THE BLUE OF THE VIRGIN

The Blue Virgin is the acclaimed debut novel by Tracy Chevalier, who later published the international bestseller Girl with a Pearl Earring. Telling the story of two women who lived centuries apart and the ancestral heritage that unites them, Chevalier, as in her most famous book, uniquely combines history, art, and imagination. That day, Isabelle's hair changed color as quickly as a bird changes its plumage to attract a mate. After receiving a statue of the Virgin, the niche above the church door where the image will be placed is painted a blue as intense as the afternoon sky. The sun's rays illuminate the blue vehemently, touching young Isabelle's hair and dyeing it a copper that would remain even after the sun had set. From then on, the girl became known as La Rousse (The Redhead) and had to hide her long red locks under a cap – embarrassed by that trait, which hinted at an unusual connection with the Virgin Mary and led to her being considered dirty, contaminated, a witch. Almost five centuries later, Ella Turner, an independent 28-year-old woman, left the United States and moved to France with her husband, Rick. There, she began taking French lessons, lost her optimism, tried to get pregnant, and desperately searched for a solution to stop feeling like a stranger in her new country. She then began to be plagued by inexplicable nightmares, filled with French verses of unknown origin, tinged with a vivid blue, both light and dark. Ella then received a letter from Jacob Tournier, a relative from Switzerland, revealing a little about her French ancestors who had immigrated to the United States in the 19th century. Determined to deepen her knowledge of her own family, Ella began researching old books and documents. With the help of librarian Jean-Paul, she will make many discoveries: she belongs to the Tournier family of Calvin's time, and the phrases she hears in her dreams are from the biblical text her Huguenot ancestors used to recite when something bad happened. As her past is revealed, Ella's hair turns red like Isabelle's. What are the connections between these two women? What do these dreams mean? Ella sets out in search of answers and decides to learn more about her own family... perhaps by doing so, she will unravel the mysteries behind her nightmares, tinged with The Virgin's Blue.