Category: Christian Literature

Reading The Abbess of Whitby

Title: The Abbess of Whitby: A novel of Hild of Northumbria
Author: Jill Dalladay
Published by Lion Fiction
Year: 2015
Format Read: Kindle
Pages: 380
Language: English
ASIN: B0156O6148
Dates Read: 2023, January 7 to 28

I found this book while browsing for different types of Christian books to read. I wanted to read a biography or historical fiction novel about a nun. Although I was unfamiliar with Hild of Whitby or Northumbria, this book seemed interesting.

The story takes place in 7th century Northumbria. This is a prose novel, but like a play, the author lists virtually all of the characters who will be in the story at the start of the book. She also lists maps, a family tree, and well-titled chapters. All of this detail before the story begins made me wonder if I would be able to keep up with all the details through the story, but it ended up being nothing to worry about. I like Dalladay’s writing style. Many sentences are packed full of detail, unusual words, and read rhythmic like poetry.

All types of events and adventures happen fast: conquests, battles, festivals, riding, etc. Many characters are historical figures, and many events that occur are recorded in history. While Hild is the novel’s main character, many others receive ample attention. I’ve never read a novel with so many historical characters, but thankfully, I was able to keep up. I only confused around 3 characters because they had similar sounding names.

The dynamic in the first part of the novel was the most intriguing to me: King Edwin and his people are pagans. Queen Elthelberga is a Christian from another place whom he married. She came to his kingdom with her own chaplain, monks, and other Christian people. Her chaplain is constantly striving for a Christian influence in the kingdom. Hild is growing up during this time. She, her sister, and mother are handmaidens to the queen and serve the king’s court.

Hild and others have to accept a compulsory baptism. She still prays to older gods and believes in them for years. Eventually, she grows to appreciate the Christian teachings and the monks’ gospel work. The dynamic with her husband and son are so fascinating, deep, and tragic that I was surprised that they were some of the few non-historical characters. By the last part of the book, she is helping to lead a double monastery or mixed community. This was cool to read about. You have people who are a part of the order but lay people as well. They help each other out. It seems like an amazing community with people of different stations. The monks spread literacy, travel to other places, and just seem to have so much peace and joy in life. A lot of people visit as well. They trade scrolls of scripture and enjoy teaching. Hild helps operate the community and the infirmary for the sick. The children help, play, and hunt. Caedmon makes a cameo, and he makes music.

This book was amazing to read, and I loved it. I especially enjoyed reading about the love that the different Christians had for each other and the gospel; this made me feel like I was transported far above the daily grind. I read online that the author passed away in 2019; I would have loved to read more of her books.

Some Quotes:

The chapel looked like a workshop: plain, bare wood, with monks on either side of a cross on a table. The queen knelt, head in hands, soft skirts fanning out in the straw. In a monotone, one group echoing the other, the men chanted softly. Mesmerized, Hild felt herself relax. So this was Ethelburga’s secret. Far from kindred, ill-matched consort of a fierce old warlord, prey to insult and pain, she always shed calm. It came from worshipping her God. There was no climax, none of Thor’s frenzy, no High Priest or sacrifice. The singing simply stopped, leaving an echo in the stillness. Then the monks bustled forward like ordinary men. (pg. 42)

“Erpwald!” Edwin had heard him. “Come and ride with me! About the route…” “Honoured, my lord.” He spurred forward: too eagerly for her liking. He was friendly, funny, and she wanted to know him better. Coifi, the king’s priest, awaited them in a hilltop grove, his white robes shining through the trees. His stance, his stillness, made Hild shudder; someone had told her that, before living memory, Eostre’s maid was herself the spring sacrifice. “Name?” With a start she saw Coifi holding out his arms for the child. “Anfled.” Edwin’s voice rang out. “To Woden’s shrine,” Coifi cried, bearing the baby into the trees. “Follow me!” (pg. 51)

Credo in unum Deum… Surprisingly soon she was, slowly and laboriously, writing the familiar Latin words. I believe in one God… And she really did, she realized with amazement. It had taken an age to shake off Thor and the fear of woods and thunderclaps, but at last she was winning through. Her new God did not mete out erratic punishments. He loved her as his daughter. “The Creed, summary of Christian belief,” Utta explained. “That and Jesus’ model prayer. The two basics.” And with a new clarity she understood why each convert must take them to heart before being baptized. (pg. 253)

A Meander Through The Tahn Saga

I was trying to find Christian fiction to read, and I found this series listed on the www.christianbook.com website. I thought that it was a Christian fantasy series, but it is more of a medieval fiction series with historical liberties.

