MATRIX
Among the books shortlisted for the National Book Award this week is Lauren Groff’s MATRIX. The elevator pitch may sound archaic: Marie de France, a 12th-century “bastardess of the crown” is banished from Court by Eleanor of Aquitane and settles at a nunnery, from where she builds an empire. But I promise, Groff has written the most compelling, page-turning version of that story. Marie is an ambitious, thorny protagonist who cultivates her power with care. MATRIX may be a cautionary tale about the dangers of being too power-hungry, but Groff sustains the reader's sympathy for her protagonist through the entire novel. A great read for anyone craving a strong female lead who isn’t just a dude in a hot woman’s body!
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production
