Title: Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards
Author: Janet Rich Edwards
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Publication Date: December 2, 2025
Format Read: Kindle ARC
Category: Historical Fiction
Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards gives voice to the women who kept believing when belief itself was an act of defiance, finding holiness in truth rather than obedience.
Some stories ask for patience, and Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards rewards every bit of it. I found myself lingering over lines the way you might pause before singing in a quiet church. The story takes place in Brugge during the late 13th century, where a devout young girl named Aleys stands at its heart. Edwards explores faith and devotion, corruption within the Church, and the arrogance of men, while shining a light on how women lived, worshipped, and fought to practice their beliefs on their own terms. In a time when women were seen as little more than vessels for childbirth, their spiritual independence was nothing short of radical.
Edwards wields lyrical realism like a weapon. She uses it to bring thirteenth-century Brugge to life, still small enough that everyone seems to know one another. The quiet of nature meets the clamor of the market, the wildness of fervor, and the peace of worship. You can feel the rain and the breeze, see the sun, and imagine the colors. Much of this comes through Aleys’s devoted eyes as her story ebbs and flows, her faith tested again and again on her path toward God. The perspectives of the Bishop of Tournai, Friar Lukas, the beguines, and others appear as well, each voice perfectly matched to its character.
Aleys and Friar Lukas feel especially real as we watch them grow in different ways, beginning as saplings and ending as fully grown trees, each weathered in their own way. The other characters show less evolution as the tale progresses, and the bishop leans a bit one-dimensional, but they still click neatly into place within the story, each serving a clear purpose. The pacing starts measured, almost contemplative, then gathers momentum as tension builds, while the writing shifts fluidly between lyrical, sensory-rich, and deeply emotional, and sometimes all three at once.
Through Aleys and those around her, Edwards suggests that belief without choice is obedience, not faith. Her depiction of thirteenth-century Brugge feels close, its questions about control, conscience, and moral integrity still painfully relevant. The story carries a quiet resonance that reaches into the present, exploring the same struggle between genuine faith and institutional power, between obedience and personal conviction. Edwards treats belief as something alive, shaping and testing her characters in ways that feel timeless.
I was deeply moved by Canticle and by the struggles these people, especially the women, endured. The pacing feels slow at first, but the patience it asks of you is well worth it. Readers who may connect with this story include feminists, those drawn to questions of faith and religion, and fans of historical fiction that feels strikingly real.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓— A beautifully rendered story of faith, conviction, and quiet rebellion that feels both ancient and alive.
Let’s Discuss: Do you think true faith can exist inside corrupted institutions, or does it have to break away from them to survive?
Find out more about Canticle from Spiegal and Grau or learn more about the author at Janet Rich Edwards’s website.
I read a digital copy made available by Spiegal & Grau through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.