Joan Ohanneson

Hildegard of Bingen was a 12th century Benedictine nun that became famous for her mistic visions, her wisdom, her struggle against Church corruption, and, last but not least, her music. This book, the portuguese translation of the american original Scarlet Music, is a fictional biography of her. An accomplished attempt to convey the life and times of a 12th century German abbess to a 21st century reader.

I enjoyed this book. I had to shift my expectations a little -- let it be what it was instead of what I am used to. Once I let go, I was along for a passionate and fascinating ride. Suitable for lovers of historical fiction, mysticism, feminism, and even, in its own way, romance. The romance here being of a celibate sort, between humans and between a woman and her deity.