AUDIO

Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen

by Mary Sharratt
8 CDs. library ed. unabridged. 10 hrs. Tantor Audio. 2012. ISBN 9781452640778. $71.99; 1 MP3-CD. library/retail eds.; digital download. F
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The extraordinary 12th-century nun's sketchy biography forms the basis of this feminist tale, featuring a strong, independent woman whose parents sent her away at age eight to be the companion to a 16-year-old religious fanatic, Jutta Von Spondheim. For 30 years, Hildegard lived in a walled-up area of the Disibodenberg monastery, only to emerge when Jutta died. Once free, Hildegard, having experienced religious visions since childhood, established and led her own convent, composing music and writing theological texts. Sharrott (Daughters of the Witching Hill; The Real Minerva) successfully articulates her subject's religious nature while stressing her human qualities. Tavia Gilbert's thoughtful reading captures Hildegard's voice as she ages from eight to over 80.
VERDICT This highly religious audiobook will appeal largely to listeners who wish to learn more about this newly canonized saint as well as those interested in the medieval church. ["Interest in Hildegard will likely increase this year following her long-overdue canonization and receipt of the title "Doctor of the Church…." Sharratt's well-timed and well-written portrait, both admiring and humanizing, should please readers looking for an accessible way to learn more about the life of this fascinating medieval woman," read the review of the Houghton Harcourt hc, LJ 8/12.—Ed.] [See also the review of the DVD Hildegard of Bingen and the Living Light, p. 54.]
Reviewed by Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo , May 01, 2013
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