Emily Maguire

Ninth-century Mainz, in the heart of the Holy Roman Empire. Agnes is the motherless child of an English priest - a wild and brilliant girl. But when tragedy strikes, she is forced to choose between what is expected of her and the freedom she has always dreamed of. Adopting a bold disguise, she secures a place at the revered Fulda monastery and begins life anew as John the Englishman. A matchless scholar and celebrated teacher, by her middle years she has dazzled the Church hierarchy in Rome, finding herself at the centre of power and intrigue.
But in a city where gossip is currency, a secret like hers is dangerous. And when the only person who knows her true identity arrives in Rome, she will risk everything to be known - and loved.