Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen by Mary Sharratt

Mar 24, 2013 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before reading this book, I would not have expected to enjoy a book about a cloistered nun in the Middle Ages. I had never heard of Hildegard von Bingen. I read this book because it was recommended to me by Goodreads based on my reviews of other books.

Based on a true story, this book provided a fascinating portrayal of a young girl sent away by her Mom to live in a monastery as a nun/servant. An older noble teen was electing to enter the monastery willingly and become a nun. Hildegard was offer...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Christy Robinson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, medieval-history

I'd had this book on a wishlist since the author announced its publication date months ago, and it was released a few days before my birthday. A friend purchased it for me as a gift, and by my birthday, I had read only a quarter of the book. Was it because I'm a slow reader that I didn't devour the text over a weekend? No.

Illuminations is a book to savor, like exquisite musical movements, for its descriptions of physical scenes and emotional climates, the development of characters in extreme ci...more I'd had this book on a wishlist since the author announced its publication date months ago, and it was released a few days before my birthday. A friend purchased it for me as a gift, and by my birthday, I had read only a quarter of the book. Was it because I'm a slow reader that I didn't devour the text over a weekend? No.

Illuminations is a book to savor, like exquisite musical movements, for its descriptions of physical scenes and emotional climates, the development of characters in extreme circumstances, the wrenching emotions and unmet expectations of familial and collegial relationships, and the pure joy of the soul. The cast of characters did not lead neat, clean, perfect, saintly lives, but the author gave enough glimpses of back-story for the reader to fill in the gaps.

Hildegard's visions in context helped explain the motivation to her actions that would otherwise seem alien to us, 850 years later.

I was so pleased that author Mary Sharratt didn't portray Hildegard's spirituality as occultic, metaphysical, psychotic, or migraine hallucinations; neither was Hildegard preachy and pedantic. Rather, Hildegard came across as a woman who had an intimate relationship with God, a God who creatively revealed herself/himself (a spirit according to the Bible, who reveals itself with both male and female traits) in a way that Hildegard could understand and embrace--and worship devoutly despite the horribly negative examples and teachings she received as a child. Instead of being deformed and driven insane by her abuse, she was able to build a remarkable life on the rubble and ashes of that childhood death sentence.

Hildegard used her spiritual and intellectual gifts to build up her community, stone upon stone as a free-standing monument, in stark contrast to having been bricked into an anchorite grave.

When I finished the book, I felt both satisfied that I'd learned much about St. Hildegard of Bingen, and that woo-hoo, let's find out even more by listening to recordings of Hildegard's music, and reading a "straight" history (because Illuminations is historical fiction) about this amazing woman.

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Apr 11, 2013 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm listening to this (audio form). Can I say: OMG! The story is completely fascinating, made even more so by the reader, Tavia Gilbert. I am only on the second cd and listening to the story and how it was told, made me cry! I need to just drive and drive, I guess, so I can listen to this book.
It's been a week and can I say: I don't spend enough time in the car... I am still thoroughly enjoying the book.

I really liked this book ... a lot! I am definitely going to have to do some more research on...more

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May 03, 2013 Dnicebear rated it 5 of 5 stars

Before sitting to write a review I walk for an hour below dancing green leaves and among the passing shadows on this calm May day.

There is stillnes and there is incredible movement. Both of these honor the legacy of Dr. Hidegard, a fiery woman who lived a little less than a thousand years ago. Ms Sharratt, undaunted by the span of years between now and then, skillfully weaves what is preserved of Hildegard's life with the Rhineland places and with thoughts and feelings that Hildegard would have...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, womensliterature, nonfiction, historicalfiction

Beautifully written account based on Hildegarde Von Bingen's own writings as well as other scholarly works written about her.

Sharatt instills a perfect blend of purity and fury, traditional religiosity and radical feminism into her account of the life of one of herstory's most important figures. One of the first known polymaths who lived during the Middle Ages, Hildegarde was a musician, writer, composer, herbalist, healer, abbess and outspoken leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Her earlier lif...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Warren-Newport Public Library rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, history, literary-fiction

Fact based historical fiction has been more prevalent in the past few years. Most of us have read or heard about Philippa Gregory’s Henry VIII wives series. This new novel was recommended to me by my mother-in-law.

Skillfully interweaving historical fact with psychological insight and vivid imagination, Sharratt’s redemptive novel, Illuminations, brings to life one of the most extraordinary women of the Middle Ages: Hildegard von Bingen, Benedictine abbess, and visionary.

