Katharina is a nun who escapes from her convent and the abusive priests. Reading Luther's letters sets a fire in her soul and suddenly she sees the invisible chains and shackles of the Catholic Church. For the first time in a thousand years, the Bible is being told truth for truth by an ex- monk, and Katharina starts to believe that salvation isn't caused by celibacy or spending your life in an abbey.Martin Luther is a man who is sought to be killed by the Roman Empire because of what he teaches. They call him a rebel and a heretic, but he still believes that he needs to spread God's Word.
Katharina finds shelter at the Black Cloister, Luther's church, where the two of them meet and try to deny there is any attraction between them, but there is. Finally, after two years, they get married. Unfortunately, they still have a lot more suffering to do, but they know that they are making a revolutionary difference and that it is God's will.
I love historical fiction, and I truly appreciated this novel. It had suspense, romance, action, grief, and honesty, which I think all stories should. The intricacies of the Catholic religion interest me, and the book satisfied me on that level.
I understand that the story is fictional, but I didn't find Luther believable. I always assumed that he was a former monk with a receding hairline who spent his time translating the Bible. Hedlund portrayed him as a handsome, strong, tall man, which I really can't fathom because was constantly ill as well. Also, Katharina was a little flighty for my taste, not to mention pompous. The author illustrates her as stubborn, which I understood, but I think it was a little over done.
I would recommend this book because, despite those few character flaws, it was good book.
I was sent this book in exchange for my honest opinion by Blogging for Books.
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