Spiritual Sonnets

Born into a wealthy family in Toulouse, Gabrielle de Coignard (ca. 1550-86) married a prominent statesman in 1570. Widowed three years later, with two young daughters to raise, Coignard turned to writing devotional verse to help her cope with her practical and spiritual struggles.

Spiritual Sonnets presents the first English translation of 129 of Coignard''s highly autobiographical poems, giving ...