Offered to the Church at...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Madeleine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, religion

This book was about Hildegard von Bingen, an 11th-century German abbess who wrote books and music inspired by visions sent to her by God. This was an incredibly interesting read and I admire Sharratt immensely for attempting to dissect the life of a saint from a saint's point of view. I felt that the book really hit it's stride after she becomes an anchorage with Sister Jutta, the self-destructive and mad nun whose piety and insanity are incredibly vivid and wonderfully realistic.
My one compla...more

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Nov 27, 2012 The Book Maven rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys historical fiction or uppity women breaking the mold

Shelves: medieval_fiction

When I was fifteen, I discovered the beautiful music of Hildegard von Bingen. (Incidentally, the CD of her music that I discovered was a techno-trance interpretation created by Richard Souther. While I continue to love this work, it's much maligned by people with better taste than myself.) This was one of my first exposures to New-Agey, ambient type music, and also one of my first exposures to Hildegard, the Ultimate Uppity Woman.

It's just as well that von Bingen has an uppity personality; she n...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Viviane Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is as disturbing a story as it is inspiring! At the age of 8 years old, in order to win dowries for Hildegard's sisters, her mother "tithes" her to a monk's monastery to become an anchorite. That means that she and another young girl will be placed in two rooms that are completely walled in except for a small grille through which their spiritual advisor can speak to them and through which food and drink of the coarsest nature will be passed at mealtimes. Jutta with whom Hildegard is impriso...more This is as disturbing a story as it is inspiring! At the age of 8 years old, in order to win dowries for Hildegard's sisters, her mother "tithes" her to a monk's monastery to become an anchorite. That means that she and another young girl will be placed in two rooms that are completely walled in except for a small grille through which their spiritual advisor can speak to them and through which food and drink of the coarsest nature will be passed at mealtimes. Jutta with whom Hildegard is imprisoned is pious beyond what one would ever expect in such a young girl, wearing a hair shirt one-piece garment and ultimately a metal belt with thorn-like prongs that she wears around her waist under her gown that already makes her bleed.

A young monk, Volmar, befriends Hildegard, supplying her with books on medicinal herbs and providing her with paper and books from which she learns to read and write. She is comforted by the mystical visions she has of The Blessed Virgin Mary, who appears in different forms but always with holy messages. The visions, however, are always accompanied by a form of illness, be it dizziness or headaches. Jutta eventually dies and now the real life of Hildegard begins. She has a definite gift of hearing beautiful music and divine verses that will eventually make her famous throughout the world. Life is so so painful with constant conflict from the Abbot and other monks.

Eventually she will win the support of other clergy. Other women will join her and soon she will found her own convent and move through relationships that show her clearly how worldly and sinfully proud she really is! But then her saintly behavior and words of healing wisdom begin to attract pilgrims. After her first very tough lessons, Hildegard must grow up and realize that "balance" is mandatory; favoritism and uniqueness is heresy, a sign of a traitor, even a sign perhaps of the devil working in her life!

Mary Sharratt paints a portrait of a woman whose emotions and thoughts are the epitome of saintly behavior and attitude and at the same time frail with undeveloped pride and selfishness. What else could a woman do who was shut away from the world for thirty years - an inconceivable tortured time, at least to this reviewer. Every step forward to greater holiness is fraught with temptation and even abuse. It's not pretty at all and yet Hildegard learns that service to others is more important than her own temporal desires. Mary Sharratt has fashioned a novel that is riddled with problems that make the reader ask innumerable questions and offers few responses except for those trustworthy souls sharing her journey. What a remarkable novel. Hildegard is a historical work of fiction that may leave you with more questions than answers. The line between insanity and saintly behavior, thought, and feeling is thin indeed! Stunning fiction!(less)

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Oct 15, 2012 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars

