Why read I, Julian?

Book cover of I, Julian

Book description

'I was completely hooked and considerably moved by the life and thoughts of this exceptional woman'
- JEREMY IRONS

'It is as if we have finally found the lost autobiography of one of the medieval world's most important women.'
- JANINA RAMIREZ

'A beautiful, intensely moving achievement'
- A.N. WILSON…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked I, Julian as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Caroline McGhie

Author

Luminous and poetic, this is a richly imagined memoir of an anchoress in the 14th century.

Julian had herself bricked into a room at the side of a church in Norwich in order to spend the rest of her life thinking, praying, and helping visitors who come to her window. In this cell, she experiences a kind of spiritual freedom.

We get a wonderful sense of Norwich in upheaval during the plague years. She offers comfort to all in her most famous words. “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing (no s) shall…

From Caroline's list on capturing the magic of Norfolk, UK.

Laura Swan

Author

Julian of Norwich will be remembered throughout history for her Showings, written in the time of horrific plagues. “All shall be well, all shall be well, and in all manner of things, all shall be well.” An anchorite (a hermit attached to the side of a church), we can only infer who this woman was.

Gilbert tells a lovely story of what might’ve been her growing up years and early adulthood before choosing to live the life of a hermit. I love the simple elegance of her storytelling.

From Laura's list on reveal the hidden history of women.