In the second half of the 16th century, in the countries of Catholic Europe, a dowry of such size was demanded for a bride that even in noble families, parents usually gave only one daughter in marriage. The rest were sent - at a much more modest price - to monasteries. In the major cities and city-states of Italy, up to half of the women of noble birth became nuns. Not always of her own free will... This story took place in the northern Italian city of Ferrara in 1570... Sixteen-year-old Serafina, separated from her lover, is placed in the monastery of Santa Caterina in Ferrara. Her appearance threatens to disturb the peace of the holy monastery. After all, Serafina is ready to pay any price to escape from the monastery. Will she be able to find allies within the holy walls? “Sacred Hearts” is a magnificent new book by Sarah Dunant, whose novels “In the Company of a Courtesan” and “The Birth of Venus” became world bestsellers and were published in more than thirty countries. For the first time in Russian!< /p>