Irina

Irina's story begins in what should have been a quiet period in Europe's turbulent history, but in 1378's Poznan, Poland, her life turns upside down when her family disowns her because she became pregnant by the son of a Jewish merchant in whose house Irina worked as a servant. The Joselewicz family, including their son who loved her, could not welcome her because as Jews, they were blamed for the latest visitation of the Black Death, and were burned alive for their faith--and their wealth. Alone in world ruled by the church and dominated by men, this young peasant girl must find a way to survive, but in saving herself, she makes unyielding enemies who will do everything possible to expose her secret, even to the point of murdering her and her unborn child.

How Irina escapes the plague on a journey across Europe, how she comes to understand the God she believed let her down, and how she becomes a member of France's nobility is what she recalls as she nears life's end. Guilt makes her wonder how, in the ledgers of heaven, she will fare at the final accounting.Yet, as she considers the men in her life who'd come and gone, who'd loved and hated her, another question remains. The only son for whom she'd given so much has gone away, and she's heard nothing. Will she see him again?Irina's story is one of good and evil, of despair and satisfaction, of a life well lived. What she comes to believe about the existence of God, about her soul, and about the value of life are what sets her story apart. Will you come along on her journey?