Title: Tahn: A Novel
Series: The Tahn Saga
Serial: Book 1
Author: L.A. Kelly
Published by Fleming H. Revell
Year: 2005
Format Read: Kindle
Pages: 337
Language: English
ASIN: B00B85CMR0
Dates Read 2022 November 24 to November 26

Before the story begins, Kelly includes an author’s note explaining why she wrote the book. She was propelled to write it, and she hoped that the message of God’s mercy, love, and forgiveness are evident throughout the work. She does state that the book cannot be defined as truly historical fiction that takes place in Europe. The story “claimed a place and time all its own…” (page 8).

Within the first chapters, there is a lot of action and violence; Tahn kills a few people just within the first few pages. Tahn has to do the bidding of his evil mercenary master Samis. Samis took Tahn from a city as a child. Samis trained him to steal, kill, and destroy at his request. Even before the woman Netta, who Tahn kidnaps, shares the gospel with him, he is already somewhat redemptive. He had made the decision to disobey Samis and rescue several children from his lair. Tahn is trying to protect Netta’s life, honor, and he is not mercilessly mean. Despite all that she goes through, Netta is very devout: she teaches and preaches about the Christian faith throughout the entire novel. There are a lot of mini sermons and lessons; this book seems like something that Lynn Brooks could narrate on BBN radio during the time slot that they have her narrate a Christian story. There are several characters in this novel that have more characterization and emphasis in the next two novels. Not everyone accepts Christ, but a lot of the characters do. The events do have a good resolution, and a person could stop reading the series at the first novel.

Title: Return to Alastair
Series: The Tahn Saga
Serial: Book 2
Author: L.A. Kelly
Published by Revell
Year: 2006
Format Read: Kindle
Pages: 369
Language: English
ASIN: B00B85CN8I
Dates Read 2022, November 27 to December 5

As of writing this, the book series is still out of order on Amazon. The website has this book listed as the last book in the series, but it is the second. There is no author’s note in this one. This book has many of the same characters as the first one, and it introduces some new characters, namely Tahn’s sister Tiarra. You learn how Tahn is related to nobility, and it’s another adventure. However, Tahn is sick for several pages, and it seems like the dreams he has while sick reveals a lot of the plot’s mystery.

Title: The Scarlet Trefoil
Series: The Tahn Saga
Serial: Book 3
Author: L.A. Kelly
Published by Revell
Year: 2007
Format Read: Kindle
Pages: 305
Language: English
ASIN: B007TV0VVG
Dates Read 2022, December 9 to December 17

This book was more perilous and darker than the last two. It was hard to pause reading because many chapters end pitifully, and I kept wanting to take a break from reading on a happy note. It was a bit anguishing to read about Netta’s kidnapping and Tahn’s abuse at the hands of the bandits and others paid by Lionell Trent. Throughout the story, there is such an overwhelming amount of thoughts and emotions that to me, it started to get a bit repetitive. I know how all of the characters feel, please let’s continue advancing the plot. In my opinion, it was too much talking and feelings and not enough action.

 

Overall Impressions and Other Comments

This is a decent Christian fiction series. I thought that the series had a lovely ending. Although several priests are mentioned, and the setting is loosely based on Medieval Europe, there is emphasis on general themes of Christianity common to Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox. There is no mention of Mary, saints or The Five Solas. There is emphasis mainly on God’s providence, trust, prayer, assurance, forgiveness, stewardship, and redemption.

If any of the characters are memorable to me, they would be Tahn and Lucas. I loved their platonic relationship the most. I appreciated the camaraderie that Tahn, the Trillets, and others had with the children.

The one thing that I found confusing is what dialogue belonged to which character. Usually, when a different character speaks, a new paragraph is started, but here not so:
“What can you tell us?” Netta whispered to Amos. “He rests well. Breathes stronger.” This is on pg 195 of The Scarlet Trefoil and it was hard for me to see that Amos started taking after Netta because both sets of dialogue are in the same paragraph.

There were some unrealistic elements to me. This could be historically accurate, but I did find it weird that people wear boots without stockings, socks, etc. Also, another odd thing is how Tahn’s relative complains about being barefoot throughout several pages, but I kept wondering what does she do during the winter. It was odd that Tahn is forced to walk barefoot for miles, but his feet do not hurt, just other parts of his body from injury. The scene where Tahn takes off Netta’s shoe to examine her ankle just seemed really forward of him, and I felt it could have been written better. The series increasingly has a lot of dialogue with a lot of emphasis on the various characters’ thoughts and feelings; I started to desire more action. The plot and story advancement takes a halt in order for us to review every thought and mental process of various characters.

