Window on a reclusive religious community

The Visionist

**By** Rachel Urquhart

**Simon & Schuster,** €16.35

**Reviewed by** Joanne Hayden

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With her debut novel, Rachel Urquhart opens a window on the Shakers, the religious sect best remembered for the quality and design of its furniture. A former writer for Vogue, Spy and Allure magazines, Urquhart weaves her considerable research into the narrative so that the beliefs and rituals of the utopian community are vividly brought to life.

The story ...