Scarlet Music: A Life of Hildegard Von Bingen (Crossroad fiction program) [Paperback]

Joan O'Hanneson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997 | Series: Crossroad fiction program

In breathtaking prose, Joan Ohanneson has crafted an unforgettable encounter with Hildegard, the astonishing visionary and prophet, artist and healer, whose music is sweeping the charts today. Weaving into her text Hildegard's own vivid accounts of the Living Light the author brings to life the feather on the breath of God Hildegard of Bingen, who shattered stereotypes of women, of saints, and of God for all time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: The Crossroad Publishing Company (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082451646X
• ISBN-13: 978-0824516468
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,065,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good story with historical flaws, December 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Scarlet Music: A Life of Hildegard Von Bingen (Crossroad fiction program) (Paperback)

This book really does make Hildegard come to life, by presenting her in the context of her times and her beliefs. But there are lots of weird little historical mistakes that suddenly snap the reader out of 12th century Germany, making it hard to stay with the story line. For example: A monk says he thinks the nuns should just stick with their rosaries--but rosaries didn't exist then. The margravine is desribed as wearing a dress with lace at the sleeves, but lacemaking was still several centuries in the future. Bernard of Clairvaux is described as having a beard, but monks were clean-shaven--it was the friars of the next century that wore beards. And several characters supposedly wear velvet, but it hadn't been invented yet. I really wish the author had taken the time to research a little better, since Hildegard was (and is) such an appealing character. Historical novels that aren't true to their period are as annoying to read as stories with geographical or technological errors. Putting the archbishop in velvet is like putting Rome in France or giving President Lincoln a telephone--kinda makes it hard to believe the story after that.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Despite Some Historical Inaccuracies, this Book Shines!, October 1, 2000

By 

SeashellPoint "Nancy" (Fort Myers, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scarlet Music: A Life of Hildegard Von Bingen (Crossroad fiction program) (Paperback)

Having read several of the more scholarly treatises on Abbess Hildegard of Bingen, I'm finding it a breath of fresh air to experience her as a living being. The book is beautifully written and is not afraid to present Hildegard as all too human, dealing with the concerns and fears that must have accompanied her extraordinary visionary gifts. Although Hildegard would never have called herself a "feminist", since she embraced the precepts and beliefs of Catholicism, including the superiority of an all-powerful male God, she held women in high regard and challenged many of the assumptions of that time about women the value of women in the eyes of God. It is difficult to imagine that the Catholic church never officially granted sainthood to Hildegard; however, she is considered a saint in Germany - and I agree!

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hildegard comes alive., March 20, 1998

By 

sue "sue" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scarlet Music: A Life of Hildegard Von Bingen (Crossroad fiction program) (Paperback)

The life, the country, the contemporaries, and the political times of Hildegard come alive in this book. She was more than a religious woman who could write music - she had a great deal of courage and determination which even today would make her an outstanding feminist. Read it while listening to her music and find your dreams taking yyou to another world.