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Unlike her Shorter works, this novel by Florence L. Barclay is pure romance. Perhaps its publication date of 1917 explains its escapist tone: nothing could be further from the horrors of the Great War than this story of thwarted love set in a convent. While serious questions of faith, loyalty and duty are addressed, The white ladies of Worcester is fundamentally a love story.
A sample chapter of The white ladies of Worcester is available on this website.
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"Why this talk of earthly loves, my Lord Bishop, in a place where all earthly love has been renounced and forgotten?"
The Bishop, seeing those trembling lips, ignored the hard tones, and answered, very tenderly, with a simple directness which scorned all evasion:
"Because, my daughter, I am here to plead for Hugh."
This conversation between the Prioress of the Nunnery of the White Ladies and Symon Bishop of Worcester is not perhaps what one would have anticipated. But the resolution of the ill-starred love between Hugh d'Argent and Mora, Countess of Norelle necessitates the eager help not only of the Bishop, but of Mary Antony, the mischievous Lay Sister who in her simple and naïve faith also enlists the aid of the Virgin and her "Babe" to bring about a happy ending.
Page created 9 December 2002 and last
updated 9 December 2002
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