“For those who are already reading Christian mystics such as Julian of Norwich and those looking for a place to begin, Pillar of Fire vividly details the world in which such women lived. Joyce Hollyday’s compelling characters place readers among the Beguines in the ordinary and extraordinary parts of their communities.”

—Celeste Kennel-Shank, pastor and journalist published by The Christian Century, Faith & Leadership, and Sojourners



“In this historical novel, Hollyday, a veteran curator of women’s stories of faith, brings alive the remarkable (and too-long obscured) medieval Beguine movement. She weaves together feudal social disparities, Abrahamic traditions, ecclesial machinations, and doses of magical realism into a fabric of adventure that gallops across Europe to Sinai and back. Retelling the gospel story in a feminist key, Pillar of Fire is a compelling mirror for our own times and consciences.”

—Elaine Enns and Ched Myers, authors of Healing Haunted Histories: A Settler Discipleship of Decolonization



“This profound epic tale will move you to tears, incite your righteous anger, and inspire you to create authentic community. Reading Pillar of Fire is like taking a deep spiritual journey—one that will carve out a change in you. It certainly did that for me. Thank you for leading us, Joyce Hollyday.”

—Nancy Rue, author of The Reluctant Prophet Trilogy



“Joyce Hollyday writes with a crystal-clear eye for the well-being of all people. Here she brilliantly evokes two kinds of place—the world in which the characters live which none of us have experienced, and the inner life of meaning where all of us can meet each other.”

—Gareth Higgins, editor of The Porch Magazine



“This beautifully written story will make you weep, but will also certainly make you cheer. This book should be on every woman’s shelf right next to Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children books and Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games series.”

—Lynne Hinton, author of The Divine Private Detective Agency Series