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In chapter four of The Castle of Heavenly Bliss, Aine O’Riordan arrives in Binawarra, her spirits shattered, the causes of which are only darkly hinted at. In this Vale of Tears begins with the dark mysterious events that led to her shattered spirits as a postulant in the order of the Sisters of the Suffering Saviour, events which force her to give up her desire to join the religious life. With great sorrow she leaves behind friend and fellow postulant Virginia Pearson to deal with the unexplained happenings and an atmosphere that seem to be infecting the life of the convent.
Virginia Pearson (later Sister Agnes), suspicious of Margaret McGuigan’s (later Sister Catherine) role in all this, enters into a barely suppressed conflict with her through their religious training to their university course in 1962. The intrusion of Virginia Pearson’s former fiancé – and senior university lecturer – into her life as Sister Agnes adds a further unexpected problem. During this time Aine, who has maintained contact with Sister Agnes and been drawn into the world of fashion modelling, unwittingly plays a connecting role in the deepening conflict and the continuing mysteries that see Agnes and Aine each rushing towards a crisis.
The themes of the 'Goddess' and Gnosticism introduced in The Castle of Heavenly Bliss are further developed in In This Vale of Tears. The second book in the Winterbine trilogy.
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