This book didn’t turn out to be what I was expecting, but I actually think I got something better. The book is set in 1910s Albania and did an amazing job of introducing me to a cultural context that I was personally unfamiliar with. The story takes place in the mountain villages of Albania where there is are women called “sworn virgins”. These women are defined by an oath that they take where they renounce their right to marry in exchange for living as men which includes gaining all the rights that are usually exclusive to men. This includes owning property, handling finances, wearing men’s clothing as well as being treated as equals with other men. It was interesting to see Eleanora take on the title of a sworn virgin as a way of being able to gain autonomy over her life. The context of the story truly encompassed how restricted women were in rural areas in the early 20th century. Despite being able to obtain all of the rights of a man, it is something that the story ends up revealing came at a very high price for some. Sworn virgins that break their oaths and begin any kind of romantic or sexual relationship with a man condemn themselves and their partners to death. There are events that happen within the plot that bring these consequences to light quite strongly.

Eleanora’s relationship with her stepmother is complicated and has many layers that come to show themselves throughout the story. In the end they care for each other, however there are also feelings of resentment present within their relationship. The storyline with Cheremi and the ending really got me. It was bittersweet. The main character is truly loved by a man, but in order to save his life and her own as well as maintain her sense of autonomy, she must leave him. It makes me wonder how many women must have had to make the same decision in a similar situation as sworn virgins. I haven’t read a historical fiction novel in a long time and this was a great one to pick up because I definitely learned about the history of a country I knew very little about to begin with. I would happily look forward to reading more books by this author. I highly recommend for anyone how likes historical fiction and wants something a little different.