The Cleaner of Chartres

With her dark skin, her colourful clothes and her curious manner, Agnes Morel catches the eye of everyone she encounters. Before long she is cleaning for the Abbe Paul in the cathedral, organising lonely Professor Jones's chaotic papers and helping Philippe Nevers with his irresponsible sister and her newborn child. At the same time, she bewitches the local painter Robert Clement with her topaz eyes and captures the heart of Alain, the handsome restorer who works alongside her in the cathedral each morning. Little by little, day by day, she has a magical effect on each of their lives. But the mystery of Agnes's origins leads the jealous Madame Beck and her gossiping companion Madame Picot to all sorts of schemes and speculations. As the rumours grow stronger, Agnes is eventually forced to come to terms with her own traumatic past. 

From the author of the bestselling Miss Garnet's Angel and winner of the 2007 IMPAC Dublin award, The Cleaner of Chartres is the beautifully beguiling tale of a young woman who brings healing to a town that didn't know it needed it, only to find her own redemption among its community of lost souls.