The Illuminator (Hardcover)

by Brenda Rickman Vantrease (Author) "John Wycliffe put down his pen and rubbed tired eyes..." (more)
Key Phrases: wool house, harvest lord, carpet pages, Lady Kathryn, Sir Guy, Brother Joseph (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A medieval illuminator with radical views finds himself sharing quarters with a widow struggling to preserve her independence in this enthralling historical novel set in the 14th century, a time of religious strife. Lady Kathryn, mistress of Blackingham Manor in East Anglia, must be practical to ensure the future of her 15-year-old twin sons. Little as she cares for the money-grubbing worthies of the local abbey, she is happy to do them a favor by taking in a master illuminator as lodger. Finn, a widower with a 16-year-old daughter, proves to be a congenial guest. He is educated, perceptive and kind--and soon, irresistible to Kathryn. Their subsequent passionate affair blinds them to the romance developing between Finn's innocent daughter, Rose, and Kathryn's pious son, Colin. Meanwhile, the unsolved murder of an unscrupulous priest on the manor grounds puts everyone in jeopardy, and Finn's secret sympathy with John Wycliffe and his Lollard followers, who champion an English translation of the Scriptures, endangers his livelihood, not to mention his life. Kathryn's plainspoken fortitude and warring loyalties to lover and sons make her a compelling figure, and Vantrease's secondary characters are brilliantly sketched as well: confused Colin; his carousing brother, Alfred; Agnes, Lady Kathryn's cook and confidante since childhood; Half-Tom, a courageous dwarf. In Vantrease's medieval England, justice is determined by the powerful; violence is a first, not a last, resort; and love must take second place to duty. This is an absorbing, expertly told tale, plainly and forthrightly written and embroidered with plenty of homespun detail.
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From Booklist
Set against the tumultuous backdrop of fourteenth-century England, this is a richly detailed story of love, political intrigue, and religious tyranny. Finn is a master illustrator hired to illustrate an abbot's new Bible. On the side, he is also working on John Wycliffe's seditious translation of the Book of John into English. As part of his salary, he and his teenage daughter, Rose, are billeted with Lady Kathryn of Blackingham, newly widowed and desperately trying to hang on to her lands for her two sons. When alliances are formed, Finn's past and Kathryn's present conspire to tear their world apart. First-time novelist Vantrease mixes the historical figures of John Wycliffe, Julian of Norwich, John Ball, and Henry Despenser with her richly drawn characters, spanning the ranks from highborn to the lowest of the low. Her details and deft storytelling create a luminescent and very readable portrait of a dark time in history. Elizabeth Dickie
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (February 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312331916
• ISBN-13: 978-0312331917
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #587,736 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A MEMORABLE DEBUT NOVEL..., June 18, 2005

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

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.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, February 28, 2005

By	M. Roche (Tampa, Florida) - See all my reviews

The Illuminator is extremely well written and I was thoroughly engrossed during my journey. Many historical fictions sound like the History Channel. This well-researched book's narration blended like an additional character with a personality. The author's extraordinary use of the English language made the pages come alive. Prepare to escape to fourteenth century England.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating, December 29, 2005

By	Jasia Mouline "Jasia" (Lawrence, MA USA) - See all my reviews

I was first attracted by the beautiful cover of this book. I was later rather pleased to find that the story within was as rich and deserved its elaborate covering since the story in itself was immensely interesting and beautifully spun out throughout the book. Though mainly fictional, the story intertwines various historical figures and events of late thirteenth century British history. It does it in a literally artful way, and helps establish various perspectives and attitudes of the time, as does any historical fiction worth its salt.
Though at one point I was beginning to think the story was using the stylistic devices of Shakespearian tragedy by killing off almost all of the characters, the work redeemed itself by the end and I realized that death in itself was far more apart of 13th century common everyday life than it is today. The settings described gave rather detailed mental visuals for the reader which helped immensely in the placing of characters. The portrait of daily life showed that whether lord or serf, life was difficult regardless of rank in a feudal society. Both sides were always being threatened, whether by a coomon foe, ie. the CHURCH, or by a progressive stage of changes that were inevitable. Overall a great quick read that will give one a glimpse into the rich past that mayhap become forgotten easily.