Atria Books
Josefina's Sin : A Novel
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Josefina's Sin
Author(s): Claudia H. Long
A thrilling and passionate debut about a sheltered landowner’s wife whose life is turned upside down when she visits the royal court in seventeenth-century Mexico.
When Josefina accepts an invitation from the Marquessa to come stay and socialize with the intellectual and cultural elite in her royal court, she is overwhelmed by the Court’s complicated world. She finds herself having to fight off aggressive advances from the Marquessa’s husband, but is ultimately unable to stay true to her marriage vows when she becomes involved in a secret affair with the local bishop that leaves her pregnant.
Amidst this drama, Josefina finds herself unexpectedly drawn to the intellectual nuns who study and write poetry at the risk of persecution by the Spanish Inquisition that is overtaking Mexico. One nun in particular, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, teaches Josefina about poetry, writing, critical thinking, the nature and consequences of love, and the threats of the Holy Office. She is Josefina’s mentor and lynchpin for her tumultuous passage from grounded wife and mother to woman of this treacherous, confusing, and ultimately physically and intellectually fulfilling world.
Review(s):
“An exotic, steamy world is brought vividly to life in Josefina's Sin. Josefina's journey from innocence to understanding of the complexities of court politics and her own heart is emotional and engaging. In life, nothing is simple and the contrary pulls of duty, love, lust, ambition and motherhood are set down boldly on the pages of this novel. Most of all, the story takes us along the path we must all tread. The getting of wisdom.” –Posie Graeme-Evans, international bestselling author of The Dressmaker
"Compelled by the life and writings of a renowned poetess doomed by the Inquisition, Josefina, a young, beautiful landowner's wife in 17th century Mexico attends the vice-royal court where she is caught up in a web of love, religion and torture. A powerful, cautionary tale told with beauty and precision, Josefina's Sin is a dazzling read." --Thomas Trebitsch Parker, O. Henry Prize winner and author of Anna Ann Annie
"Sensuous, sensual, and sensitive, Josefina's Sin speaks to the dreams, the guile & cruelty in us all. Part Molière, part Grand Guignol, inside an intricate, villainous plot--but so much more, for Claudia has grounded this tale in the real world and it speaks movingly of the passions, the treachery and anguish in the human equation." --Crosby Lewy, author of Amusings From a Life
"Josefina’s Sin is a beautifully written debut novel based on history. Set in the interesting milieu of the seventeenth century Mexican court, it follows the life of the gifted literary heroine and champion of women’s rights known to Mexico as “the Tenth Muse.” Josephina’s love affair as portrayed in the story made me think of The Thorn Birds. I found Josefina’s Sin an enlightening and wonderful read." ~ Sandra Worth, award-winning author of Pale Rose of England
"A sheltered young mother finds enlightenment and abuse at a decadent court in this superb debut set in colonial Mexico. A moving tale of women seeking to balance competing passions of the heart, body, and mind in the lavish setting of a 17th-century Mexican court." --Publishers Weekly
"Sensually spicy Josefina's Sin is a woman’s journey of personal discovery and pain that will beguile you with temptation and curiosity-truly unforgettable."--Historical Novels Review
ISBN: 9781451610673
Author(s): Claudia H. Long
A thrilling and passionate debut about a sheltered landowner’s wife whose life is turned upside down when she visits the royal court in seventeenth-century Mexico.
When Josefina accepts an invitation from the Marquessa to come stay and socialize with the intellectual and cultural elite in her royal court, she is overwhelmed by the Court’s complicated world. She finds herself having to fight off aggressive advances from the Marquessa’s husband, but is ultimately unable to stay true to her marriage vows when she becomes involved in a secret affair with the local bishop that leaves her pregnant.
Amidst this drama, Josefina finds herself unexpectedly drawn to the intellectual nuns who study and write poetry at the risk of persecution by the Spanish Inquisition that is overtaking Mexico. One nun in particular, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, teaches Josefina about poetry, writing, critical thinking, the nature and consequences of love, and the threats of the Holy Office. She is Josefina’s mentor and lynchpin for her tumultuous passage from grounded wife and mother to woman of this treacherous, confusing, and ultimately physically and intellectually fulfilling world.
Review(s):
“An exotic, steamy world is brought vividly to life in Josefina's Sin. Josefina's journey from innocence to understanding of the complexities of court politics and her own heart is emotional and engaging. In life, nothing is simple and the contrary pulls of duty, love, lust, ambition and motherhood are set down boldly on the pages of this novel. Most of all, the story takes us along the path we must all tread. The getting of wisdom.” –Posie Graeme-Evans, international bestselling author of The Dressmaker
"Compelled by the life and writings of a renowned poetess doomed by the Inquisition, Josefina, a young, beautiful landowner's wife in 17th century Mexico attends the vice-royal court where she is caught up in a web of love, religion and torture. A powerful, cautionary tale told with beauty and precision, Josefina's Sin is a dazzling read." --Thomas Trebitsch Parker, O. Henry Prize winner and author of Anna Ann Annie
"Sensuous, sensual, and sensitive, Josefina's Sin speaks to the dreams, the guile & cruelty in us all. Part Molière, part Grand Guignol, inside an intricate, villainous plot--but so much more, for Claudia has grounded this tale in the real world and it speaks movingly of the passions, the treachery and anguish in the human equation." --Crosby Lewy, author of Amusings From a Life
"Josefina’s Sin is a beautifully written debut novel based on history. Set in the interesting milieu of the seventeenth century Mexican court, it follows the life of the gifted literary heroine and champion of women’s rights known to Mexico as “the Tenth Muse.” Josephina’s love affair as portrayed in the story made me think of The Thorn Birds. I found Josefina’s Sin an enlightening and wonderful read." ~ Sandra Worth, award-winning author of Pale Rose of England
"A sheltered young mother finds enlightenment and abuse at a decadent court in this superb debut set in colonial Mexico. A moving tale of women seeking to balance competing passions of the heart, body, and mind in the lavish setting of a 17th-century Mexican court." --Publishers Weekly
"Sensually spicy Josefina's Sin is a woman’s journey of personal discovery and pain that will beguile you with temptation and curiosity-truly unforgettable."--Historical Novels Review
ISBN: 9781451610673