The role of women in Medieval England has often been overlooked. There were Queen consorts much more powerful than the Kings they had married. There were also many strong women who devoted their lives to the worship of God and helping the poor.
The story of Julian of Norwich is a tale of tragedy, loss, grief, endurance, accomplishment and epiphany. I ached with emotion as I read. The rich details of Julian's fight for survival and acceptance are hypnotic and astonishing. Through her eyes I was reminded of the Black Death, Henry le Despenser and the unfortunate Wat Tyler. Moments in history lived again but it was tender moments like her adoption of Gyb the cat that spoke loudest to me and when she questioned her faith I questioned my own.
Unforgettable!

In an age where the pestilence created a dark period of dead and suffering this book gives an insight on the life and the challenges of a young lady in England. Constantly searching for her purpose and suddenly receives a number of visions of Jesus.

A well written book which gives insight in the challenges of living a life of surrender.

Thanks to NetGalley for the upfront copy.

I, Julian is a fictional autobiography of Julian of Norwich, the author of the first known work in English written by a woman, Revelations of Divine Love. Claire Gilbert's novel is beautifully written and draws the reader into Julian's life, the pain of the many losses she experiences, and also the joy of family and friendships, and her exchanges of views with her fellow religious, both male and female, and the solace, enlightenment, and challenges she experiences when she becomes an anchoress. Even once she retreats from the world, the turmoil of the fourteenth century rages outside the window of her cell and touches her life. I found this book unexpectedly compelling and wonderfully well written and would recommend it to anyone who has even a vague interest in medieval England and the lives of women at the time. I suspect, like me, you'll find yourself drawn in to Julian's world.

The book Revelations of Divine Love speaks of holy visions seen by a woman in 1373, and attributed to Julian of Norwich, an anchoress living in the anchor cell of St. Julian’s church in Norwich between 1379 and 1416. This is the inspiration for Claire Gilbert’s fictional account of Julian’s life, in the early years of which are four periods of great pestilence. The third, in particular, targets young men and children, which impacts Julian’s life directly. She sees this as God wielding wrath and punishment on the population for human frailty and sin but is shown something different in her visions. The novel sheds new light on the story of creation, Adam’s fall and original sin, as God reveals to her that he is never wrath, but only pure love.
Gilbert’s novel is a deeply poignant account of Julian’s faith, her contrition, her doubts, and her struggles, many of which lead her to believe she is unworthy of God’s love. The diary-like story is accounted by her to her confessor, Thomas Edmund, and relates much about the life and times of the merchant-class, the Peasant’s Revolt, Wycliffe’s writings and the Lollards, and the rise of religious persecution. Even in the anchor cell Julian is never free from danger.
This extraordinary literary work gets deep inside Julian’s and the reader’s head, as though the author were able to speak to Julian herself, through the seven centuries separating our world from hers. Highly recommended.

This fictional autobiography of Julian of Norwich is perplexing at best. Based on extensive research and often quoting from Jullian's works and those of other writers, it is difficult to tell fact from fiction. And when the author veers into areas of theology, the writing becomes unclear and confusing at best and untrue to Julian at worst.

Anyone who has even a passing interest in fourteenth century medieval England or who has been moved by Julian’s profound belief that, ‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.' should take a copy of ‘I, Julian’ and settle down to be educated, moved and perhaps even changed by this intelligent, sensitive portrayal of an extraordinary woman.
And if the subject matter would not normally appeal, I’d still urge you to read this fictional autobiography. Based on fastidious historical research, Claire Gilbert gives us the life of a woman struggling to find out who she is and what God is calling her to become. Over time, Julian learns that her God is not the harsh, vengeful power that she has grown up to fear but an all-loving, compassionate presence. Beautifully told, her voice comes through loud and clear.
My thanks to NetGalley and John Murray for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

My first thought when reading the description of this book was, "How on earth can someone write a compelling story of an anchorite?" For those that don't know, an anchorite would be someone who lives their entire life in a single room with no doors, devoted to prayer. Basically, it is a Catholic hermit who has made a vow to remain a hermit until the day they die.

Once I did start reading, two other red flags popped up. First, there were hints early on in the book that there was going to be some anachronistic feminist sermonizing superimposed onto this story. The second red flag was that the prose was so ridiculously flowery as to be unreadable. Fortunately, once you got about ten percent of the way in, the over-the-top prose was toned way down. I am guessing that the author simply rewrote that first part over and over again trying to make it ever more "beautiful" and "literary."

