Maresi

It is argued (somewhere) that all fantasy and mythology is based on reality and the truth. Maresi is the female narrator of this book and recounts her story as a novice in the Red Abbey, a retreat set on an idyllic, isolated island, populated only by women who worship the deity of the Triple Goddess. Created by 8 female sisters in order to escape persecution and a world where freedom of thought and expression and the right of education are permitted only to men, this pre-Raphaelite, sexually equal, almost divine existence is soon threatened by the arrival of men who bring violence with them. Who doesn't recognise somewhere in that premise the battles being fought by women today in parts of the world, battles for freedoms and rights which the majority of us take for granted? The author has drawn on her interest in the male-only, Greek religious communes of Mount Athos (where, of course, she is not permitted entry) and a wildly diverse range of books appear to influence her Red Abbey scenes - there are more than whiffs of Umberto Eco's The Name of The Rose and Hermann Hesse's Glass Bead Game; even Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale. Turtschaninoff describes in particular detail the Abbey's daily round, the novices within it and the mythology and folklore of the Abbey. The beauty and tranquillity, freedom and peace of the women's lives will inevitably soon be shattered and the arrival on the island of Jai, a girl fleeing the brutal hand of her oppressive father, precipitates this change. Jai, who burns for revenge on her father, is welcomed to the island and the Abbey as a novitiate and the father, in hot pursuit of his daughter, soon arrives at the island with a boatload of mercenaries intent on pillaging and destroying the Abbey and its way of life - as well as the lives of all who live within it. Much of the interest in the book lies in the way the author sets the scene, the way in which Maresi guides us through the life of the Red Abbey. It is an Eden, created by Maresi's words in minute, fascinating detail; idyllic, gentle, acknowledging and obeying the rules of its sacred magic, its mythologies and folklores. It's a society of course in which we couldn't function today as we are for the most part far too removed from the ascetic existence. There is always a power (in this case, the 'male') ready to upset the balance. While this is a very 'female' book with a very female outlook, it is by no means isolating for a male reader. The narrative is strong, the writing taut and precise and if fantasy and mythology is your interest (there is always something spiritual about fantasy and mythology) then this book will persuade you to a gentler path. In a riotous and unpredictable world this can only be a good thing - and this book is another. Highly recommended. 256 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Mark White, librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 11+

I love the look of the book, I love the feel of the book. It just feels right; the right cover, the right type. It's published by Pushkin Press, now if you don't know Pushkin Press their books reflect the cream of stories from around the world translated into english from their native languages. Maresi is their latest and it reads like a traditional story, it reads like a historical fiction, it reads like fantasy, like...like a tale of women's strength against adversity, of friendship, loyalty and belief against physical strength and violence. It is written in a beautiful style that put me in mind of fairytales and folklore! I could picture the Red Abbey from the descriptions and by referring to the map could imagine the small journeys taken and the daily routines of the Abbey. Each novice has endured their own hardship and has their own personal reasons for journeying to the sanctuary of the Red Abbey. The reasons that bring Jai to the island are particularly brutal and the story, narrated by Maresi, of the consequences of Jai's arrival make the backbone of the tale. Set on an island populated solely by females there are naturally strong female leads, not least of all Maresi herself, celebrating the beauty and resilience of the gender. The characters, from the youngest novices to the oldest sisters, were well portrayed as was the strength of sisterhood and friendship. There is a charm to it as the mysteries of the Red Abbey are revealed and as Jai's story unfolds. 256 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviwed by Catherine Purcell, librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 11+