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64 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A MEMORABLE DEBUT NOVEL..., June 18, 2005
This is a well-researched work of historical fiction that captures the essence of medieval life in feudal England. It is set against the precarious political and religious philosophical backdrop of the turbulent fourteenth century. It is a time when life was cheap, and death always seemed to be just around the corner. It tells the story of two people whose paths cross in the latter half of fourteenth century England and the events that follow. The politics of the day, both the religious and secular ones, would leave their imprint on each of them, as well as on their progeny. Lady Kathryn, having been locked in a loveless marriage, has recently been liberated by her dissolute husband's death. In a time when women were little more than chattel, she has been left as mistress of Blackingham Manor in East Anglia. She is trying to shepherd it along, as it is the inheritance of her fifteen-year-old twin sons, Alfred and Colin. She is fraught with concerns over money and the possibility that John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster with whom her late husband imprudently allied himself, and who was now Regent to the young King Richard, might not maintain his power for long. If so, the fact that he is a patron of the heretic John Wycliffe and his Lollard followers could prove to be potentially disastrous for her and her family. In order to try to conserve her property, as she fears that it will be swallowed up by the King's taxes, as well as the seemingly endless tithes required by the church, Lady Kathryn agrees to take in a boarder at the local abbot's request. In addition to conserving her property, she is also trying to keep at bay the unwelcome advances of Sir Guy, the local sheriff and friend of her late, unlamented husband, as well as the owner of the property adjacent to Blackingham Manor. She knows full well that she would just be the means to acquiring Blackingham Manor and increasing his holdings. The boarder in question is an artisan named Finn, who has with him a beautiful teenage daughter named Rose. Together they take refuge at Blackingham Manor. Finn is a master illuminator who works for the Church. While working for the Church, however, he labors in secret for the heretic John Wycliffe, illuminating an English translation of the Bible, something that is forbidden by the Church. Moreover, Finn is a widower with a secret past, one that will cause Lady Kathryn much grief of her own making. The freethinking Finn and the newly liberated lady of Blackingham Manor soon find that they have quite a bit in common. Their friendship grows into a passionate romance that neither of them would have expected or anticipated. In the wake of their passion, however, a chain of unstoppable events is unleashed. Finn and Lady Kathryn's relationship will lead her to a crossroad where she finds herself with her loyalties divided between Finn and her sons, forcing her to make a choice she would rather not have to make. Moreover, unbeknownst to them, Rose and Colin likewise find love budding between them with ramifications beyond their understanding. Always at the center of the book is life as it is lived on Blackingham Manor and the everyday concerns that go along with living in a place under such oppressive circumstances. Always in the backdrop is the political and religious turbulence that would one day eventually lead to the Reformation. Meanwhile, that turbulence has the capability of profoundly changing the lives of everyone living at Blackingham Manor. Serving to complicate matters further, is the murder of an avaricious priest, which murder appears to be laid at the doorstep of Blackingham Manor. In addition, Lady Kathryn's malevolent overseer, the yeoman Simpson, is dealing her a bad hand and causing untold mischief among her serfs. Consequently, there comes a time when the seething cauldron of unrest bubbles over, taking everyone in its path for a ride not of their own choosing. This author is a welcome new voice in the historical fiction genre. She has managed to create interesting and somewhat unusual characters not often found in historical fiction. A prominent character in the book is the local anchoress, which is based upon the mystic, Julian of Norwich, a character one does not often see mentioned in historical fiction of the period. Nor does one often come across an illuminator as an integral character in a novel. The author also seamlessly weaves historical figures into the fabric of her fiction with practiced ease. This is a well-defined, imaginative book that brings the Middle Ages to life. It will be enjoyed by all those who love well-written historical fiction.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An intricately plotted historical novel that is quite good, March 19, 2005
