The Sculptor and the Saint
Lori Joan Swick
Type: ARC
Genre: Historical fiction, literary
Word count: 89,000
In Renaissance Rome, Saint Cecilia’s body is exhumed from her grave thirteen hundred years after her death and young Stefano Maderno is commissioned by the pope to sculpt her likeness. In this gripping tale of passion and agony, two lives separated by centuries are united in their search for purity and purpose.
What’s this?
Cecilia of ancient Rome is forced to marry a loathsome patrician despite her infatuation for the handsome Sebastian of Milan. With her husband away on military duty, Cecilia seeks refuge with a Christian congregation hiding in the catacombs. When news of Sebastian’s torture brings her to his aid and her involvement with the Christians is exposed, Cecilia faces fatal consequences.
Thirteen hundred years after her death, Cecilia’s body is exhumed from her grave and young artist Stefano Maderno is commissioned by the pope to sculpt her likeness. Seeking a big break in his career, Stefano enthralls himself in his work and the accounts of Cecilia’s virginity and martyrdom. However, the more he immerses himself in carving her form, the more he struggles against his sinful nature. Stefano’s dedication to Cecilia’s legacy might just be what breaks him.
With a Ph.D. in Religion and Philosophy and a concentration in Women’s Spirituality, Lori’s passion is to
shine light on women whose contributions to religious history have been left in the dark. After twenty-five years of researching what Cecilia’s life might have been like, she wrote a book with which to share the story of this ancient mysterious figure.
An award-winning essayist and poet, Lori is also the author of the historical novel Comfort and Mirth and the non-fiction book Dreaming ~ The Sacred Art. Lori instructs religion and philosophy as an adjunct university professor. She resides in Southwest Florida.
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