When Hildegard was eight, her mother gave her to a church to be bricked into a chamber in a monastery wall as involuntary handmaiden and student to an ascetic teenaged girl of noble birth, Jutta von Sponheim. Hildegard had visions, and was thus unmarriageable. Giving her daughter over to this purpose not only disposed of her honorably, but bought the favor of Jutta’s rich mother, enabling Hildegard’s sisters to meet wealthy mates. As Jutta slowly killed herself with anorexia and self punishment,...more When Hildegard was eight, her mother gave her to a church to be bricked into a chamber in a monastery wall as involuntary handmaiden and student to an ascetic teenaged girl of noble birth, Jutta von Sponheim. Hildegard had visions, and was thus unmarriageable. Giving her daughter over to this purpose not only disposed of her honorably, but bought the favor of Jutta’s rich mother, enabling Hildegard’s sisters to meet wealthy mates. As Jutta slowly killed herself with anorexia and self punishment, Hildegard and the two other girls that joined them in their dark hell longed for sunlight and freedom for over thirty years before Jutta finally died and Hildegard demanded their freedom. Her time in that dark prison wasn’t wasted, though; a kindly monk brought her books from the monastery library and plants for her to grow in the tiny courtyard. By the time Jutta died, Hildegard was very educated, an able healer and a brilliant composer. She went on to found her own abbey and criticize the corruption of the church. She was an incredibly accomplished woman in a time when women were thought of as little more than breeding machines or servants.

‘Illuminations’ is the prefect title for this novel; illumination fills the story. The great illuminated texts that Hildegard learns from, the great visions of light that fill her, her illumination of the corruption in the church; light fills Hildegard’s life even at its darkest points. This is a triumphant story told in lyrical prose that brings the era and monastery life into brilliant, colorful focus. But it’s not a one sided glorification of Hildegard; she’s a living, breathing woman with the faults all humans share. It’s not a religious book at all; it’s a story of people and spirit. Whether you’re Catholic or not, or even Christian or not, Hildegard von Bingen was a fascinating woman. Sharratt’s writing held me suspended in Hildegard’s life throughout the novel, and it left me wishing the book was twice as long.
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Oct 08, 2012 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars

"And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them...And he said to me: Write, for these words are most faithful and true." ~Apocalypse 21: 2-3, 5

"I behold you, noble, glorious and whole woman, the pupil of purity. You are the sacred matrix in which God takes great pleasure. The essences of Heaven...more "And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them...And he said to me: Write, for these words are most faithful and true." ~Apocalypse 21: 2-3, 5

"I behold you, noble, glorious and whole woman, the pupil of purity. You are the sacred matrix in which God takes great pleasure. The essences of Heaven flooded into you, and the Great Word of God dressed itself in flesh. You appeared as a shining white lily, as God looked upon you before all of Creation....Now let all Ecclesia shine in joy and sound in symphony praising the most tender woman, Mary, the bequeather of God. Amen." ~ from Ave Generosa by St. Hildegard von Bingen

"In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love." ~ from The Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux

As a child growing up in the 1960's and 70's, my Catholic education was a bit sketchy in some areas, a fact which I spent years remedying. The CCD books at the time had lots of pictures of wheat fields, dancing crowds and sunsets, but very little doctrine. We all knew we were supposed to love God, be nice, and protect the environment, but that's about all we learned at CCD, with a few rare exceptions. If my parents had not insisted on family Bible studies and if my mother had not given me a copy of The Imitation of Christ, I would have been a perfect heathen (like everyone else my age.) It was not until I was in my twenties that I learned that the Sacrament of Holy Orders is for priests alone, not for nuns. Nuns make solemn vows, they are not ordained; only priests are ordained. I once asked a cloistered nun the reason for this and she explained that a sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. When a man is ordained he becomes an alter Christus, another Christ. When a nun makes vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, she becomes the Bride of Christ, a microcosm of the Church, which is also the Bride of Christ. Being a nun does not need to be a sacrament pointing to a hidden reality, because being the Bride of Christ is in itself a powerful, cosmic reality.

The same nun gave me a book called Christ in His Consecrated Virgins by Ludwig Münster, which cleared up matters for me. The following passage moved me so deeply that I jotted it down in notebook:

"When the Church speaks of a virgin, she means a human being who becomes powerful and strong, austere and noble, from the altar. The sacred power of the altar enters into the virgin....The sacramental re-enactment of Christ's death, which takes place on the altar and moves the whole cosmos towards God, seizes the virgin and consecrates her to the very center of her personality....The virgin's strength, drawn from Christ's death summons God's kingdom into the world dark with sin. There is in Christian virginity a victory over the powers of darkness, a victory which comes from the desire to be drawn into the Sacrifice of Christ."(Ludwig Münster, Christ in His Consecrated Virgins, pp13-14)

This is a mystical reality which St. Hildegard von Bingen, now a Doctor of the Church, explored in all its heighth and depth. One of the most extraordinary figures of the Middle Ages, St. Hildegard was not only a mystic but an author, a musician, a foundress and a director of souls, learned in the natural sciences as well as in theology and philosophy. She wrote some of the first mystery plays, laying the groundwork for modern drama. The mystery of the Church as the Bride of Christ is present in Sacred Scripture and the writings of many saints, even into modern times. St. Hildegard was able to see the full transcendent beauty of her vocation as a microcosm of the Church, the Bride, and like St. Thérèse of Lisieux many centuries later, she strove to be Love in the heart of her Mother the Church. Hildegard's idea of Love was nuptial love, with all the glory and joy which accompanies it. The pain and suffering, of which there was plenty in her long life, were part of the tokens of genuine love for Christ her Bridegroom.

