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It is 1348 and a deadly plague has seized the walled town of Avignon, South of France. Hard buboes in the groin and armpit mark the pestilence and, with a raging fever, mortality is swift. A small minority of the people react with bravery, the majority with cowardice as the place closes to the outside world.
Young Marius leads the struggle to combat the infection, though a liaison with the mysterious Alice distracts his efforts. How can he reconcile passion with a duty to his wife and responsibility to the townsfolk?
Unbeknown to Marius, Pope Clement in his palace harbours a burning desire for vengeance on the boy's father, over forty years earlier. What has driven the Pontiff to such unbefitting thoughts, and how can he tame his own lust for Alice? So many men and women seek resolution to their plight but, as the summer comes so the number of deaths rises inexorably.
My tale depicts how, even in the days of darkest despair, the human spirit of self-sacrifice and heroism can shine like a beacon. I hope you will enjoy reading the novel and are moved by my story that is based on the true history of Ancient Avignon in 1348.