Brenda Rickman Vantrease's new historical novel, THE ILLUMINATOR, is quite good, and there's really nothing wrong with it. But it's one of those books that is pointed towards a specific audience, and there's nothing anyone can do about it now. If you are in that audience, you should enjoy it and recommend it to your friends. That specific audience, I must tell you, is women. I am not one. I do read, and enjoy, historical novels, and THE ILLUMINATOR is definitely one of those. It's set in fourteenth-century England, the time of Chaucer, the period right before the Reformation. Its first chapter features John Wycliffe, the "morning star of the Reformation," who translated the Bible from Latin into Middle English. Its title character illuminates, or illustrates, the pages of the translation, as well as Latin bibles and other projects. But the title character isn't the main character; that's Lady Kathryn, widow of a knight killed in a battle in France over who the next pope would be (the "Avignon Schism," for those of you who remember your medieval church history). Talking about knights in armor would be a good foundation for a historical novel, you'd think, but nearly all of the action in THE ILLUMINATOR --- including a peasant's rebellion --- takes place well off-screen. The only real battles that are fought are of home, hearth, and love, and those can be as tragic and injurious as any other. Lady Kathryn is the lady of the manor of Blackingham, the owner of some good land for grazing sheep, and makes her money by selling the wool. But to maintain her independence, she must rely on keeping the men around her happy. That includes her two sons, one of whom dreams of being a knight-at-arms while the other dreams of romance and chivalry. To protect their birthright, she has to balance the other forces --- her serfs, the local lords, and most importantly, the Catholic Church, which demands its tithes and peddles its indulgences. When the abbot of a nearby monastery asks Lady Kathryn to house Finn, the illuminator, she agrees as a way to keep the Church happy. But a powerful and militant bishop wants his services as well and uses the pretext of a murdered priest to imprison him unjustly. This brief summary of the plot is more than a little unfair; it's actually a bit more intricate than that --- as is the writing. There are a number of points of view and subplots, including a tragic romance involving Lady Kathryn's youngest son and the illuminator's daughter. THE ILLUMINATOR is interesting enough to keep the reader's attention and knowledgeable enough to impart information about the manners and mores of the time. But the novel is informed by a particular point of view --- two of them, to be exact --- and if you can't wrap your mind around that, then THE ILLUMINATOR may be a long, hard slog. The first of these, as I said, has to do with the target audience. THE ILLUMINATOR is informed by the medieval version of a feminist sensibility; its focus is on the various tragic plights of Lady Kathryn and other female characters. The ups and downs of those characters are contrasted by Julian of Norwich --- an actual historical character --- who was the anchoress of that church. (The job description of "anchoress" reveals quite a bit about the character of the age.) Julian --- the first woman author to write in the English language --- is a steady, loving presence that counterbalances much of the domestic turmoil in the book. Julian the anchoress also contrasts with the other point of view of the novel; she's the only ecclesiastical character represented positively. THE ILLUMINATOR is determinedly anticlerical, pointing out the worst abuses of both the established, patriarchal Catholic Church and the fanatical preachers who stirred up the peasant rebellion. The villain of the piece, the cruel bishop, is just at the top of a pyramid of abuses of power. THE ILLUMINATOR is a sad book, full of regrets, lost love and cruelty. It is accurate to the extent that it is a mirror of a cruel age, but it also shows some of the beauty and reflected love. It is not for everyone, but who wants to read a book that's for everyone? --- Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I hope to see more from this author, July 14, 2005
This is a first novel, and I wish it had been better marketed. I have done a lot of research into English History and the Protestant Reformation in England. Much attention has been given to Henry the Eighth, his scism with Rome and his much misunderstood search for an heir to solidify his family's hold on the throne. However, before Henry, there was Wycliffe and the people who followed his lead. We never really see Wycliffe, but we follow the impact he is making on the English citizenry. Power corrupts and etc. etc. So it was with the Christian church in the preReformation period. Ms. Vantrease not only covers this situation well, but she explains the position of all the citizenry. The peasants, in spite of their sad position in society, had it easiest because they had no hope until the teachings of this new look at Christianity made them begin to believe in themselves. But the threat of loss of lands and property to whims of the King and the Church kept everyone, even nobility balancing on the edge of a knife. Ms. Vantrease explains this balance well, and she relates the levels of society in such a way as to make us realize how valuable democracy really is. One of the other characters in her book and one who is seen much more fully is the Anchoress known as Julian of Norwich. Dame Julian's writings are wonderful in their own right, but the fact that she was one of the first people to write in English, to visualize Christ as a muliti faceted figure and had the trust in her God which allowed her to stand against the powerful Bishop of Norwich makes her a worthy subject for deeper study. This is a first novel, but I look forward to reading more of Ms. Vantrease's work in the future.
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