Mary Sharratt's radiant new novel Illuminations captures both the joy and pain of Hildegard's life which she lived out in her vocation as a twelfth century Benedictine nun in what is now Germany. The story opens with the eight year old Hildegard being given as a tithe by her family, not to a monastery of nuns as was customary, but to a teenage anchorite named Jutta, who lives in a small cramped hermitage adjoining a monastery of monks. The girls are literally walled in without so much as a door; they can not leave of their own volition and only have a small courtyard in which to walk and plant a garden. Jutta does not live according to the Benedictine rule but according to her own inspirations, which means constant fasting and harsh penances. Cut off from her family, Hildegard struggles for emotional survival in the austere environment, totally unfit for a child. It explains why later in the novel she must overcome with intense infatuations and inordinate attachments, which naturally occur in people who are denied all normal familial affection. Hildegard's existence is soothed by her visions, which are one of the reasons why her mother wanted her locked away from the world. Also a young monk named Volmar, who becomes a lifelong friend and later her confessor, brings her books to read.

As time goes by, Jutta dies, and Hildegard is joined by other girls whose families are donating them to the monastery. With masterful practicality and ingenuity, Hildegard builds a vibrant community of sisters, in spite of the constant interference from the Abbot, who is always searching for a hint of heresy in Hildegard. The nuns soon need a larger place to live and Hildegard must overturn Heaven and earth to obtain the land and the funds in which to build a new monastery.

Mary Sharratt, a careful researcher, whose novel The Daughters of the Witching Hill I thoroughly enjoyed, accurately conveys the vicissitudes of monastic life, the personality clashes, the efforts to obey unreasonable commands of superiors, the emotional and physical deprivations. There are temptations of the flesh as well as temptations to pride and vainglory. Hildegard exercises wisdom and compassion when counseling others but is always firm with herself. She never flinches from fighting for what is right.

I do question whether Hildegard would really have referred to God as "Mother" as the novel portrays her doing. Early on she has visions of Ecclesia, the Church, as her Mother, as well as visions of the Virgin Mary, who plays an integral part in her spirituality. The Church, as exemplified by Mary the Mother of God, was her Mother so it does not make sense to me that she would also call God the Father her "Mother." Also, one or two times the narrative refers to the nuns as being "ordained" or in "holy orders" which, as I pointed out at the beginning of this review, would not historically or metaphysically have been the case.

Written for a wide audience of believers and nonbelievers, Illuminations depicts nuns and religious life in a positive manner, with its the many spiritual and temporal benefits for society in general, in spite of the corruption in the Church at the time. The book shows the happiness of the consecrated life when it is lived as it should be lived, under a superior who brings harmony, order and cheer. Hildegard is a Bride but she is also a mother, and the growth of the mothering aspect of her vocation is a steadfast theme in the book. I applaud the author's respect for the strong supernatural element in the story of Hildegard which is not downplayed or whitewashed in any way. The sacraments of the Church are likewise mentioned reverently. Ms. Sharratt's genuine regard for Hildegard shines in every word. It is a happy coincidence that this novel's release occurs near the day of Hildegard's becoming a Doctor of the Church. May St. Hildegard guide us all!(less)

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Sep 09, 2012 Donna Swindells rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a book! If I would have read this book earlier in my life, I would have left the
Catholic faith soon. Hildegard is a very strong Woman. Early in Her life She was forced to
be a handmaid to an anchoress ( A Woman who wiling had herself walled up in a small room, attached to a church, to live a pious, poor life). What a beginning for a spirit like hers! She loved Nature. and She was gifted with visions, not of the suffering Christ, but of beautiful Women.
At first, She wasn't belived. Then, wh...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Jessamyn Ayers rated it 3 of 5 stars

I know of Hildegard von Bingen but have not read much about or by her. Illuminations, I felt, was a good introduction to her life, i.e., entertainingly written and truthful enough--an artful encouragement to learn more about her. Occasionally, the book feels contrived, most evidently in the overly ornate dialogue and exaggerated natural phenomena that surround Hildegard. Surprisingly, I thought Sharratt was at her most honest in writing about the visions that von Bingen described--go figure that...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A wonderful book which I will read again and again.I knew little about Hildegarde although I had read a few writings. How modern she was and wise and most of all resilient.

