The Book of Rachael

‘Cannold walks an interesting line between faith and history here, as she explores an alternative Virgin birth storyline (what happens to unmarried women in this society who fall pregnant means, inevitably, that they are keen to stress the intervention of a god).’ * Independent *‘This retelling of the Jesus story will resonate with women of faith who wish to forge their own path and stay true to their values…This is a good pick for readers who enjoyed Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent or Alice Hoffman’s The Dovekeepers.’ * Library Journal *‘Cannold offers a thought-provoking, heartfelt, and tragic but redemptive tale about the difficulties of discovering and defining one’s identity in a world that seeks unendingly to take that decision away.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘There are dangers in attempting to fictionalise such a well-loved story as the life of Christ. First, the resulting account might offend. It might collapse into cliché. Or it might be filled with contemporary sensibilities, creating a world too familiar to our own. Though The Book of Rachael skirts each of these minefields, it is testament to the literary skills of Leslie Cannold that this debut novel avoids them.’ * Courier Mail *‘The church has spent millenia writing women out of history. In the wonderful Book of Rachael, Leslie Cannold returns them to their rightful place at the centre of one of our most powerful stories.’ – Sophie Cunningham‘Passionate, eloquent and compelling, a terrific idea beautifully realised—I couldn’t put it down.’ – Liz Byrski‘The Book of Rachael should be celebrated for its intelligence, eloquence and its fascinating version of well-known events. Cannold sustains her reader’s interest from the first page to the last, offering us a credible explanation for one of the most incredible stories in our culture. Indeed, this is all the more impressive when we learn that The Book of Rachael is Cannold’s debut novel, a remarkably confident and assured beginning to what I hope will be a long career in literature.’ * Canberra Times *‘Engaging and fast-paced prose…a compelling read.’ Four-star review * Australian Bookseller + Publisher *‘Cannold deftly creates a rich fictional world.’ * Courier Mail *‘A beautifully narrated story about equality, independence and love.’ * Sunday Herald Sun *‘Cannold successfully pulls the human stories from the mire of religion and self-interest that opened up in the days immediately following the crucifixion. Food for thought, indeed, and quite a page-turner.’ * Weekend Press, Dominion Post *‘Enthralling and thought-provoking…I was completely drawn in to [the women of Nazareth’s] world and found it almost impossible to put down…[Leslie Cannold] succeeds in not only writing women back into history but also in examining one our most enduring religious stories.’ * Otago Daily Times *

Dr Leslie Cannold is an author, commentator, ethicist, researcher and social activist. Her non-fiction works include the award-winning The Abortion Myth and What, No Baby? She is a regular guest on Radio 702 ABC Sydney and Radio 4BC in Brisbane. Her Moral Maze column appears fortnightly in the Sun-Herald and she was the resident ethicist on Channel 10’s 7pm Project. In 2005, Leslie was listed alongside Professor Peter Singer, Professor Gustav Nossal and Inga Clendinnen as one of Australia’s top 20 public intellectuals.

In 2011 Leslie was named the Australian Humanist of the Year by The Council of Australian Humanist Societies. This award has been bestowed on Leslie in recognition of her valuable contribution to public debates on a wide range of ethical issues, particularly to do with women and family life.

Leslie is an adjunct Fellow at the School of Philosophy, Anthropology & Social Inquiry at the University of Melbourne and senior lecturer at the Monash Institute of Health Services Research. She is President of Reproductive Choice Australia, a national coalition of pro-choice organisations that played a key role in removing the ban on the abortion drug RU486 in 2006 and of Pro Choice Victoria, which was instrumental in the decriminalisation of abortion in Victoria in 2008. She is also a Dying with Dignity ambassador for law reform.

Leslie is the lead singer of the Melbourne-based rock cover band Speedy Fish.