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The Changeling

A Novel

Paperback
$24.95 US
6"W x 9"H x 0.75"D   | 17 oz | 12 per carton
On sale Apr 12, 2005 | 352 Pages | 9781590301944

Here, the author of the acclaimed Confessions of a Pagan Nun takes us to fourteenth-century Ireland for a strange and luminous tale of the elusive nature of identity and of triumph in adversity. The Changeling is the story of Grey, a peasant girl who is raised as a boy, and who, until adolescence, never doubts herself to be male. The revelation of her womanhood marks the beginning of her journey through a succession of changing identities—including son, wife, warrior, and mother—each of which brings its own special wisdom, but none of which, she discovers, can ultimately define her. In the course of her adventurous life, Grey deals with all the challenges of her tumultuous age—from political oppression to corrupt Church hierarchy to the horrors of the Black Death—ultimately finding peace and a kind of redemption by embracing the beautifully impermanent quality of identity that her unusual life has enabled her to understand. (Previously published in hardcover as The Changeling of Finnistuath .)
"Middlesex in the Middle Ages? Almost. In this complex, intelligent novel . . . Horsley raises thought-provoking questions of religion and identity. Told with rich detail, warmth, and wry wit."— Publishers Weekly

"An unusual and beautiful story."— Library Journal

"Horsley's burgeoning following of readers who enjoy witty, passionate novels of ideas should enjoy this one and be stoked for more."— Booklist
Kate Horsley lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and teaches creative writing at Central New Mexico Community College. A poet as well as a novelist, Horsley has a PhD in American Studies and has published five novels. Her book A Killing in a New Town was the winner of the 1996 Western States Book Award for Fiction.

About

Here, the author of the acclaimed Confessions of a Pagan Nun takes us to fourteenth-century Ireland for a strange and luminous tale of the elusive nature of identity and of triumph in adversity. The Changeling is the story of Grey, a peasant girl who is raised as a boy, and who, until adolescence, never doubts herself to be male. The revelation of her womanhood marks the beginning of her journey through a succession of changing identities—including son, wife, warrior, and mother—each of which brings its own special wisdom, but none of which, she discovers, can ultimately define her. In the course of her adventurous life, Grey deals with all the challenges of her tumultuous age—from political oppression to corrupt Church hierarchy to the horrors of the Black Death—ultimately finding peace and a kind of redemption by embracing the beautifully impermanent quality of identity that her unusual life has enabled her to understand. (Previously published in hardcover as The Changeling of Finnistuath .)

Praise

"Middlesex in the Middle Ages? Almost. In this complex, intelligent novel . . . Horsley raises thought-provoking questions of religion and identity. Told with rich detail, warmth, and wry wit."— Publishers Weekly

"An unusual and beautiful story."— Library Journal

"Horsley's burgeoning following of readers who enjoy witty, passionate novels of ideas should enjoy this one and be stoked for more."— Booklist

Author

Kate Horsley lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and teaches creative writing at Central New Mexico Community College. A poet as well as a novelist, Horsley has a PhD in American Studies and has published five novels. Her book A Killing in a New Town was the winner of the 1996 Western States Book Award for Fiction.

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