Hildegarde was just a fun loving little girl when she was given to the church, not only as an ordinary nun but as a companion to a self professed anchorite. She was bricked into a very small 2 rooms for 38 years with no options or recourse.Her strong personality kept her sane, as did her through-the-screen relationship with V...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Marti rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: zzz-books-2012, arc, bookbrowse, fiction-historical, first-reads

Illuminations by Mary Sharratt is a novel about Hildegard von Bingen. I was worried it would be stuffy and overly religious, but it wasn’t at all. It was fascinating! Hildegard von Bingen was a famous nun/abbess/writer/composer from the eleventh century. She fought against the medieval views of women. It starts when as a child of eight she given to the church and was walled into three small rooms (an anchorage) as a handmaiden to woman who was extremely pious and in our world mentally ill. For t...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hist-fic

Few of us today understand the lives of anchorites, individuals who for religious reasons chose to live in a sealed room, with only a hatch providing contact with the world at large. In Illuminations, Mary Sharratt presents a fictionalized biography of one of the most famous anchorites of all time, Hildegard von Bingen. As a child growing up in early medieval Germany, Hildegard experienced frequent visions, a dangerous trait in the eyes of church and society. As a result, her mother "tithed" her...more Few of us today understand the lives of anchorites, individuals who for religious reasons chose to live in a sealed room, with only a hatch providing contact with the world at large. In Illuminations, Mary Sharratt presents a fictionalized biography of one of the most famous anchorites of all time, Hildegard von Bingen. As a child growing up in early medieval Germany, Hildegard experienced frequent visions, a dangerous trait in the eyes of church and society. As a result, her mother "tithed" her to the church as companion to Jutta von Sponheim, a girl from a noble family who chose to become not merely a nun, but an anchorite.

Sharratt chronicles the stages of Hildegard's life, from those miserable early years of forced confinement, to her fight for the opportunity to live as a normal nun, to her founding of her own religious community. In the process, her visions continued and grew in intensity, to the point that they dictated her choices and created her reputation as a genuine and revered mystic. Sharratt's prose, at times luminous and at times decidedly down to earth. She has managed to convey a sharp sense of Hildegard's personality and spirit, relying upon primary sources, especially the brilliantly illuminated manuscript in which she recorded her visions. Her Hildegard is humble, yet not afraid to employ flamboyance to achieve her goals. She did not hestitate to criticize hypocrisy and abuses of the church to which her life was bound, which caused her enormous difficulty. But she remained unbowed, and in her more peaceful, contemplative periods, she composed exquisite music to accompany the divine office.

Today, Hildegard is often regarded as a proto-feminist, but as portrayed in this book, she is more a proponent of self-actualization and justice. She is also called St. Hildegard, but her canonization has not yet taken place; that will occur October 7, 2012. I'm not certain exactly what she did to earn that title (it has been speculated that her visions were manifestations of migraine aura), but her life was extraordinary and her story deserves to be told as eloquently as Sharratt has done. (less)

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May 01, 2013 Jaci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hildegard von Bingen was a twelfth-century nun in Germany, who experienced ecstatic visions. She is famous for her writings and liturgical music, some of which I've heard through Anonymous 4.
This fictionalized account of her life, perfectly read by Tavia Gilbert, brings Hildegard to life much more so than many hagiographies. It describes the few options for women in the 1100s, and more specifically the religious life that better protected women from rape, death in childbirth and ruined health fr...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, book-club, historical-fiction, medievalism

I LOVED this book. I was always fascinated by Hildegard when I studied her in college. I loved the illuminations done of her visions, I liked her theology and thought it was nice that she pictured god as a woman. At the time, I was Wiccan so that appealed to me a great deal. I have an abiding interest in herbology so her book on natural cures was always a highlight for me as well. I just enjoyed learning about her in general.

So imagine my delight (mixed with a healthy dose of skepticism) when I...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-and-early-reviews

ILLUMINATIONS by Mary Sharratt tells the story of Hildegard von Bingen, recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches and as a prophet by the Lutheran Church.

