A troubadour's testament

by James Cowan

In a small town in southwestern France, among the relics and historical papers in the local museum, a writer uncovers an unusual scroll dating back to the twelfth century. The document is the work of a renowned troubadour named Marcebru, and it eulogizes the great love of his life, a beautiful young nun named Amedee de Jois. Marcebru's poignant tribute inspires the writer on a pilgrimage through the Provencal countryside - retracing the troubadour's steps eight centuries earlier - in an attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding Amedee's untimely death. In the process, the writer discovers a land steeped in the distant past, a history rich with esoteric philosophies, religious conflict, and the belief in the transformative ideal of perfect love.