Matrix by Lauren Groff

Medieval story of strong-willed nuns in a 12th-century English abbey

In 12 Century England, Queen Eleanor sends her half sister (in-law), Marie, to a failing abbey where the nuns and other inhabitants are starving and for the most part miserable. Marie at first wants nothing more than to escape the harsh environment but she eventually refocuses on how she, with her skill, iron will, and visions, can turn things around for herself and those in her care. 

I love Lauren Groff's writing style and her many and varied stories. The first several pages of Matrix had a bit of the atmosphere of Hamnet, one of my favorite stories the year I read it, but it turned into something a bit more distant or remote for me once Marie reached the abbey, and stayed that way for one-third to one-half of the book. I read with renewed interest once Marie came into her power and started making vision-spurred changes at the abbey. Seems like a strong allegory for feminism, a thoughtful take on the challenges to equality that women faced in fighting the patriarchal society they lived in during medieval times and still face today, in different - and some of the same - ways. Not my favorite by Lauren Groff, but there are some great passages and lots of ideas/themes to sort through; it's a solid, thought-provoking read that generated a great discussion with my book club.