In Praise of Disobedience : Clare of Assisi, A Novel

An author receives a mysterious e-mail begging her to tell the story of Clare of Assisi, the thirteenth-century Italian saint. At first annoyed by the request, the author begins to research Saint Clare and becomes captivated by her life. We too are transported into the strange and beautiful world of medieval Italy, witnessing the daily rituals of convent life. At the center of that life is Saint Clare, a subversive and compelling figure full of contradictions: a physically disabled woman who travels widely in her imagination, someone unforgivingly harsh to herself yet infinitely generous to the women she supervises, a practitioner of self-abnegation who nevertheless knows her own worth. A visionary who liberated herself from the chains of materialism and patriarchy, Saint Clare here becomes an inspirational figure for a new generation of readers. "In In Praise of Disobedience, Italy's most-beloved contemporary writer Dacia Maraini demonstrates her ability to connect past and present through the drama of the life of St. Claire of Assisi, exploring the desire for freedom against the conditions of enclosure and immobility imposed on women throughout time and space"-- Provided by publisher Contents Translator’s Preface Foreword In Praise of Disobedience Notes on the Translation and References Notes on Contributors