Three novels. Three eras. Three faces of fear.
Noirmoutier means “Black Monastery.” Spanning fourteen centuries, the trilogy turns that name into a metaphor for one of the most enduring forces in human life: fear.
ANNA
21st and 19th centuries
Fear of loving again.
After the sudden death of the man she loves, a young Russian artist retreats from life — until an inexplicable connection with Auguste Renoir and the island of Noirmoutier begins to draw her back. Yet love, once found again, carries its own shadow: the fear of having something precious to lose.
BÉATRICE
9th century
Fear of the other.
As Viking raids devastate the Atlantic coast of France, Béatrice builds a fortress on Noirmoutier — open to anyone in need of protection. But the greater danger is already inside the walls: fear can destroy a community long before the enemy reaches it.
AUSTRABERTA
7th century
Fear of the unlived life.
Austraberta, a woman destined for sainthood, and Philibert, the priest who loves her, choose different paths through life while remaining bound across decades — and, ultimately, across time itself. At the end of a long and meaningful life, Philibert faces a terrifying question: what if the path he chose was not the one he was meant to follow?
BÉATRICE — FROM RUSSIAN ORIGINAL TO FRENCH RECOGNITION
First published in Russian by Ridero in 2016, Béatrice was soon translated into French and published by Sydney Laurent in 2018. In 2019, it became a laureate of Le Grand Concours littéraire du monde francophone. A second French edition followed in 2025, published by Éditions Baudelaire.
THE TRILOGY — PUBLICATION & RIGHTS
Black Monastery is a completed trilogy of three novels, originally written in Russian.
Béatrice has been published in two French editions; Anna and Austraberta remain unpublished in translation.
French and other translation rights to the trilogy are available.
MICHAEL HANIAN
Michael Hanian is a Russian-born writer, composer, and librettist based in France. Across fiction and music, his work returns repeatedly to the choices that shape a human life, and to the interplay of love, fear, memory, and time.
REQUEST MATERIALS
Complete manuscripts, synopses, and publishing materials are available upon request.
CONTACT MICHAEL HANIAN