Every Chapter, In Order

Loudun, 1631–1634 — a charismatic priest, a convent gripped by supposed possession, and a trial that ended at the stake, in twelve chapters.

The twelve chapters trace a truly documented case from its origins in ordinary professional rivalry through its escalation into one of early modern Europe's most notorious witch trials. Dumas draws directly on surviving trial records for many of the account's most damning details, including the staged exorcisms and Grandier's torture under the "boot." See the full overview page for more on the real history, or this site's blog piece on how this case fits a wider pattern of convent possession panics.