The Grove's Enchantments, the River's Disenchantments

The first annotated edition and translation of Soror Maria do Céu’s The Grove’s Enchantments, the River’s Disenchantments.

A Christian allegory written from a female perspective about a woman pilgrim, The Grove’s Enchantments, the River’s Disenchantments traces the path of the Peregrina. On her journey, she enters the Grove of the Hunter, where she encounters false deities representing the vanities of the world. Escaping the grove, she meets four saints who guide her along the rough road until she unites with the Shepherd in his garden.

This edition contains a comprehensive introduction about Maria do Céu’s life and works, the historical and literary context in which she wrote the allegory, its structure and major themes, and its reception and afterlife. This includes the most extensive biographical information about Maria do Céu available in English.