Cecilia

Cecilia tells the story of a young woman's search to find her place in a world that is rife with social upheaval and religious conflict. Born into a noble Roman family in the second century, under the rule of the last of the 'five good emperors,' Marcus Aurelius, Cecilia seeks knowledge with the urgency and awkwardness typical of her tender age. But in a society where a woman's freedom to explore her beliefs, talents and ambitions is severely limited, Cecilia's quest amounts to a constant and often painful confrontation with the world around her. Searching for light in a time of darkness and for answers among warring ideologies and beliefs, including the nascent Christian faith that she ultimately embraces, though not without her doubts, Cecilia is both a product of her times and a young woman at odds with her surroundings. In Linda Ferri's elegant prose, Cecilia tells the story of a soul's progress. It recounts an enthralling journey from a restless and searching child to a woman endowed with the strength to risk her own death in defense of her beliefs. 'Cecilia brings to life Imperial Rome and the fervors and jealousies of the early Christians. The great accomplishment of Lina Ferri's art is that she has inhabited the mind and body of Cecilia in a way that makes her knowable as a woman - and finally knowable as a convert so ravished by faith that its joy and danger become one.' John Casey, author of Spartina, winner of the National Book Award 'Cecilia is a passionate and meticulous account of a fifteen-year-old in search of her spiritual identity, all the while conscious of the fact that every mortal needs her gods.' La Repubblica 'Linda Ferri has created an intense character who embarks on a decidedly female journey towards illumination.' Metro 'Stefano Maderno's marble statue in the church of Santa Cecilia in Rome, and Linda Ferri's novel Cecilia partake of the same immortal beauty.' MaUxa Zine