Book description
Lincolnshire, 1537. Amid England's religious turmoil, fifteen-year-old Anne Askew is forced to take her dead sister's place in an arranged marriage. The witty, well-educated gentleman's daughter is determined to free herself from her abusive husband, harsh in-laws, and the cruel strictures of her married life. But this is the England…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Prize for the Fire as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Beautifully written and masterfully crafted, the story of Anne Askew, the real central character in Prize for the Fire, brings us to the brink of understanding the power of belief and commitment in a medieval world turned up-side-down by politics and religion.
To the brink, but it would be impossible to get closer than that to Anne’s personal core principles she would rather die for than not relinquish. Questions about faith, fidelity, and fealty are woven across Anne’s short life, exposing the chasm between conviction and practice in the world controlled by fear of power and doctrine.
From Leslie's list on The best books about little known people in history.
This is a brave book about a brave person little known to history, beautifully written with understanding and compassion.
Prize for the Fire brings to life a little-known woman who defied convention, choosing to risk anything and endure unbearable hardship in order to never relinquish her convictions. A dark Tudor past is an inhabitable and understandable place in this work, leaving questions about belief lingering.
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