The Queen Eleanor that Marie is desperately in love with is none other than Eleanor of Aquitaine who was twice married, first to the King of France and then, upon annulment of that relationship, to the King of England. Queen EleanorĪnother historical figure also plays a role in the novel but in her case much more biographical information is actually known. It is that dearth of known information outside the composition of those literary works that afford the author this novel the possibility to re-imagine her entire life and create a rich tapestry that draws upon and enhances what little historical data is actually available. Little is known about her biographically, but she is famous for being the author of several works of literature.

The protagonist of the novel is based on an actual historical figure whose life spanned the late 12th century and the early 13th century. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Lauren Groff’s new novel, her first since Fates and Furies, is a defiant and timely exploration of the raw power of female creativity in a corrupted world.These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

But in a world that is shifting and corroding in frightening ways, one that can never reconcile itself with her existence, will the sheer force of Marie’s vision be bulwark enough?Įqually alive to the sacred and the profane, Matrix gathers currents of violence, sensuality, and religious ecstasy in a mesmerizing portrait of consuming passion, aberrant faith, and a woman that history moves both through and around. Marie, born the last in a long line of women warriors and crusaders, is determined to chart a bold new course for the women she now leads and protects. In this crucible, Marie steadily supplants her desire for family, for her homeland, for the passions of her youth with something new to her: devotion to her sisters, and a conviction in her own divine visions. Cast out of the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitaine, deemed too coarse and rough-hewn for marriage or courtly life, seventeen-year-old Marie de France is sent to England to be the new prioress of an impoverished abbey, its nuns on the brink of starvation and beset by disease.Īt first taken aback by the severity of her new life, Marie finds focus and love in collective life with her singular and mercurial sisters. Lauren Groff returns with her exhilarating first new novel since Fates and Furies. Buy at Buy on Barnes and Noble Buy on BAM(Books-A-Million) Buy on Apple Books Buy on Amazon

Matrix by lauren groff