Hillman presents a fascinating account of the role that women played during the Catholic Reformation in France. She reconstructs the devotional practices of a network of powerful women showing how they reconciled Catholic piety with their roles as part of an aristocratic elite, challenging the view that the Catholic Reformation was a male concern.

Introduction: Spiritual Friendship and Rigorist Devotional Culture 1 Prelude: A Spiritual Pedigree 2 Out of Egypt 3 Guardians of the Soul 4 Solitary Temples and Empty Shrines 5 In Pursuit of Solitude Conclusion