Two Women

In Two Women, Jacqueline Rose fictionalizes and intertwines the lives of two remarkable figures: Edith Stein, the German-Jewish philosopher, Catholic convert and saint; and Gillian Rose, philosopher of German-Jewish thought, also a convert, and Jacqueline’s sister. In Two Women, Jacqueline Rose fictionalizes and intertwines the lives of two remarkable figures whose stories trace the contours of the twentieth century: Edith Stein, the German-Jewish philosopher, Catholic convert and saint; and Gillian Rose, philosopher of German-Jewish thought, also a convert, and Jacqueline’s sister. Through a luminous weaving of fiction and history, Rose traces the parallels and distances between these women – their intellect, faith, suffering and courage – while also confronting the mysteries of love, loss and belonging that shape every human life. A deeply moving book, Two Women is at once an act of remembrance and a daring work of imagination by one of the most important feminist writers of our time.