Details for 'For thy great pain have mercy on my little pain' by Victoria Mackenzie
For thy great pain have mercy on my little pain
It's 1413, a time of war and plague, when women don't read or write and when hearing from God will see you burnt alive. It's a time when two extraordinary women meet, in Norwich.
Margery has left her fourteen children and husband. Her visions of Christ have alienated her from her family and neighbours and placed her in danger with the men of the Church, who have begun to hound her as a heretic.
Julian is an anchoress who hasn't left her cell in Norwich for twenty-three years. She hasn't told anyone about her visions.
The two women have much to tell each other, and their meeting will change everything...
'The Book of Margery Kempe' is the first autobiography written in English, by a man or a woman.
'Revelations of Divine Love' by Julian of Norwich is the earliest surviving book in English written by a woman.
Told in alternating short passages, the two women tell us their stories. They're vivid and compelling, atmospheric and engaging. Amazing. Read it!
Everyone agreed they would never have picked this book up for themselves and there was some debate on the choice of title and cover design. All found it to be fascinating in terms of the style of storytelling and providing a glimpse into the lives of these two extraordinary women and led some to investigate Julian and Margery further.