The Astronomer by Lawrence Goldstone

 The story is set in 1534 during the reign of a flamboyant King Francis I, during French Inquisition against Protestants, and during a time when it is believed that the Earth with its mankind is the center of the universe and the exploration of the subject is forbidden by the Church.

Amaury de Faverges, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Savoy, becomes the doctor of theology at the Catholic College de Montaigu, under harsh conditions enduring “beatings, feculence, lice, depravation of sleep, terrible food and trivial disputations. (…) To wipe away the stain of his birth.” His love for the forbidden science takes him on a journey that shapes his decisions. He is put in a difficult situation and agrees to spy for the Inquisition. His undercover work takes him to the court of the King’s sister Marquerite of Navarre, where he uncovers documents written by a man named Nicolas Copernicus from Poland. Documents which claim that the Earth is not the center of the universe. It is the Sun. This only confirms what Amaury was already suspecting. The Inquisition takes another turn and he is being sent to Poland.

The main character of Amaury de Faverges is fictional, but the representation of College de Montaigu is true and the fact of illegitimate sons of high-born fathers often directed into the Church to receive a decree of legitimacy from the pope is true. Most of the characters are historical. It is a very interesting read and well-written.

@Facebook/Best Historical Fiction