By The Book

The monastic rhythm of life at St. Alcuins means that all is peaceful on the surface, but beneath there are strong currents as each monk contends with his own hopes, fears, challenges, and temptations.

Not every monk is settled and secure. Sadness permeates the monastery when it is discovered early one morning that one of the novices, Brother Cedd, has disappeared. It quickly becomes clear that disturbance in the life of one can impact many. As the day goes on, the question looms: will Brother Cedd return? And what will be the consequences if he doesn’t?

In this moving conclusion to The Hawk and the Dove series, Pen Wilcock describes a single day in the life of the community weaving a deeply touching, frank, and witty tapestry of monastic life.

Penelope (Pen) Wilcock is the author of over a dozen books of fiction and poetry, including The Hawk and the Dove series. She lives a quiet life on the southeast coast of England with her husband and is the mother of five adult daughters. She has many years of experience as a Methodist minister and has worked as a hospice and school chaplain.

My Impressions:

I have loved all of the books in Penelope Wilcock’s The Hawk And The Dove series and am sad that the time visiting with the monks of St. Alcuin’s has come to an end. I actually missed 2 books in the series, so I can dive into those, but when I finish with them, I’ll have to reread. And this series is one that definitely begs a rereading. A Day And A Life, book 9, draws all the threads together from previous books and weaves a story of faithfulness and community. A perfect ending to a lovely series.

St. Alcuin’s is a monastery located in Yorkshire during the 15th century. Although though they have contact with the outside world through tenants, pilgrims and benefactors, the monks live a mostly contained life, a life dedicated to prayer, work and service to others. Through varying perspectives the life and lives of the monks are, well, brought to life :)! I loved that Wilcock explores not only the brothers’ outward actions, but their inward thoughts, thoughts that are funny, poignant and extremely human. From a lowly postulant, a novice, seasoned brothers, and the abbot, a picture of what it means to have true fellowship emerges. From the reaches of time comes a story that is more relevant for today’s Christian than may be first expected. The monks struggle with frustrations, self-centeredness, loneliness and fear of the future. An overarching theme of belonging to a larger family — the family of God —  is woven throughout the book. There is also the theme of bearing with one another examplified with an amusing dinner scene.

Fans of The Hawk And The Dove series will be very pleased with this finale. If you haven’t read any of the books in this excellent series, you are in for a real treat. Start at the beginning and dig in!

Highly Recommended!

Audience: adults.

To purchase this book, click HERE.

(Thanks to Kregel and Lion Hudson for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Tags: historical fiction, Penelope Wilcock

Penelope Wilcock has a lovely series titled The Hawk And The Dove. This historical fiction series set in and around a 14th century English monastery (yes, you read that right) is absolutely brilliant! The Breath of Peace and The Beautiful Thread are books 7 and 8 respectively. Both are filled with wit and wisdom, faithful and flawed characters and a setting that will make you long for time travel — if you take your antibiotics first! Here’s a little about each book:

William and Madeleine are deeply in love―but love may not be enough to win the day.

Madeleine Hazell and William de Bulmer have been married a year. She is a healer, a wise woman, practical, intelligent, and blunt. He is not only an ex—monk, but an ex—abbot, a man accustomed to authority, a gifted administrator, at home with figures―but less capable in matters such as shutting up chickens for the night.

They are deeply, irrevocably in love. And every conversation may become a battlefield that leaves both of them wounded and resentful.

When William’s former abbey, St. Alcuins, suffers the loss of their cellarer, the current Abbot Father John doesn’t know how to handle the rents and provisions. He is a gifted physician and a capable leader, but estate management is beyond his competence. With a sense of rising panic he turns to his friend, the man who renounced his vows for love, the former Father William—only to find that his own pastoral skills may be required in matters matrimonial.

The Breath of Peace is the seventh novel in The Hawk and the Dove series and explores themes of mutual submission found in Ephesians 5:21–33.

Purchase this book HERE.

Abbot John has to face the consequences of his previous good deeds—and none go unpunished.

In this eighth novel of the Hawk and the Dove series, William, has returned to St. Alcuins at Abbot John’s request to help his replacement learn the ropes. But William’s return coincides with a bishop’s visitation, a regular event.

The bishop, a zealous churchman with a large entourage, has heard rumors of St. Alcuins having had in their community one William de Bulmer, who is said to have attempted suicide and left the order—attempted suicide is a felony and breaking monastic vows is a grave sin. The bishop wants to know where this man is so he can be arraigned before an ecclesiastical court, and wishes to discover what happened and what part Abbot John played in those events.

As the story unfolds, the beautiful thread of the gospel weaves quietly through the contrasting colors of human frailty, religious zeal, and social pretension.

Purchase this book HERE. 