Unfortunately, the author passed away in 2011 years ago with one of her children in a car accident. She wrote other books under her name Leisha Kelly. They look interesting, and I may try to read her other works.

Contemplating Lost in Darkness

Title: Lost in Darkness (Of Monsters and Men)
Author: Michelle Griep
Published by Barbour Books
Year: November 2021
Format Read: Kindle
Pages: 323
Language: English
ASIN: B09FP1WHKN
Dates Read: August 1 to August 8 2022

I was enthralled by Gallimore, so I wanted to read another book by this author. Since I absolutely loved reading Frankenstein in school, I decided to go with Lost in Darkness, a Christian novel inspired by the famous assigned reading. Each chapter begins with a quote from Shelley’s famous novel. The story setting is in 1815, England. I thought that it would take a few chapters to build intrigue, but the story immediately starts out dynamic. The entire novel has a pensive and/or ominous mood with just a few funny moments. It was a nice nod of Griep to write Mary Godwin/Shelley into the novel as a character-an eventual neighbor of main character Amelia. The historical notes and bibliography were very helpful in understanding time period elements included in the story.

Several of the characters are Christian. At various times, one will act or say something super devout and full of spiritual wisdom, then at other times, the same character acts like someone new to the faith and full of doubt. Moreover, it’s like everyone, whether antagonist or protagonist, is kind of lost in their own darkness of some sort (unmended relationships, choices, full of regret, unruly emotions, pride).

For me, this story’s ending is bittersweet. I thought that the brother would have had a more satisfying ending. While reading the novel, I was thinking that either the surgery would be successful or that he would not have the surgery at all. I thought that either way, he would be able to go on with his life by the story’s end. He was portrayed as such a comprehensive and good-natured character that I was not expecting such a tragic end. I know that Frankenstein was not exactly a happy ending either, but I thought this novel would be a bit more hopeful. It was actually more realistic here than science fiction and fantastical. I thought that maybe he would actually get to have a normal appearance, but he has to learn not to become arrogant or something. Also, to me, it felt like the ending for the antagonist could have been different-something felt missing-perhaps a trial scene? However, the romance and career aspects among the two leads end rather well.

Reading The Screwtape Letters

Title: The Screwtape Letters
Author: C.S. Lewis
Published by HarperOne
Edition Year: 2009
Format Read: Kindle
Pages: 222
Language: English
ASIN: B002BD2V2Y
First Published by Geoffrey Bles, London, in 1942
Dates Read: June 26 to July 10 2022

So far, I have read a few works by Lewis: an essay/letter or so, Mere Christianity, Till We Have Faces, God in the Dock, and The Weight of Glory. They have been thoughtful, and I have taken several notes. In school, other Christians raved over the Narnia series (which I hope to read in entirety one day), but I was unfamiliar with his other works until much later, when I started exploring Christian apologetics and philosophy.

I’m looking for other writings to read, and recently the Desiring God website posted several interesting excerpts from The Screwtape Letters, so I decided to read this Christian classic. Overall, this book is very witty and insightful. It was like reading a spiritual warfare manual from the devil’s perspective. Some of the letters were easier for me to understand and/or relate to than others. Some letters kind of lost me, it was harder for me to understand the point or the context, the elements of the era, and I had to reread passages a few times. I wondered if I should have purchased the annotated version instead. If I ever read this again, I would probably use a study guide or participate in a discussion group.

One takeaway that I received from this work is about the power of prayer in the believer’s life. It can be fatal, so the devil has to try to distract the Christian or weaken the attempt by various methods. Another takeaway is the importance of relationships that we have with others and how they can influence our spiritual walk; the devil has to “play” the relationships the person has with others. Spiritual warfare is ongoing through life, but God can grant rest. In this story, the patient ‘gets away’ from the devil’s grasp for good.

Although the work is clever, CSL discusses how it was tiring and “sad” to constantly write from the devil’s side. This reminds me of a comment that a Christian writer made on his blog that I am paraphrasing here: He reads works by famous atheists, mainly polemics against religion. The worldview depicted is so bleak, and he has oppressive feelings while reading these works. So, he has to take breaks and read scripture or works by Christians to cheer up. CSL also discusses how he would have liked to balance the work with an angelic perspective, but he felt that it would be too difficult to depict perfection.