When Berenger Saunier took over the parish in the small French Village of Rennes-le-Chateau he had no idea of the secrets that lay beneath the centuries old paving tiles of the little village church. The items that he uncovered during a routine restoration would rock the world, if only because no one was ever really sure what those items were. The speculation over the church, and by extension the village, would lead to the eruption of the fabled Priory of Sion and a whole host of books, fiction and nonfiction, that would fuel the debate for decades. At the heart of the story though, are a simple village priest and the woman who would become his housekeeper, handmaiden and confidant, Marie Dernarnaud.
Not much is known about Marie Dernarnaud. Much of her life has been shrouded in mystery. She has always been viewed as a part of Saunier and very rarely as an individual. Speculation abounds regarding their true relationship. That she existed as a very big part of his life is certain but it would seem that she was so much more than a housekeeper. Is sacrilegious to assume that she was his lover or just common sense? In The Priests Madonna, author Amy Hassinger handles this issue with amazing sensitivity and beauty, constructing a fictional account of what very well may have been the reality of their relationship.
The story begins in Marie's childhood in the small border town of Esparza. Her mother, her younger brother, and her are taking a trip to visit the Shrine of the Madeleine. It is on this trip that Marie has her first encounter with the young priest, Berenger Saunier, who is an old friend of her mother. The moment is short and Marie is soon back in her home village with her family, however tragedy strikes in the form of a fire that levels her father's small but secure hat shop. The family is forced to move to the village of Rennes-le-Chateau to find a new home. The village is very unaccepting of the new family until Saunier is assigned as the new priest. He lodges with the Dernarnaud's as the presbytery is unlivable and this close relationship opens the village to the family due to the respect that he begins to gain from the villagers. Unfortunately this close relationship also brings him closer to Marie, who will become his greatest test and trial as they work together to uncover secrets and dig for the truth that has lain beneath the village for so long.
The author only takes the reader so far along this tantalizing journey and then leaves the rest to your imagination. I found the book to be well written and very clever. The author presents the ideas in such a way as to seem very plausible. The truth is that we will never know what they really found and what the real relationship was. After Sauniers death Marie burned all his private papers regarding the discoveries and his bank accounts. She never publicly spoke about any of it as she was determined to preserve his dignity and memory. This brave and quiet woman risked much in her relationship with him and her story has been handled beautifully.
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Publisher: Putnam Adult (April 6, 2006)
ISBN: 0399153179
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