The Passion of Dolssa

by Julie Berry

Dolssa, a young gentlewoman from the city, is on the run from a rogue monk who wants to burn her as a heretic for her beliefs. Botille, a scrappy and charismatic peasant, is a matchmaker running a tavern with her two sisters in a tiny seaside village. When the matchmaker finds the mystic, half dead beside a country road, she takes Dolssa in and discovers the girl's extraordinary power to heal people. But the monk who pursues Dolssa will stop at nothing to find his heretic and see her burn, and the more Dolssa becomes a part of Botille's family, the graver the danger becomes for the entire village. From the author of the award-winning All the Truth That's in Me comes a spellbinding tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you wonder if miracles really are possible.

• ISBN13: 9780425287729
• Publish Date: 29 August 2016 (first published 1 April 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 29 June 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Viking Books for Young Readers
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

[Bianca]

What they don’t understand, they destroy.

— I’m not really into historical fiction, more so if it involves religious elements, but this was a really engrossing, powerful and terrifyingly real book about 13th century inquisition.

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
3.5**

This is a very heavy book. I mean, not in actual pounds (though, kind of, but that isn't what I am talking about) but in subject. It's also quite dark. Which, I think is something that's to be expected in relation to this time period. Medieval France sounds awful, probably because it was.

I feel like there are some really strong positives about the book, but also some things that definitely dampened my enjoyment. But there are also a few main pieces of the book I want to discuss, so this will be... different. Change is good, right?

The Passion of Botille

Dolssa who now? This isn't really Dolssa's story at all, so if you were super attached to Dolssa, sorry about that. I mean, Dolssa is involved of course. She was supposed to be burned at the stake because she talks to Jesus. And not just like, "talks" to Jesus in a prayerful sort of way, talks to him and calls him her "Beloved" and legitimately thinks they are in some kind of serious relationship? It almost seems as though she considers him an actual romantic partner, and I won't lie, that creeped me out. But Dolssa wasn't hurting anyone, and it sure seemed like Jesus, or certainly some power, was looking out for her. More on that later.

Anyway, Botille. I adored Botille, so this "lack of Dolssa" business was fine. Botille has two sisters and they all have a unique "gift". Botille is a matchmaker, and she's quite good at it. I loved reading about her making her matches, it was entertaining. And she was a strong woman, as were her sisters, in a time when women simply didn't have a voice. She stood up for herself, and helped others even when she knew there could be a high cost. And she was just all around charming, basically.

Religion

I am not the biggest fan of religious books, so I was wary for sure. But this isn't just religion, it's history, so I figured I stood a chance. Obviously, this story stems from true events: The Crusades and religious persecution in the 13th century. And even though I am not a fan of religious stuff, I sure as hell stand by everyone else's right to believe in whatever they please. So if Dolssa wants to chat it up with Jesus on the regular, who am I to tell her not to? More importantly, who are these friars who want her to die because of it? There's a bit about miracles and such too, which also didn't really bother me, because really, who wouldn't like a miracle? Basically, the book isn't preachy at all, it's just historical.

I liked that it showed the positive and negative sides to the church. Dolssa was just trying to be peaceful and worship and maybe help some people out in the process. But these friars and other church leaders... they were gross, as a whole.

"'Oh, no,' said Bishop Raimon. 'An execution is never wasted.' He chuckled. 'Attendance at mass soars after a burning.'".

So yeah, they were awful. Not to mention how many people had already died in the name of religion during the Crusades.

The Story Structure

So far, things have been pretty positive, right? Okay, well here's where I struggled: This book is long. And I don't just mean in page length, it feels long. There are parts that seemed to drag a lot. I also think that the section heading in the ARC confused me a bit, because they didn't have the page numbers (for good reason of course; as it is an ARC they wouldn't know the exact page numbers) but still, it threw me off, and I'll show you why. Here's the ARC and the finished copy, respectively:  (SEE POST FOR IMAGES

As you can see, Part III was 420 pages. But I didn't know that, and since Parts I & II were so incredibly short, I think it seemed even longer.
The good news is, the whole thing was broken up into different POVs. The bad news was that I didn't really care at all about the friars' POVs. Like, I couldn't stand them, and frankly the main friar guy was boring. I found myself skimming his parts even when I didn't mean to. And even Dolssa's seemed monotonous. It was basically just about her and Jesus, and great, I already got that, thanks for the reminder. The non-Botille POVs were just so, so dry.

Overall

I feel like I would have liked this story more if it was straight up Botille, and then maybe Dolssa in her role as the mystical escapee, but just more of Botille and her friends, family, and community. I was so interested in their lives, even the historical parts, but the other stuff just brought the flow to a halt and took me out of the story. I am still really glad I read the book, and would recommend it, but if you are not into history at all, it might not be for you.
But if a story like this sounds like your cup of tea, The Passion of Dolssa will provide a beautiful and hauntingly somber tale of two young women's paths crossing, the history that led them there, and how they changed a small city by the sea.

**Copy provided by publisher for review

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Again, I was so lucky to be chosen through Penguin’s First to Read program, and once again, I was privileged to read an outstanding book.

I do not read a lot of historical fiction, so this is a step outside my standard reading selections, but I found that once I started, I could not stop. This story was rich, and compelling. I was captivated by the premise. I was infuriated by the injustices suffered. I was warmed by the familial love.

I was not a history major, so my knowledge of this time period only goes as deep as a high school curriculum, but Berry did such an amazing job of painting the landscape, and pulling me into Bajas and this time period. I was able to get into the head space of the characters, and understand a little more about what motivated their actions/inactions. This was a time period the church should be ashamed of; the decisions of the church, and the way they ruled with fear, was atrocious. Yet, Berry was able to give us these beautiful characters, who helped me believe things could get better in that world.

Botille is such a spitfire. She is full of life, love, and fiercely loyal. She was not driven by religious beliefs, but rather, she was more of a humanist. Throughout the story, she makes decisions to aid others, based on the fact that she knows it is the right thing to do. She is well aware, that these decisions may be her downfall, but she still carries on with her plans, knowing she is right in her choices. I adored the dynamic between Botille and her sisters, and could just feel the love seep off the page, and into my heart.

This tale is told beautifully from several perspectives. It amazed me that I could connect to 13th century people, but I did. The story is sort of bleak overall, but Berry gives us morsels of hope and happiness, here and there. These little bits motivated me, and gave me some solace.