The Mirror of Simple Souls

In the heart of 14th century Paris the great beguinage is an enclave, under royal protection, wheresingle women can live apart from men. Widowed or unmarried, rich or poor, here they can study, workand trade in freedom.

Ysabel chose to withdraw here twenty years ago. She watches over the hospital and knows all thesecrets of plants, nursing bodies as well as souls. For Ada as well, the beguinage is a refuge.Upon the death of her husband, killed in the battle of Courtrai, she settled here, withdrawn fromthe world. But a newcomer is about to shatter the tranquility of this little universe.


One morning in January 1310, Ysabel discovers a wild child in rags at the door of the beguinage.Her red hair is hidden under a coarse kerchief. Silent, rebellious, Maheut the Red has fled aterrifying arranged marriage to the lord of Hainaut, her native region. Now a sinisterFranciscan monk is searching the city, relentlessly tracking her down...

'Brilliantly juggles history and fiction' - Le Figaro

'Sensitive and subtle in substance, carnal and poetic in form... A luminous novel' - Huffingtonpost.fr

'Leads us with brio into a little-known Middle Ages of strong, erudite, supportive, and generous women' - Page des libraires

Aline Kiner was born in Moselle. She lived in Paris where she was editor-in-chief of special issues of Sciences et Avenir. The Mirror of Simple Souls was the fruit of three years of research and writing on the beguines of Paris.

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