, and sequestered herself away in a shadowy cell that measures ‘nine paces by seven’ at the side of a village church.
She wants to be holy, but she also wants to escape from the restricted roles open to women in the 13th century.
Having watched her sister die in childbirth, and spurned the advances of a son of the local lord, Sarah is determined to carve out a singular life but the realities of her situation soon test her mettle.
The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader is published by Faber & Faber, £14.99
