Sybille — Marion Meade

The beginning of the thirteenth century is a peaceful time in the Languedoc region of southern France. Poetry and the scent of lavender fill the air; sun dapples the rolling hills of vineyards; and religious tolerance is the norm. But, a holy war is sweeping across France, razing cities and forever destroying the peaceful lives of its "heretics." Sybille d'Astarac, the youngest child of the Toulouse family, is born to pampered luxury. One of a few trobairitz (a female troubadour), her youthful poetry speaks of love and tradition. However, her poems grow dark as the Albigensian crusade seeks to eradicate the Cathars, a popular religious sect whose views clash with the Catholic Church. How can art adapt in the face of massacre? Will Sybille survive the coming Inquisition? Will her poems? A work of stunning historical fiction, SYBILLE displays biographer Marion Meade's pitch-perfect understanding of strong women facing the harsh realities of life in medieval times.