I had thought I was ready for the life of an anchoress. I had wanted to prolong each moment of my life, to get closer to experiencing time as God experiences it: not the instantly dissolving moment, but something larger and more encompassing. A stillness that doesn’t pass as soon as you think yourself into it.
Victoria MacKenzie’s new novella, For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain, is set in Norfolk in 1413 and imagines a meeting between two real-life women: Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe. If these names are familiar to you, you’ll know that they were both English mystics of the medieval period and were also both authors. Julian’s Revelations of Divine Love is thought to be the first English work we can be sure was written by a woman, while Margery’s The Book of Margery Kempe is considered to be the first autobiography in the English language.
The stories of the two women only converge towards the end of the book in a meeting which did take place according to Margery herself in The Book of Margery Kempe, but maybe not exactly as it is described here. Victoria MacKenzie recreates the events leading up to their encounter and the sort of conversation they may have had, but before reaching that point she explores the backgrounds of both women, with the perspective alternating between Margery and Julian as they follow very different paths through life.
Little is known of the real Julian’s early life, but MacKenzie suggests here that she may have lost her family to an outbreak of plague and that this, along with an illness during which she experienced visions or ‘shewings’ of Christ, influenced her decision to become an anchoress, secluded in a cell for twenty-three years. Margery, in contrast, doesn’t lock herself away, but remains in the secular world, a wife and mother of fourteen. Like Julian, she begins to have religious visions, but while Julian’s faith is personal and private, Margery prays, weeps and preaches in public, drawing attention to herself and leading to accusations of heresy.
This is Victoria MacKenzie’s debut novel and I admire her for writing something so unusual and original, but although I did like it, I couldn’t quite manage to love it. I found the structure and pacing very unbalanced, with the first section, telling the two separate tales in parallel, being by far the longest and the actual meeting at Julian’s cell being dealt with in just a few pages near the end. Maybe if I was a more religious person myself I would have appreciated this book more, but I could still find a lot to interest me in this story of two medieval women whose different personalities and different journeys through life shape the nature of their relationships with God and each other.
Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
This is book 4/50 read for the 2023 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.
She Reads Novels 
It’s probably the rather unusual subject matter that has made this book cause something of a stir. Like you, I’m not religious, but I am intrigued by these two figures, and the life-choices they make which, though unusual, were perfectly acceptable at the time. It’s definitely on the list of books I want to tackle in 2023.
This book does seem to be attracting a lot of attention and as you say, it’s an unusual choice of subject. I found it interesting to read about these two women from the perspective of their historical and literary importance, even though I don’t share their religious views.
Trying to work out which would be worse – 23 years in a cell, or fourteen children… 😱
A difficult choice, but I think the 23 years in a cell would be less stressful!
I’ve been very intrigued by the sound of this book, but am seeing quite a few mixed reviews of it and appreciate your balanced take on what worked for you and what didn’t.
Although I had one or two problems with it, I enjoyed it overall – and at under 200 pages, it’s not too much of a commitment.
I really ought to read these two writers in some form or another – they form a real gap in my reading of medieval texts, many of which I gave some attention to a few decades ago.
I’ve never read the work of Margery Kempe or Julian of Norwich either, but I feel more like tackling them now that I’ve read this book and learned a little bit about the women themselves.
I like the concept and appreciate your take. This is a tough topic even for people like me who are relatively religious.
I’m sure I would have got more out of this book if I’d had more interest in the religious aspect, but I still enjoyed it overall anyway.
The world’s longest title…I saw your link @ intrepid reader. I’ve just finished Katherine by Anya Seton and Julian of Norwich was depicted there.
I first came across Julian of Norwich in Katherine too. It was interesting to learn more about her in this book.
I keep seeing reviews of this and I’m annoyed I missed it on NG, although historical fiction and fiction about real people are two things I generally don’t go for. But I am drawn to this, and it’s good to know they did actually meet in person (also amazing that both their narratives survived until now and they were linked in that way).
I think you would find it interesting, despite it not being your usual sort of read. They were both women who led fascinating lives – and yes, it’s amazing that their writing has survived for more than six centuries!
These two people sound like they would be very interesting people to read about.
It is a very wordy title!
Thanks for sharing your review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge!
Yes, they both had such fascinating lives!