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Brother Cadfael's Penance (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)

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Alas and alack! There will be no more Brother Cadfael mysteries. Ellis Peters is gone, but she has left a rich estate for all her readers, especially in the well-known Brother Cadfael series.

Cadfael's conflict in the book is between his monastic vows and what he perceives to be his natural duties as a father. His son Olivier has been captured and none know where he is. Cadfael looks for Olivier though he knows the search may cost him his home in Shrewesbury Abbey.

Later parts of the book deal with the issue that an honorable man may do that which seems most dishonorable if it helps end a destructive war.

Ellis Peter's characters are far more realistic and human than most. They are sympathetic, mostly good characters torn by events, doing wrong in reaction to being trapped in unpitying reality. Her characters are consistent and believable with a few possible exceptions. Olivier, for example, seems all perfection -- yet is this not how his loving father would see him?

As a whole, the Cadfael series is an excellent blend of plot, character, and setting. Brother Cadfael's Penance, the last written in the series, is one of the best. The insights are richer and deeper, the characters more engaging, the conflicts of a bigger yet always very human scale.

Witness if you will, reader, the Chronicles of one Brother Cadfael of the Benedictine abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul in Shrewsbury, Shropshire: witness the twenty adventures of this most unusual monk, herbalist and former crusader, occurring between the years of Our Lord 1138 and 1145, in the middle of the devastating civil war between Empress Maud and King Stephen for the English crown. Witness, reader, how this rare Benedictine's "practically miraculous" powers of deduction (Booklist) helped him solve mysteries such as that of the unfortunate violent death of a Welsh lord who sought to prevent the relocation of the sacred bones of his village's maiden saint to no other place but Shrewsbury's very own Benedictine abbey ("A Morbid Taste for Bones," the first Chronicle); the long-held secrets hidden under the rags worn by one of the unfortunate residents of Shrewsbury's leper colony, and that ill-fated soul's connection to a fair young bride come to Shrewsbury to be wedded at St. Peter and St. Paul, only to find her groom - himself a brute in a gentleman's clothes - murdered only shortly after their arrival ("The Leper of St. Giles," the fifth Chronicle); and a woman's earthly remains, found in a field bequeathed to the abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul by a potter who, struggling between the callings of a husband and those of a servant of the Lord, had relinquished his marital vows in favor of those to the church ("The Potter's Field," the seventeenth Chronicle).

Pause however, reader, before proceeding to this twentieth and last Chronicle, if you are not familiar with all accounts of Brother Cadfael's previous extraordinary ventures. Pause, I say, and seek out the Chronicle entitled "The Virgin in the Ice," which is the sixth in order and takes place in the winter of the year 1139. For in that report you shall encounter not only certain persons important to the events you must expect to learn about in this last Chronicle, duly referred to as "Brother Cadfael's Penance," but you shall also learn about certain details about Brother Cadfael's past, and the life he led among the defenders and the residents of the Holy Land in the year 1112. And while it is true that the essence of said facts, insofar as indispensable to the telling of this present and final Chronicle, will again be revealed to you as you progress through this present account, trust me if I tell you, reader, that your enjoyment and understanding of this final Chronicle will be greatly enhanced by having acquainted yourself with the full revelation of said facts, events and personae, as encountered in said prior Chronicle. At the very least, reader, accept my humble suggestion that you seek out the visual representation of said prior Chronicle, equally referred to as "The Virgin in the Ice," which is part of the most excellent productions also entitled "The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael," created in the past century's last decade.

