FLORENTINA AND HER BROTHERS

The business of change proves tricky for an up-and-coming abbess in Wetjen’s historical novel, set in Hispania in the late sixth and early seventh centuries.

Students of history are keenly aware of the endless twists and turns that can characterize leadership struggles before one faction prevails and settles the matter—for a time. But for the progressive Sister Florentina, and her brothers, Isidore, and Fulgentius, the logistics of leadership are neither simple nor mundane. For Florentina, it eventually means overseeing 36 convents, spread over the east and south portions of Andalucia, and ensuring that they have sufficient support for their various initiatives. At the same time, she must stay constantly abreast of Catholic Church politics, especially as her brothers become important leaders in the church themselves. The world in which she lives is not one that lends itself to unfettered expression of opinion—as Florentina discovers for herself, after blurting out her joyful reaction that a progressive ally, Pope Gregory, is the new pontiff. Isidore responds with a gentle, but firm, reminder: “Do try to act surprised.” Florentina’s story is also a physically grueling journey, as Servandae, the nun’s Sancho Panza-like sidekick, quickly discovers, slogging through freezing water while fording a river while journeying to Carmona. The tale unfolds over 100-odd years in vignette-like fashion with a tone that’s part procedural, part pageantry; it serves as a compelling reminder of how gradual reform, despite its glacial pace, often provides more meaningful results than its opponents realize. Through the eyes of Sister Florentina, and her brothers, it becomes possible to see how real change actually comes about, and Wetjen does an exemplary job of bringing this process alive, complete with an afterword that provides useful additional context. It shines a relevant light on how—and how fast—the pace of transformation should go, and skillfully demonstrates that the debate is no less simple now than it was centuries ago.

A well-crafted and timely tale of balancing progressive instincts with tradition-bound imperatives.