That same flower

In 1995, Jostein Gaarder was browsing in an antiquarian bookshop in Buenos Aires, and there, he claims, he came upon a copy of a letter to St. Augustine from his mistress, Floria Aemilia. A true historical figure, Floria was the mother of Augustine's only son. They lived together for over a decade in Africa and then in Italy, until Augustine banished Floria, intending to move on to a socially advantageous marriage. In the end, he never married, choosing instead a path of asceticism. From her exile, years later, Floria writes the letter that is That Same Flower. Having read Augustine's…