Penelope (Pen) Wilcock is the author of over a dozen books of fiction and poetry, including The Hawk and the Dove series. She lives a quiet life on the southeast coast of England with her husband and is the mother of five adult daughters. She has many years of experience as a Methodist minister and has worked as a hospice and school chaplain.

My Impressions:

The Breath of Peace and The Beautiful Thread continue the saga of the brothers of St. Alcuin’s monastery in northern England. Much has changed throughout the years, but grief, betrayal, and death cannot shake the firm foundation of their faith. Each book in the series focuses on a specific character amid the backdrop of the larger community. Favorite characters from previous books continue their supporting role in the life of the monastery. And I suppose you could pick up any book and start reading, but I recommend that you start with book one and work your way through the series. Each book is less than 300 pages and quickly read, so you will be caught up in no time! 🙂

The Breath of Peace explores marriage and its picture of man’s relationship with God. The unlikely pair of former monk William de Bulmer and his wife, Madeleine, are the center of the book. Their first year of marriage is a tug of war between personalities and stubborn wills. This is a story of two wounded people made into one flesh by the miracle of God — and the hard work of making a relationship work. Their love matures as they look to God to teach them to love each other. Abbot John’s wise counsel was just what they (and this reader) needed to remind them of their place in God’s world. Peace within marriage is achievable through Jesus’s gift of peace.

In The Beautiful Thread, which follows immediately after The Breath of Peace, Abbot John is confronted with his own foibles and failings. He is buffeted on all sides by pretentious and contemptuous people. Kindness, as it is lived out, is the theme of this book; the beautiful thread that elevates and encourages the vulnerable around us. In a turn around of roles, it is William who counsels John to find his way again. There is one character I hope never to see again in Wilcock’s books, but his casual and unconscious cruelty is a good contrast to the way God calls us live.

As I read the Hawk And The Dove series, I am always surprised by how much I like these books. With well-researched historical details in custom, dress, and cuisine and a faithful depiction of monastic life, these books are remarkably modern in their outlook and application. But truth is always ageless, and Wilcock has a wonderful way of portraying truth through the simple life of complex men.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Kregel and Lion Hudson for review copies. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Tags: historical fiction, Penelope Wilcock

The Hardest Thing to Do starts one year after the end of the third book, The Long Fall, in the early fourteenth century. The peaceful monastery of St Alcuin’s is adjusting to its new abbot, who is taking the place of Father Peregrine, when an old enemy arrives seeking refuge. Reluctantly taking in Prior William, the upended community must address old fears and bitterness while warily seeking reconciliation. But can they really trust Prior William?

Penelope (Pen) Wilcock is the author of over a dozen books of fiction and poetry, including The Hawk and the Dove trilogy. She lives a quiet life on the southeast coast of England with her husband and is the mother of five adult daughters. She has many years of experience as a Methodist minister and has worked as a hospice and school chaplain.

My Impressions:

Each successive book that I read in Penelope Wilcock’s series, The Hawk And The Dove, is my favorite. The quiet, yet powerful books that detail 14th century monastic life are truly treasures. In the fourth book of the series, The Hardest Thing to Do, the community is turned on its head when a hated and hateful Augustinian prior arrives seeking sanctuary. The brothers find that often the hardest thing to do is the most critical.

The community of St. Alcuin is in a transition period. As they enter the Lenten season, they await the return of Brother John, the former infirmarian who will take over as abbott. Winter still has a hold over northern England, but the promise of Spring is a whisper of hope to their souls. The deprivation and denial of Lent also brings forth spiritual fruit and growth. Abbott John is soon tested in his new obedience when faced with the turmoil that erupts following Father William’s arrival.

The phrase the hardest thing to do is repeated throughout this book. The monks face it when trying to live in peace in a community with diverse attitudes and temperaments. They find it in mundane activities as well as in the spiritual realm. There is an underlying theme of forgiveness and mercy that is well-suited to the season of Lent and the monk’s preparations for the Easter feast. I love how Wilcock takes the unfamiliar lives of 14th century monks and makes them relevant for modern day believers. The book reinforces the message of community in Scripture — the truth that we are of one body and every member is important no matter his role. I also liked that forgiveness is depicted in a realistic way —  a hard thing for those who must give it as well as for those who receive. Beloved characters from previous books make an appearance as well as new who add to the diversity and vitality of the monastery of St. Alcuin.

It is not necessary to have read the first 3 books in the series to enjoy The Hardest Thing to Do, but I would recommend that you do. The series is wonderful; you need the full experience. You can check out my reviews of the first 3 books HERE.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

To purchase this book, click HERE.

(Thanks to Kregel and Lion Hudson for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

It’s hard to forgive when you’ve been wronged, even more when the wrong is against someone you love. What are your thoughts on the “hard thing” of forgiveness?

Tags: historical fiction, Penelope Wilcock