Cecilia tells the story of a young girl’s search to define herself in a world rife with social upheaval, religious conflict, and deep foreboding. Cecilia, born into a noble Roman family in the second century A.D., is fifteen years old. She is seeking knowledge with the urgency and awkwardness typical of her age. But in a society that leaves little room for women to discover their aptitudes, limits, and persuasions, Cecilia must approach this knowledge through her friends and familiars, through a constant and at times painful confrontation with the world around her. She is grasping for light in an age of darkness, but it is only when she embraces the doctrines of a new sect, Christianity, whose followers are growing in number among the poor and the enslaved, that the light she has been longing for is revealed.

Cecilia is both a product of her times and a young woman at odds with her surroundings. In Linda Ferri’s elegant prose, Cecilia tells the story of a soul’s progress. It recounts an enthralling journey from a restless and searching child to a woman endowed with the strength to risk her own death in defense of her beliefs.

Linda Ferri
Linda Ferri is the author of the novel Enchantments, a collection of short stories, and numerous books for children. She co-wrote the films: The Son’s Room (Palme d’or 2001, Cannes); directed by Nanni Moretti, The Life I Want and Light of My Eyes directed by Giuseppe Piccioni; and Along the Ridge by Kim Rossi Stuart.  She lives in Rome.

• May 25 2010
  Foreward Reviews: "A secret diary re-imagines the life of Cecilia, a young Roman martyred for being a secret Christian."
  
• May 21 2010
  Frisbee Book Journal: "Ferri’s delicate, meditative style is more reminiscent of Marguerite Yourcenar than Robert Graves, but it’s safe to say that fans of both Memoirs of Hadrian and I, Claudius will enjoy it."
  
• May 9 2010
  Mostly Fiction: "Cecilia is highly recommended, especially to those who look for and cherish novels about Imperial Rome, the early Christian church, and the mystical mind."
  
• Apr 12 2010
  Booklist: "Ferri captures the fear, suspicion, and ostracism thrust upon a Roman noblewoman in the second century."