Matrix

Matrix is a book about 12th century nuns. I realize this sounds impossibly boring, but Lauren Groff makes these characters feel present and compelling.

The novel follows the adult life of Marie de France, a royal-adjacent woman who is shipped off to be the prioress (sort of like the COO, as I understand it) of an English abbey at the age of seventeen. She is not religious and, unsurprisingly, isn't thrilled to be there. What follows is the story of her life at the abbey, her relationship to Eleanor of Aquitaine, and a peek into the High Middle Ages in England that feels relatable.

Groff's writing is enthralling, if a little heavy on the description. She is particularly skilled at writing about emotions and inner lives, even when writing mostly in the third person. What I liked most about this book was how feminist it feels, despite being set in a decidedly patriarchal time and place. The nuns undertake typically feminine pursuits such as spinning, weaving, and gardening, but also copy manuscripts (a job for monks), work the land, and engineer large infrastructure projects. These women live their lives without men, of necessity, and the picture Groff paints is of complete lives.

I enjoyed this book, and will look more at Groff's other work (this is my first read of hers).