Thus prepared, proceed then to this last Chronicle, which takes place in the year 1145, when a conference was held in the great city of Coventry, presided over by none other than the mighty archbishops of Coventry, Winchester and Ely, to bring an end to England's bitter civil war. And Brother Cadfael is in attendance; not, however, because he has been called upon to lend his services to the cause of diplomacy, which regrettably is a foregone conclusion between enemies as deeply opposed as Maud and Stephen, but to make inquiries about a certain young knight named Olivier de Bretagne. For said knight, of Syrian extraction and near and dear to Cadfael's heart, has been captured in a struggle following his noble lord's fiat to abandon their allegiance to the empress and join the king's forces instead, and he is now held without any offer of ransom, which is unheard of in the customs of war. And while Cadfael sojourns in Coventry, a haughty nobleman, who has played a most dubitable role in the change of allegiance of the forces of his and Olivier's liege, is found murdered, by none other than Olivier's brother-in-law, Yves Hugonin; himself barely out of a boy's clothes and now a liensman of the empress, and readily declared the crime's chief suspect. Thus facing the unfortunate concurrence of two duties of worldly allegiance - to locate Olivier and to clear Yves's good name - Cadfael must realize that those worldly duties irreconcilably collide with that owed to his monastic community. For he is bound to his abbot not to stay away from Shrewsbury for longer than is necessary to attend the truce conference, after the end of which he is to return to the abbey instantly, or break his vows; and unable to complete either of said two worldly duties in time to comply with that owed to his abbot, break his vows he feels he must. Yet, it is with a heavy heart that Cadfael does so, and casts himself out of the Benedictine community which has been his home and family for over twenty years, to follow a calling stronger than even that of the Holy Church; thus opening the conflicts of his heart to you, reader, more than he has ever done before.

"Brother Cadfael sprang to life suddenly and unexpectedly when he was already approaching sixty, mature, experienced, fully armed and seventeen years tonsured," his chronicler Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) wrote in a 1988 introduction to the 1979 short story collection "A Rare Benedictine," set in 1120 and compiled after the success of the first Chronicle to shed light on Cadfael's entry into monastic life. Would that she had had more time on this earth to bring us further accounts of his adventures! Sadly, this was not to be the case. But as things stand, she could not have left us with a better conclusion to his exploits. Rest in peace therefore, Mistress, and may you have many pleasant conversations with Brother Cadfael, wherever you have encountered him since!

Also recommended:
A Rare Benedictine
A Morbid Taste for Bones: The First Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
One Corpse Too Many: The Second Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
Monk's Hood: The Third Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
Leper of Saint Giles (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)
The Virgin in the Ice (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)
The Cadfael Collection
A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury

...it should come as no surprise that BrotherCadfael feels he must pay penance for his, as well. And in this20th--and final--chronicle of Brother Cadfael, Ellis Peters takes us a giant step forward in her characterization of the good Benedictine monk, a man once a member of the Crusades and now wrestling against sin behind the cloth.

In "Brother Cadfael's Penance," Peters permits Cadfael to come face to face with another aspect of his life--a time before his monastic vows. It is 1145 and the great civil war rages on between King Stephen and Empress Maud. However, there is hope. A meeting between the two factions is scheduled for Coventry and Brother Cadfael secures permission from the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Shrewsbury to attend. Known widely for his skills in diplomacy, as well as crime solving abilities, Cadfael, however, wishes to attend for a very personal reason. He is seeking news of a young knight, Olivier de Bretagne. Olivier is Cadfael's son, from his days fighting in the Holy Land as a crusader. His holy vows aside, he feels he must do all within his power to save his son.

Peters, as always, presents Cadfael as more than human--she gives us a man for all seasons, as it were. In addition, she presents the good brother in a realistic but incredibly humane manner. He is a man whom we can love, respect, yes, even

cherish. Peters' ability to draw out these characteristics is perhaps what makes the series so fascinating. Hers is a series not to be missed. One probably should read them in the order they were written; or at least, read earlier ones before this one, as the poignancy of the meeting between father and son is so much more dramatized when the reader has the background to appreciate such a climactic episode. I cannot imagine a reader being disappointed!

(Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Ellis Peters did a wonderful job with the last book in the Chronicles of Brother Cadfael. Cadfael gets word that his secret son, Olivier de Breatgne, has been taken prisoner in the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud, and has not been offered for ransom. Born in the far East of a Syrian mother, and choosing his unknown father's religion to join the English, Olivier does not know that Brother Cadfael is his father. By chance Cadfael met him he when looking for two missing children, and the monk realised that the young man was the son that he never knew he had. Now Olivier is prisoner, his whereabouts and imprisoner unknown. Although Cadfael has broken the Rule of the Benedictine Order before, he has never broken his monastic vows. But as he said, "Knowing or unknowing, before I was a brother I was a father." Cadfael is torn between the monastic life he loves so dearly and the duty he feels to find his son and set him free. A wonderfully moving and exciting book.

Had Ellis Peters know this would be her final "Brother Cadfael" book before her death, she couldn't have written a better one. Returning to the fascinating plot line of Cadfael's long-lost son, Olivier, she does an excellent job of balancing Cadfael's love for his monastery and his monastic profession with his love and devotion to the son he has only begun to know. Almost everyone in life has experienced the tension of two loves that nearly tears them apart and destroys them. Ms. Peters again does a wonderful job of keeping her characters true to themselves, to their times, and to the interplay developed in the long line of Cadfael mysteries. I very much enjoyed the book!

It is unfortunate that Ellis Peters has died. I do not know if this book was meant to be the final chapter in the Cadfael series, but it brings the series to an appropriate ending. Brother Cadfael's search for his son, the end of much of the series political strife, and Cadfael's acceptance and embracing of his clerical life tie up many of the series' themes.

A terrific series that transcends usual mystery genre's conventions and limitations.

BUT! Now Brother Cadfael belongs to history, and the readers who love him so.

Start at the beginning and READ THIS SERIES! Miss Peters had an unparalleled gift for conjuring the most beautiful images with her words. I mean, how many people can write about the grim and gritty middle ages and almost make you want to live there? When Cadfael digs in his garden and breathes in the scent of his herbs, you are there, my friend.

In this volume we again meet Olivier, Cadfael's son. That would make it worth buying alone, but we also get a brilliant story with EP's usual marvelous characters. What a marvelous ending to this stand-out series.

I enjoy Ellis Peters on a number of levels. Her mysteries are fun, her way of handling history is interesting and the way she handles language makes for a lovely reading experience. I suppose I should wonder how a man as cloistered as Cadfael could possibly run into so many unfortunate circumstances, but I never do. I love the pace of Cadfael's life and the depth of his character. I love best his honor and the quality of his faith. I found this the best of the series. The character lived and breathed in his quest, and in the pain his decision cost him. We see him as a fully rounded man - a solidly spiritual person who is also quick witted and capable. But there's more to it than that - there is such love in this book, such affection for humanity, that it was a rich, satisfying read. Action for the action minded, complexity for the intelligent, and warm - for those who read to find friends.

Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter) came to my attention early in the Brother Cadfael series, and has seldom been a disappointment. This novel has an interesting, historically sound plot, a keen grasp of human nature, and great characterization throughout.

More than one reviewer has marveled at the virtuousness of her medieval characters, but when Peters paints a portrait of virtue, it is never cheap, sentimental, or caricatured. In a 21st-century culture trying to light the dead wood of honor and chivalry with the fickle tinder of cynicism, warrior monks like Brother Cadfael were and are a welcome breath of fresh air. Those reviewers who dismiss Cadfael as too saintly have let his faithfulness to Benedictine rule and Catholic orthodoxy blind them to his literary kinship with the good-but-not-to-be-messed-with likes of Huckleberry Finn and Phillip Marlowe.

After reading Ellis Peters' 20th and last Cadfael story I can't help but feel a little sad knowing that there will be no more coming. The Cadfael novels were all finely written and satisfying as mysteries and historical novels. In this last installment, there is a murder mystery, but Cadfael ends up solving much more than a crime. In fact, the crime solving aspect is a small part of this story that mostly surrounds the relationships between a father and an estranged son. I think most fans will agree that it isn't one of the best three or four, but it was very good, and is a fitting conclusion to the Cadfael story.