After surviving the horrors of the Black Death, a lapsed nun takes to the road alone, protected from rain and robbers by the skin of a bear. In 1351, many in England begin thinking that their mighty overlords - Church and Crown - have no control over their fates and a new horizon beckons. It's a time when labor is in high demand, and nature offers immense bounty to those who have survived death and disease. Sister Mary Thomas stumbles into a manor house and when she is mistaken for its Baroness she discovers she now has the power to liberate peasants threatened in new ways and perhaps even build a community where all can ask, "what happens if I get what I have always wanted?" That's where the danger lies: their freedom is a threat to powerful people determined to keep what is theirs. Praise for Dancing Through A Deluge: "Jess Wells has an unparalleled command of the historical intricacies of plagues, floods, and man-made disasters. Her mythical tale of how a faux baroness, an imprisoned wet nurse, a bereft rabbit warrener and an erstwhile farmer might remake the world is captivating from the first page. The ability of Wells to make the sweep of history and its unique characters touch all of us is on par with Hilary Mantel." - Jewelle Gomez, author of The Gilda Stories "An engrossing and affectionate story of found community and strength in the face of adversity. MT has already survived the plague, so when the deluge comes, she is prepared. A story about the interdependence of all living things, Dancing Through a Deluge is a delightful, heartfelt story, both poignant and joyful." - Kate Murdoch, author of The Orange Grove "Jess Wells has cleverly reimagined the world through the eyes of an unlikely heroine, a tiny, misshapen former nun wandering the countryside. In a case of mistaken identity, she finds herself in charge of an estate and the lives of a colorful cast of characters, each grappling with their identities, past demons, and hopes for the future. This captivating story will restore your faith in human nature and the ability to rise from the depths of despair to reinvent a future in an entirely new landscape. Heroes and villains abound but the irrepressible human spirit restores our faith in humanity. A clever, poignant, uplifting read." - Catherine Hemingway, author of The Matchmaker of Pemberley. "Few have the ability to take a moment in time past and render it fully with sights, sounds, odors and emotions. Jess Wells has it and her latest, Dancing Through a Deluge, is a delightful example of a story-part fable, part legend-where you can not only enjoy the 14th century cast of characters but also identify with them, many centuries later." - Felice Picano, author of Pursuit: A Victorian Entertainment Dancing Through a Deluge by Jess Wells is a smile-inducing tale of danger and delight... a riveting and immersive story that blurs the lines between the wretched and the righteous. Magnificent character development is showcased by a cast of individuals such as MT, Claudia, Percy, Jacob, and more. ... A carefully measured pace that intensifies as the pages turn results in an exemplary read for fans of novels with a historical setting. I can easily recommend this novel with a wink and a smile. - Gaius Konstantine for Readers' Favorite