Hildegard's divine visions were likely the reason her mother gave her to a Catholic monastery when she was a child, where she was forced into a tomb-like existence for 30 years. Her visions continued her entire life. When she was sure they came from God, she saw the importance of writing a book about them. Further synop...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Shana rated it 4 of 5 stars

I greatly enjoyed this book, I've been interested by Hildegard of Bingen ever since I started listening to Gregorian/Plain Chants a few years ago. Reading her lyrics and listening to her beautiful compositions peaked my interest and I started do some research into her life. She was one of the first Abbesses' to have a "Vita" or Life story written, or at least one of the first that have survived.

While the story is based on historical facts, it is of course fiction, but a very compelling fiction...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Illuminations, by Mary Sharratt
A book review
December 3, 2012

Illuminations tells the story of Hildegard von Bingen – the 12th century writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, Benedictine abbess, and visionary. Considering her many gifts and talents, I think she could be considered an early version of what would later be called a “Renaissance Man” (or woman), a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subjects.

One of the things that struck me when reading this book is the idea...more Illuminations, by Mary Sharratt
A book review
December 3, 2012

Illuminations tells the story of Hildegard von Bingen – the 12th century writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, Benedictine abbess, and visionary. Considering her many gifts and talents, I think she could be considered an early version of what would later be called a “Renaissance Man” (or woman), a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subjects.

One of the things that struck me when reading this book is the idea that what were once considered saintly attributes – such things as excessive fasting, and inflicting injuries upon one's self as a means of penance, etc. – would probably today be seen as signs of mental illness, or symptoms of repressed trauma.

Certain church practices that were considered holy would, again today, be looked upon not only as harmful, but unnecessarily brutal and cruel. One of those practices was that of anchorites. An anchorite was someone who for religious reasons withdrew from society to live a hermit-like existence, often “anchored” or restricted to a cell, or one or two rooms, in a religious house. While such a life might be all right for an adult who is old enough to choose to do this, in the 12th century, it was not uncommon for families to “give” a young child to the church, essentially condemning that child to live a life of near solitary confinement.

That is what happened to Hildegard, who at about of eight was give to the church to be the handmaiden of Jutta von Sponheim, a young woman who dedicated her life to the church as an anchorite. As Jutta’s handmaiden, Hildegard endured this stifling, stultifying existence for almost 20 years. Jutta was at heart a kind, well-meaning young woman who taught young Hildegard to read and write, to play music, and whose aestheticism was considered saint-like, but she battled her own inner demons, which manifested itself in extreme fasting (she was probably anorexic) and self mortification and that led to her death.

Hildegard’s story is uplifting, as she finds the strength to overcome these obstacles, and find the beauty in life and her love of God and her Church. One of the things I found fascinating was that in Hildegard’s visions, she saw God as a Female. Not something often encountered, even among early Christian mystics and visionaries!
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Sep 08, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I chose this historical novel from the Vine program because I had heard of Hildegard von Bingen but knew very little of her life. I knew she was a nun, a mystic, a writer of holy music, but I had no idea she had been consecrated to the holy life so early (at the age of eight), and in such a dismal and terrifying fashion (to this claustrophobe!), literally entombed in a small two-room enclosure attached to a monastery church. That was supposed to be the end of the story; Hildegard entered Disibod...more I chose this historical novel from the Vine program because I had heard of Hildegard von Bingen but knew very little of her life. I knew she was a nun, a mystic, a writer of holy music, but I had no idea she had been consecrated to the holy life so early (at the age of eight), and in such a dismal and terrifying fashion (to this claustrophobe!), literally entombed in a small two-room enclosure attached to a monastery church. That was supposed to be the end of the story; Hildegard entered Disibodenberg Abbey as the handmaiden of a nobly born, devout but mentally disturbed young nun, Jutta von Sponheim. She was to live in her shadow, companion and devoted servant to Jutta in her spiritual journey of masochistic piety far exceeding the moderation dictated by the Benedictine Rule.

Hildegard lived as an anchorite for 30 years with Jutta, her only comfort provided by a young monk, Vollmar, who took pity on the child novice and provided books from the Abbey scriptorium so she could study healing and herbs and the natural world that fascinated her. HIldegard also found comfort in her secret visions of Caritas, divine love, and Ecclesia, the true mother church; she was sure her visions were the reason her mother offered her to the Church and was afraid if Jutta and the monks found out about them she'd be denounced as a heretic and cast out.

