The Cleaner of Chartres: Salley Vickers - Softcover

Vickers, Salley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 024198100X ISBN 13: 9780241981009

Publisher: Penguin, 2017

Synopsis

There is something special about the ancient cathedral of Chartres, with its mismatched spires, astonishing stained glass and strange labyrinth. And there is something special too about Agnes Morel, the mysterious woman who is to be found cleaning it each morning.No one quite knows where she came from - not the diffident Abbe Paul, who discovered her one morning twenty years ago, sleeping in the north porch; nor lonely Professor Jones, whose chaotic existence she helps to organise; nor Philippe Nevers, whose neurotic sister and newborn child she cares for; nor even the irreverent young restorer, Alain Fleury, who works alongside her each day and whose attention she catches with her tawny eyes, her colourful clothes and elusive manner. And yet everyone she encounters would surely agree that she is subtly transforming their lives, even if they couldn't quite say how.But with a chance meeting in the cathedral one day, the spectre of Agnes' past returns, provoking malicious rumours from the prejudiced Madame Beck and her gossipy companion Madame Picot., As the hearsay grows uglier, Agnes is forced to confront her history, and the mystery of her origins finally unfolds.The Cleaner of Chartres is a compelling story of darkness and light; of traumatic loss and second chances. Told with a sparkling wit and captivating charm, but infused throughout with deeper truths, it speaks of the power of love and mercy to transform the tragedies of the past.

About this title

Review:

Salley Vickers sees with a clear eye and writes with a light hand and she knows how the world works. She's a presence worth cherishing (Philip Pullman)

Beautifully and brilliantly controlled. A triumph (John Julius Norwich on Miss Garnet's Angel)

Reveals itself as a surprising exploration of the mysteries of imagination and faith (Joanna Trollope Book of the Year, Daily Telegraph on Miss Garnet's Angel)

Subtle and utterly joyous...a contemporary moral and psychological drama every bit as absorbing as Miss Garnet's Angel (Sunday Times)

The Cleaner of Chartres is a return to form (Sunday Express)

The Cleaner of Chartres touches lightly on the seedy side of human nature (Observer)

A magical and at times sinister story about love, loss, secrets and forgiveness...with Chocolat-type charm (Scotland on Sunday)

If you're looking for a book to take you by surprise, Salley Vickers' latest is the perfect choice (Psychologies)

From the Back Cover:

'Subtle and ultimately joyous. A contemporary moral and psychological drama every bit as absorbing as Miss Garnet's Angel' Sunday Times

A compelling story of darkness and light, of traumatic loss and second chances, The Cleaner of Chartres tells of the mysterious and elusive Agnes Morel whose little acts of kindness around a rural French cathedral touch the lives of others with consequences both good and ill. But when her tragic past is exposed, Agnes must face up to the truth of her origins.

'Vickers sees with a clear eye and writes with a light hand and she knows how the world works. She's a presence worth cherishing' Philip Pullman

'With its explorations of faith and love, The Cleaner of Chartres is a return to the terrain of Miss Garnet's Angel. Certainly, it's another gem' Independent

'Wise, deeply compassionate and gently mystical. A lovely, grace-filled book. An enchanting read with flashes of wit, a cast of absorbing characters and a heroine whose fight to overcome the flaws in her life is marked by a quiet, very moving courage' Metro

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 024198100X
• ISBN 13: 9780241981009
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304