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Books like Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant


Set in 1570 Ferrara, the convent of Santa Caterina becomes the center of tension when Serafina, a 16‑year‑old noblewoman dragged into the cloister after an illicit affair, challenges the strict order with her fiery spirit. Her arrival brings conflict and intrigue as she clashes with the austere Suora Umiliana, the enigmatic Suora Magdalena, and the politically shrewd abbess, Madonna Chiara. Amid this turmoil, the Catholic Church’s Counter‑Reformation imposes new restrictions on nuns, heightening the stakes for the women who must balance faith, duty, and personal freedom within the convent’s walls.
First publish date: 2009
Genre: Historical Fiction/Medieval Historical Fiction
Authors: Sarah Dunant
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3.0 (2 community ratings)

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