Vita Brevis: A Letter to St Augustine


Vita Brevis: A Letter to St Augustine is a novel written by the Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder and originally published in 1996. Gaarder presents the text as written by Saint Augustine´s lover.

Plot

In the introduction, Gaarder claims that he found the old manuscript at a bookshop in Buenos Aires and translated it. According to his plotline, it was written by Floria Aemilia, Augustine's concubine, who after being abandoned by him, got a thorough Classical education, read his Confessions and felt compelled to write this text as an answer.

Editions