"I, Patrick, a Sinner..." A Tale Worth Telling [Paperback]

Stephanie Lavenia Swinnea (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

This novel based on the life of Patricius Magonus Sucatus, the man we now know as Saint Patrick, is a very graphic and accurate depiction of life in fifth century Ireland. Every historical fact available, from primitive culture to church history to Roman government, was skillfully woven into this story. The reader is placed firmly into that primitive and savage age, to live the amazing and heroic life of this early missionary, Patrick; a courageous, passionate, but humble man, who would never have claimed to be saintly at all.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I could feel the savagery of it all," responded Dr. Peter Rollins of OSU after reading the soon-to-be- published novel, "I, Patrick, a Sinner..."

Into this world so skillfully constructed by the author, the reader lunges... and becomes caught up in the tale, the 'true life story' of one of Christendom's earliest missionaries, Saint Patrick. The contrast between the rugged, brutal, and simple lives of Irish headhunters and the sophisticated and complex lives of noble Romans is carefully captured as the reader follows Patrick through his escape from slavery and through his failed readjustment to the economic and religious politics of Gaul and Roman Britannia. The plot moves swiftly. The characters are strong and complex. The book well researched both historically and theologically.

Some positions taken are controversial, but Swinnea addresses these at the close of the book.

If you want to relive authentic ancient history and become acquainted with one of the world's more fascinating personalities, this is the novel to read. -- Mannford Star, May 5, 1999

"I, Patrick, a Sinner...", a fact-based account of Saint Patrick of Ireland. We've been hearing some exciting things about this book, don't be the last one on your block to read it. -- The Mannford Eagle, October 6, 1999 by Colleen A. Flemming

Bored with modern fare? How about an engrossing trip to the Dark Ages, to about A.D. 400? "I, Patrick, a Sinner..." novelizes the "true life story" of Patricius Magonus Sucatus (Saint Patrick, to us), born to a noble British family but also a citizen of the Roman Empire. Soon after a woman has denounced him as "a selfish, arrogant young man with one foot in Hell and the other on a mossy rock," he is seized by barbaric Scot-Irish invaders and taken to salvery in Ireland. What follows is a tale of survival, faith, and escape, then a painful decision to go back and minister to the barbarians. A movie based on the book recently has been in development in California. The author is a graduate of Texas Woman's University. -- The Dallas Morning News, September 30, 1999, by Si Dunn

In this newly released book Saint Patrick is portrayed as a person, who initially was not at all admirable. Then Love became his god and God became his love, and the influence of this one man for all time, to Ireland and to the world, became a powerful force. -- Borders' News and Events, September 1999, Author Appearances

The plot moves along swiftly, carrying the reader from one adventure to the next. The characters, male and female alike, are strong and complex... Patrick is most intriguing on several levels, and his theology grows naturally and understandably from his experiences. The author's voice never artificially intrudes into the process. Some positions taken are controversial, but the author addresses these choices at the close of the book. Whether or not everyone can agree on every detail, any Celtic, Roman, or Church historian or enthusiast will find plenty of satisfaction reading this incredible tale. If you're looking for a documentary or a theological dissertation, you won't find it in "I, Patrick, a Sinner..." But, if you want to relive ancient history and become acquainted with one of the world's more fascinating personalities, this is the novel to read. -- The Mannford Star, June 1999

From the Publisher

"I, Patrick, a Sinner..." A Tale Worth Telling by Stephanie Lavenia Swinnea is not an inspirational book about a man's life. Instead it is the gripping, stirring, true life story of a common man struggling against insurmountable odds and beating them, enduring the unendurable, loving the unlovable, forgiving the unforgivable. Inspirational messages do not impart value to his experiences. Rather the opposite occurs. His experiences and the manner in which he endures and conquors them fill the reader with inspiration too profound for words. This is a riveting historical novel, a hero tale, an action-packed drama that is both thought provoking and soul stirring. As SUSAN HOWATCH put it, "A stimulating read."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Aaron Algood Books (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967106001
• ISBN-13: 978-0967106007
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,738,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes the darkness can bring the brightest light..., November 29, 2001

By 

John C (Broken Arrow, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: "I, Patrick, a Sinner..." A Tale Worth Telling (Paperback)

The era of Saint Patrick was certainly a dark and tumultuous time in the world's history, both from a spiritual and a humanitarian standpoint. As history has also proven, the world has no shortage of martyrs and St. Patrick stands out as one who gave everything he had for his beliefs, but did so without glory or recognition.

I feel that Miss Swinnea did an excellent job in conveying the struggle of a man who fought his own demons. Her depth and intuitiveness of St. Patrick's character showed that he was not perfect, but that he did overcome the darkness of his own life and times to become one of the most revered people/saints in history. Her writing is not flawless and as far as I know there aren't too many survivors living to tell exactly what parts of her book were embellishments, but that doesn't matter. We have to remember that this isn't "Braveheart" and the heart and soul of the story are there.

To the literary critics and others who check for correct hyphenation, read Hemmingway or Walden. I know Ms. Swinnea isn't perfect, nor does she try to be, but what she does very well is convey a story of hope, love, struggle and spirituality that is timeless.

As a footnote... I want to add that Ms. Swinnea is also a very generous person and after speaking at my church, she gave me and many others quite a compelling look into a world few of us had ever known before and for that I'm very thankful.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No pot of gold at end of rainbow, March 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: "I, Patrick, a Sinner..." A Tale Worth Telling (Paperback)

St Patrick and that era were a favorite subject of mine back in my British University days, and so it was with a sense of pleasurable anticipation that I settled down to read Swinnea's book. But my pleasure turned to bewilderment rather quickly, as typos, basic grammatical errors, bad illustrations, and remarkable assumptions and inaccuracies surrounding the admittedly hazy time period, surfaced. Patrick a rapist and murderer? Mercy! Wondering who would print such an unfinished book, I wrote the publisher, Aaron Algood Books, Co., and received back a letter from the author herself, which led me to believe this was her own press. In other words, this appears to be a self-published book. I wish I had known this. It's not a bad read, really, once it hits its pace. It's fairly interesting and exciting, if the reader can suspend judgement over historical and writing mistakes. But the book claims to be far more than it actually is. Let's call it honestly an earnest attempt by an amateur historian to write a modern hagiography.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A reader from Oklahoma, December 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: "I, Patrick, a Sinner..." A Tale Worth Telling (Paperback)

Very readable, descriptive, and enticing, blending history and legen