Armed in her Fashion

Set in 1328 Flanders, during King Philippe of France's siege of Bruges, Heartfield's impressive novel (following The Course of True Love) tells the story of folklore figure Mad Meg (or Dull Gret), who legendarily led a group of women to pillage hell. In Heartfield's capable hands, a story traditionally used to warn women against greed, making noise, and taking action becomes a fleshed-out tale of Margriet de Vos's struggle to survive a childhood marred by war, poverty, a series of stillbirths, a career as a wet nurse, and the siege itself. Heartfield constructs a supernatural and entirely lucid vision of hell as a beast controlled by a woman, the Chatelaine, who usurped her husband's post, leading to a world populated by chimera and the undead (called revenants). These fantastic elements and more are skillfully woven into the political and religious machinations of the era, but this is the least of Heartfield's achievements. The novel is written with arresting detail and challenges literary tropes about women. Its roster includes half a dozen complex female characters and one trans male character, all of them captivating, sympathetic, repulsive, flawed, dangerous, selfless, determined, and damaged. They and Heartfield's powerful battle scenes make this well worth the price of admission. Jennifer Goloboy, Donald Maass Literary Agency (June)