In a particularly gripping passage Jutta learns of Hildegard's visions and suspects she is trying to overshadow and escape from her self-abnegating piety and the soul-destroying life of the anchorage. Hildegard hopes she will be released but instead learns her disturbed magistra claims God has shown her a vision requiring two new, younger girls be committed to this living death along with the two nuns. Hildegard is devastated; here and throughout this well-researched novel, Sharratt does a wonderful job bringing this remarkable woman to wonderful, messy, passionate human life; we feel Hildegard's dread at two more young lives being effectively snuffed out in such a cruel way. She is comforted yet tormented by her visions which show her what true divine love is and what the true mother church wants for her daughters: not girls and women ground under the heel of uncaring priests and archbishops supposedly to atone for Eve's sins, but raising their voices in joyous song, beautifully garbed and crowned. Hildegard sees Divine Love and God and the True Church as women in her visions, and nothing could be more controversial and downright heretical in the medieval Church! With Jutta's death Hildegard gains the strength to break free of the imprisonment of the anchorite's cell and continue her studies of music, herbs and healing, and finally to write of her visions.

This was a remarkable story of an incredibly strong and holy yet very human woman chafing against the suffocating restraints of her time; she eventually gained power as an abbess and her pride and ambition, for a time, become ascendant and caused her terrible pain and loss. Hildegard learns from her sins and lives to preach against the corruptions and sinful failings of priests and prelates on the steps of the Cathedral at Cologne. Sharratt notes in her Afterword that Hildegard's progressive ideas on reform are the reason she is hailed as a prophet of the Reformation by the Lutheran Church in Germany.

As I read of the seemingly insurmountable odds Hildegard had to overcome to live as her faith and visions commanded her I couldn't help wishing she could be here today to see how far her daughters in the Church have come - would she join the Nuns on the Bus? I think she'd be driving it! - yet how far they still have to go standing up for her vision of Ecclesia and Caritas in the face of official Church corruption seeking to silence the good sisters. I would recommend this novel to historical fiction fans who enjoy reading about strong women who face incredible odds, and those interested in the medieval church.
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Mar 24, 2013 Stefanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

The author is starting with a really fascinating story, and I admit I'm a sucker for historical fiction (especially with a feminist bent). And for most of this book I was happily along for the ride, learning about Hildegaard's journey from child anchorite to leader of an independent abbey. It's told from a perspective not that far removed from reportage or journals - we don't get too into deep emotional motivation. (Some spoilers are coming...)

UNTIL almost completely at the end, when Hildegaard...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

Enough is known about the amazing 12th century nun, Hildegard von Bingen to provide the basis for a fascinating novel about her life and the condition of females who chose or were forced to devote their lives to the church in this era. She emerges from this novel a resourceful, creative individual who wrote music that is still performed today. She also wrote several books telling of her visions as well as studies of herbal lore and medicine. The novel gives her a vulnerability to emotional attac...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Fraser Coltman rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting story of a woman who endured abuse in the name of religion. As a child, Hildegard was consecrated by her mother to the church to serve as an anchorite nun ( a life enclosed within a wall of a monastery!) along with a teenaged girl who threw herself into the rigors of ascetic religion to purge herself from the shame of being sexually abused by her brother. Hildegard hated her calling, but in time it was one in which she discovered God's presence through religious vision...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Shomeret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, my-reviews

This novel about Hildegard of Bingen steers between two extreme views of this important medieval figure that I have seen in biographies. Mary Sharratt doesn't take the psycho-medical view that because Hildegard had migraines, she never had any true visions. She also doesn't deny that Hildegard had migraines in an effort to portray her as the perfect New Age saint. Instead she takes the approach that it's possible to be a great visionary while still having migraines at times. It seemed to me that...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Christy B (Readin' and Dreamin') rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, fiction, germany, historical-fiction

An absolutely fantastic book about the inspirational Hildegard of Bingen. Although a fiction book, Illuminations is steeped in truth about the real life of Hildegard.

Illuminations imagines how Hildegard's life really was, starting at the age of eight, when she was given to the church as a handmaiden for a young nun named Jutta. For the next thirty years, Hildegard was enclosed with Jutta in two rooms, bricked in, with the only way of communicating with the outside world being through a screen.

