to learn, read and fulfil her never ending thirst for knowledge. By the time she was of marriageable age she could read and write in several languages and wanted to know about the world beyond Mainz and the monastery of Fulda.

One of her father's regular guests at their home was a younger Benedictine monk, Brother Randulph. As Agnes grew up they enjoyed each other's company and intellectual discussions which went onto a rather interesting loving and lifelong relationship.

Emily Maguire's writing makes this historical fiction captivating using the names of true places, people and events leaving the question on several occasions could these be true? 

One of the reasons Agnes did not want to marry was that she had seen many women die in childbirth, indeed her own mother died giving birth to her. She also had significant scars on her stomach after a wild boar attack and so thought she was not marriageable. Described as having a man's mind, she also wanted a lot more in her life than the drudgery of housekeeping and child rearing which would not leave enough time for studying and expanding her knowledge.

Agnes enlists the help of Brother Randulph, so to disguise herself as a man and devote her life to the study she is denied as a woman. She manages to hide her female form and femininity and  joins the monastery at Fulda where she becomes a brilliant student unmatched by other students and monks. She learns to become a scribe - it is interesting to see how much is involved and how complex this role is.

Agnes assumes the name John the Englishman and once she leaves Fulda - the journey itself  is quite arduous and astonishing, she becomes a charismatic heretic in an Athens commune, Scola. Years later she makes her way to Rome where she becomes a celebrated teacher where the Church hierarchy are amazed at her depth of knowledge and wisdom. Now known as Brother Johannes Anglcus, It doesn't take long for her to find herself caught up in the political intrigue and powerful gossip and scheming before coming to the attention of the Pope who calls on her to become part of his inner circle. It is not something she wants to do, but her religious devotion and wisdom is highly sort after - she would much rather be back in Athens teaching and enjoying a simpler life.

And then a twist, a big surprise which made me smile and which I will leave for you to find out - no spoilers here.

This medieval story is captivating adventurous reading, thoroughly enjoyable and worth the years of research undertaken by the author to bring this to life. if you like history, intrigue, a little romance and a good twist in the story, you will most probably love Rapture.

The Author

Emily Maguire is the author of seven novels, including An Isolated Incident, shortlisted for the Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2017, and Love Objects, shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards Literary Fiction Book of the Year and the Margaret & Colin Roderick Literary Award in 2022, as well as three non-fiction books. Her articles and essays on sex, feminism and culture have been published widely including in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Observer and The Age. Emily works as a teacher and as a mentor to young and emerging writers and was the 2023 HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellow at the Australian National University.