"Atmospheric and unforgettable."-People, "Best Books of December 2025"

"Splendid . . . A reluctant miracle worker is at the heart of this novel, which takes place in late 13th-century Bruges, a city roiled by spiritual ferment."--The New York Times

"Some readers will catch echoes of Lauren Groff's 2021 novel, Matrix, about the 12th-century poet Marie de France, but Edwards's fidelity to the Christ-saturated imagination of the period is bolder. . . . Canticle is itself something of a daring act of translation. Edwards manages to produce a modern narrative that remains leashed to ancient experience and the evolving religious practices of the era--some shockingly peculiar. By preserving the ideals and even the phrases of actual medieval mystics, she keeps her story from turning into a costume drama pleasingly decorated with New Age gobbledygook. The Aleys we follow into the flames remains fanatical and weird and devoted in a way that passeth all understanding and yet feels purified by love."--The Washington Post

"Canticle is an auspicious debut--and hopefully not the last novel we'll read from Rich Edwards. . . . [It's] a mystical story that immerses us in an earlier century, in the vein of Lauren Groff's Matrix or Sue Monk Kidd's The Book of Longings. If you loved either of them, as I did, you might have a hard time putting down Canticle."--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"While Janet Rich Edwards' lushly written debut skewers ecclesiastical hypocrisy, it gives genuine faith its due. It also celebrates a formidable sisterhood whose thankless bravery and quiet practice of kindness reminds us all of what is truly holy."--Amazon.com, "Best Books of December 2025"

"Inspired by the actual stories of medieval mystics, this page-turning novel celebrates women finding courage, autonomy, and joy in a society that seeks to suppress their independence."--Real Simple, "Top Picks for Book Club & Beyond"

"Luminous, mesmerizing . . . Told from the vantage point of women, Canticle is a glorious historical novel that evokes the fervor and flavor of medieval Christian culture."--Foreword Reviews (starred)

"Janet Rich Edwards brings historical acuity and imaginative sensitivity to Canticle. . . . In the beguine movement--communities of women living together on the margins of the institutional church--Edwards found a compelling setting in which to explore aspects of religious experience outside ecclesial structures, sometimes in direct conflict with it. . . . For readers attuned to these topics, Canticle holds nothing back."--National Catholic Reporter

"In Canticle, Janet Rich Edwards brings the medieval world brilliantly to life, exploring the dreams and desires of a community of women whose fascinating stories sing from every page. The novel is a suspenseful page-turner that is also rigorously researched and utterly convincing--a true gem of historical fiction."--Bruce Holsinger, author of Culpability

"Janet Rich Edwards has written a brave, intense novel about the mystical nature of a young woman's faith and how easily it can find itself in opposition to politics and entrenched power."--Sarah Dunant, New York Times bestselling author of The Birth of Venus

"Compelling, lyrical, and fresh, Canticle is a conjuring--of time, place, society, struggle. A tale of immense beauty, kinship, and how vision can be gift and curse in a world where the belief of a few can