Ex...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Miz Lizzie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction, germany, healing, herbs, musicians, realistic-fiction, religion

I first learned about Hildegard von Bingen in my twenties when I read a book (probably Matthew Fox's) that included some of her writings about her visions of the feminine aspect of god and the illuminations that went with them. Later, Carol Flinders' Enduring Grace: Living Portraits of Seven Women Mystics succeeded in firmly cementing Hildegard as a personal heroine of mine. Her feminine vision of the divine, her writings on both medical and spiritual matters, her musical compositions, her corre...more I first learned about Hildegard von Bingen in my twenties when I read a book (probably Matthew Fox's) that included some of her writings about her visions of the feminine aspect of god and the illuminations that went with them. Later, Carol Flinders' Enduring Grace: Living Portraits of Seven Women Mystics succeeded in firmly cementing Hildegard as a personal heroine of mine. Her feminine vision of the divine, her writings on both medical and spiritual matters, her musical compositions, her correspondence with many men in power, all set her apart as an extraordinary woman in any time but especially the 1100's. Illuminations is a novel of Hildegard's life. There are conflicting historical records about her early life but Sharratt imagines a convincing story of seven-year-old Hildegard bricked into an anchorage as the attendant of the holy woman Jutta and slowly finding her faith and joy in plants, music, and her own visions. This is one of those books that fell into my hand by happy happenstance by virtue of working in a library. I came across it when it was returned. I would never have found it on the shelf as it is cataloged for Christian Fiction in our library, a section I am not in the habit of browsing for my personal reading material. While there is certainly no denying that St. Hildegard is Christian, I myself would describe the book as historical fiction rather than Christian fiction.

Book Pairings: Mary Sharratt includes some very excellent notes on her research and resources, which provide some good suggestions, especially for Sister of Wisdom: St. Hildegard's Theology of the Feminine by Barbara Newman.

An especially wonderful pairing is listening to some of Hildegard's music while reading the novel. I have been enjoying 11,000 Virgins: Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula and The Origin of Fire, both performed by Anonymous 4.

Another lovely pairing is the picture book The Secret World of Hildegard by Jonah Winter. Though it naturally glosses over some of the more difficult times of Hildegard's life, it does a rather good job giving an overview of an inspiring life with the message of staying true to one's visions. The illustrations are particularly noteworthy as they give a feel for the illuminations in Hildegard's manuscript.(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Riveting account of an amazing woman, 12th century nun and abbess Hildegard von Bingen. I didn't know anything about her when I started this book, and I could not put it down.
Sharratt does a masterful job of bringing history to the fore, with all kinds of details and enlivening her characters with thoughts and emotions that make you feel like you really know them.
I loved this, and I am very excited for the launch in St. Paul at Common Good Books on Oct 9. And I'm not just saying that because I'm...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

From the time she was a very small girl Hildegard saw visions and those visions sealed her fate when at the age of eight her mother tithed her to the church. She along with Jutta von Sponheim a very devout yet troubled young woman who wished to be an anchorite were taken to the Monastery at Disibondenberg where they were entombed in two small rooms adjacent to the Monastery. There they were to spend the rest of their lives in prayer, contemplation and worship. Hildegard never stopped having visi...more From the time she was a very small girl Hildegard saw visions and those visions sealed her fate when at the age of eight her mother tithed her to the church. She along with Jutta von Sponheim a very devout yet troubled young woman who wished to be an anchorite were taken to the Monastery at Disibondenberg where they were entombed in two small rooms adjacent to the Monastery. There they were to spend the rest of their lives in prayer, contemplation and worship. Hildegard never stopped having visions and never stopped thirsting for the knowledge that was granted to her during her years of imprisonment. Eventually she would be freed from her confinement and with the help of some influential and powerful allies, her visions and God, would go on to become a power in her own right.
If there’s one thing I can count on from Mary Sharratt it’s to give me a powerful female protagonist whether she’s fictional or factual. In this case the very factual and just canonized in May of this year, St. Hildegard of Bingen is a commanding, dominant figure in a history that tends to forget the contributions made by women. And thanks to Mary’s imaginative and authentic way of telling a story this brilliant, holy, humble and sometimes proud woman gets her life chronicled in a way that not only entertained but educated me as I soaked up the fact and the fiction in equal measure. She brought this historical figure to life for me and although she uses terms and some dialogue of the time it was never hard for me to get the jest and I loved googling the terms I didn’t know and learning even more in the bargain. It’s especially timely to have this novel out now when Hildegard just became a saint and just became an official Doctor of the Church. So come journey through time with Hildegard as she grows from terrified child, to sibyl, to Nun, to composer, to physician, to abbess, learn the hardships and the joys of her life and times, broaden your own horizons and enjoy it while you do.
Mary to you I say thank you for this wonderful adventure and I can’t wait for my next journey through your eyes, your words and your wisdom.
For a special treat click for an interview I did with Mary - http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t...(less)

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