Father Alberto and the flying girl

In a backwater parish somewhere in medieval Europe, new priest Alberto finds himself protecting those deemed insane. Yet Alberto must also contend with the vicious Abbess - and the terrifying Inferrant Brethren, with whom he has history. Under the reign of the Abbess, the Abbey of Saint Particular imprisons the mad - and therefore godless. Only once each year are the inmates set free for a day, on the drunken Feast of the Holy Fool. Idealistic Alberto is given the thankless task of returning them to the dungeons once the day is over, but soon starts to see that he could help the 'fools' and even learn from them. There is just one who escapes his grasp: the Flying Girl, a mysterious child who leaps from tree to tree, refusing to speak sense or stay on the ground. As Alberto grows braver in his defiance of the Abbess, everything comes to a head when the Inferral are called.

Genres

Historical

Language

English

Publisher

Chatto & Windus

ISBN

9781784746278