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Seminar 5:
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Robyn Cadwallader is a skilled story teller and the author of the acclaimed novel, The Anchoress. From her academic background she vividly captures the intricacies and sensibilities of the life of a thirteenth century anchoress. Sarah, a holy woman who spent her life locked in a small cell to the side of a church,devoting her days entirely to prayer. Reviewing the book for The Sydney Morning Herald, Eleanor Limprect describes something of the inner-dividedness that characterized the life of the young anchoress: While Sarah tries to deny her body and her physicality as her rulebook demands, she finds that instead she is increasingly aware of her senses: from the taste of an apple to the touch of a young child's hand. Cadwallader's writing evokes a heightened attention to the sense: you might never read a novel so sensuous yet unconcerned with romantic love. For this alone it is worth seeking out. But also because The Anchoress achieves what every historical novel attempts: reimagining the past while opening a new window — like a squint, perhaps — to our present lives.
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Robyn Cadwallader,