The She-Apostle: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Luisa de Carvajal - Softcover
Before dawn one morning in June 1612, an elderly Frenchman took charge of a carriage carrying a precious cargo near Tyburn Fields, London's notorious place of execution. It was heading for a house in Spitalfields, where a wizened Spanish woman was waiting to receive the mortal remains of freshly-martyred Catholic priests. Her name was Luisa de Carvajal and this book tells her story.
Born into a great Spanish noble family, Luisa suffered a horribly abusive childhood and from her early years hankered to become a martyr for her faith. For almost 20 years she struggled to become possibly the first female missionary of modern times. In 1605 - the year of the Gunpowder Plot - she was secreted into England by the Jesuits, despite the fact that she spoke not a word of English. To everyone's surprise including her own, she steadily assumed a prominent role within London's underground Catholic community, setting up an unofficial nunnery, offering Roman priests a secure place to live, consoling prisoners awaiting execution, importing banned books, and helping persecuted Catholics to flee abroad. Throughout this time she ran the grave risk of imprisonment and execution, yet she miraculously managed to avoid this ultimate fate in spite of being arrested on a number of occasions. This vividly written biography, the first to give equal treatment to her double life in Spain and England, is based on Luisa's own autobiographical writings, her sparkling collection of poems and letters, and the detailed reminiscences by dozens of people who worked with her. In parts humorous, the book contains Luisa's biting descriptions of the cost of living in Shakespeare's London, the poor quality of food in the capital, as well as the weekend rowdiness of the English.
Born into a great Spanish noble family, Luisa suffered a horribly abusive childhood and from her early years hankered to become a martyr for her faith. For almost 20 years she struggled to become possibly the first female missionary of modern times. In 1605 - the year of the Gunpowder Plot - she was secreted into England by the Jesuits, despite the fact that she spoke not a word of English. To everyone's surprise including her own, she steadily assumed a prominent role within London's underground Catholic community, setting up an unofficial nunnery, offering Roman priests a secure place to live, consoling prisoners awaiting execution, importing banned books, and helping persecuted Catholics to flee abroad. Throughout this time she ran the grave risk of imprisonment and execution, yet she miraculously managed to avoid this ultimate fate in spite of being arrested on a number of occasions. This vividly written biography, the first to give equal treatment to her double life in Spain and England, is based on Luisa's own autobiographical writings, her sparkling collection of poems and letters, and the detailed reminiscences by dozens of people who worked with her. In parts humorous, the book contains Luisa's biting descriptions of the cost of living in Shakespeare's London, the poor quality of food in the capital, as well as the weekend rowdiness of the English.
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About the Author:
Glyn Redworth taught at Oxford University for several years and was a research fellow at Christ Church before moving to the University of Manchester. Closely associated with the Institute of History in Madrid, he has spent several years in Spain researching Luisa's life. He has published widely on sixteenth and early seventeenth century religious and political history, including In Defence of the Church Catholic: The Life of Stephen Gardiner and The Prince and the Infanta: The Cultural Politics of the Spanish Match.
Review:
"Redworth has pulled off a literary coup."--Redworth, Sunday Times (UK)
"The She-Apostle is hugely enjoyable and has a vividness that never tips over to the garish. A gripping tale very well told.... Pure joy."--Professor John Morrill, University of Cambridge
"An artfully reconstructed life of an astonishing noble woman from her abused childhood in Spain to aspirant Jesuitess and foiled martyr in Jacobean London." --Dame Olwen Hufton
"[I]n this well-researched and highly readable book, Redworth has captured Luisa's life and times very effectively." -- American Historical Review
"[An] extraordinarily well-researched book... [E]minently readable." --Catholic Library World
Glyn Redworth taught at Oxford University for several years and was a research fellow at Christ Church before moving to the University of Manchester. Closely associated with the Institute of History in Madrid, he has spent several years in Spain researching Luisa's life. He has published widely on sixteenth and early seventeenth century religious and political history, including In Defence of the Church Catholic: The Life of Stephen Gardiner and The Prince and the Infanta: The Cultural Politics of the Spanish Match.
"Redworth has pulled off a literary coup."--Redworth, Sunday Times (UK)
"The She-Apostle is hugely enjoyable and has a vividness that never tips over to the garish. A gripping tale very well told.... Pure joy."--Professor John Morrill, University of Cambridge
"An artfully reconstructed life of an astonishing noble woman from her abused childhood in Spain to aspirant Jesuitess and foiled martyr in Jacobean London." --Dame Olwen Hufton
"[I]n this well-researched and highly readable book, Redworth has captured Luisa's life and times very effectively." -- American Historical Review
"[An] extraordinarily well-researched book... [E]minently readable." --Catholic Library World
"Redworth has pulled off a literary coup."--Redworth, Sunday Times (UK)
"The She-Apostle is hugely enjoyable and has a vividness that never tips over to the garish. A gripping tale very well told.... Pure joy."--Professor John Morrill, University of Cambridge
"An artfully reconstructed life of an astonishing noble woman from her abused childhood in Spain to aspirant Jesuitess and foiled martyr in Jacobean London." --Dame Olwen Hufton
"[I]n this well-researched and highly readable book, Redworth has captured Luisa's life and times very effectively." -- American Historical Review
"[An] extraordinarily well-researched book... [E]minently readable." --Catholic Library World
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- PublisherOxford University Press
- Publication date2011
- ISBN 10 0199571228
- ISBN 13 9780199571222
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number1
- Number of pages276
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Oxford University Press, USA
(2011)
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ISBN 13: 9780199571222
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