As for the first red flag, it never did pan out. The author actually did a very fair job of presenting a realistic look into the life of a late medieval woman who found her way into a lifelong calling of prayer. The fact that she was a woman played a factor in the book, but it was not the book. The author also gave a relatively fair accounting of the church of late fourteenth-century England. It wasn't a rose-tinted apologetic, but neither was it an antireligious diatribe like you will find from Bernard Cornwell and his ilk.

In the end, this book was a compelling fictional autobiography of one of the great English mystics whose life covered the time of the black plague, through the Peasant's Revolt and the suppression of the Lollards. For anyone who is interested in English History, early English literature, or medieval mysticism, this is definitely a great read.


Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This in no way influenced my rating or the content of this review.

I'm rather at a loss as to how to rate this novel. Amazingly researched and imagined, It was a wonderful exploration of the mediaeval mind and psyche, but certainly not an easy read. The religious content was entirely necessary for the story, but I did find it difficult, (as with say Eco's The Name of the Rose was difficult.) I've rated as a 4 but have a feeling some would rate higher, others lower. Glad I persevered.

Such a well written fictional book that comes across as a true non fiction story. It has ben so well written and the author has obviously done a lot of research into both this period of time as well as gathering information on Julian as well.

This book was utterly beautiful. I had some knowledge of Julian of Norwich prior to reading the book, but this "fictional autobiography" really brought this historical character to life. A mystic of the 1300’s, Julian's teachings were often contrary to popular teachings of the church at the time. She rejects the idea of the plague being a sign of God's wrath, and begins to see God in his love, looking on her and all his creation with utmost compassion and love. She sees in God/Christ the love of a mother, the companionship of a brother, and finds love instead of condemnation. Her story is beautifully told, with a timeline at the end which the author uses to differentiate between what we KNOW of Julian, and what parts have been filled in to flesh out the story. What remains completely true is Julian's message!

I received an ARC from #netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a beautifully written book about the life of Julian of Norwich. The author states that it is fiction but it felt like I was reading Julian's own words. It is a wonderful look at an important, influential woman who lived so very long ago.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book for review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I really enjoyed and connected to the first part of this story — the part where Julian isn’t living as an anchoress. It gave a really vivid glimpse into the life of a 14th century woman. He passage where Julian became ill and eventually recovered had echoes of Hildegard von Bingen’s writings, so whether intended or not, it was almost reassuring to see that through line of women mystics.

I do admit to getting somewhat bored during the second half of the book when she finally entered the church. I know that’s the meat of the story, but I just didn’t connect to it at all. Maybe that can be down to having grown up evangelical and still dealing with some residual religious trauma.

What a beautiful book this is. The author has cleverly crafted an account of the life of Julian of Norwich that reads as though Julian had written it herself. It’s a totally believable combination of truth and fiction centred around Julian’s book Revelations of Divine Love. It depicts her life as an anchoress coupled with the known history of the period. I truly couldn’t put it down!

Although this book was not my cup of tea, it was very engrossing and so sad in parts. Jillian, like all of us, suffered loss and pain as well as lack of direction at times. She was very relatable

A good romp through the life of Julian starting aged 7 which was a really interesting way to get into the character. The biblical weaving into the life was well done, through hallucinations, the eyes of a child as well as more overtly although i struggled with the heavy first person narrative.

Beautiful book! If you are interested in Christianity of the Middle Ages or the Christian Mystics, I highly recommend this book for you! Filled with well-researched-details about daily life for women in the 1300 in England, “I, Julian,” brings mystic Julian of Norwich to life. While I was expecting a “Catherine, Called Birdy,” type text and thus struggled to engage with the beginning, by the time I hit about 15% (read on my tablet), I was throughly engrossed. Julian faces trials and tragedies with relatable questions and doubts, developing the forbearance to take on an anchorite. She is lively and down to earth, and her spiritual journey inspired me in my own walk in faith. A fantastic blend of religious, historical, and personal, “I, Julian” was one of my favorite books so far this year!

I, Julian by Claire Gilbert is a great historical fiction that is the fictional autobiography of Julian of Norwich. Just fascinating.

This is such a creative and well-crafted novel, and even though it is fiction, the author has created something so real, that it feels truly authentic and genuine, as if the woman herself actually penned it.

Julian of Norwich lived in England during the Middle Ages and was the first known woman’s writings that have been discovered and still exist today, Revelations of Divine Love. She was an anchoress, mystic, a theologian, amongst many other things. Reading this novel has already peaked my curiosity and I have been researching so as to learn more about this fascinating historical figure.

I am so glad that I read this book so that I can find out and learn more about her.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Hodder Faith/ John Murray for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/15/23.